Style Of The Week 7/3/07 - Russian Imperial Stout

[Stuster]

Depends how much yeast/autolysis character you want. I left some on the yeastcake and it starts to pick up some hella vegemite character.

In secondary? After how long? I've never had an issue with autolysis in big beers (though I have tasted it in others beers).

I've done a number of big beers but the only one I had any issues getting down in gravity was this RIS - possibly due to the high percentage of dark malts.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Depends how much yeast/autolysis character you want. I left some on the yeastcake and it starts to pick up some hella vegemite character.
If you want to limit this character I'd probably pitch some champagne yeast, if it doesn't budge after a week, then it's probably more a problem with your mash temp or something. So you could bottle it hoping that the carbonation will 'lift' the beer from being so heavy.
maybe other more experienced high grav guys could offer other options.

Q

Mine dropped from 1.105 down to 1.024, took 2 + months in the bottle to start carbonating. I didn't end up adding extra yeast or warming the bottles. I've got them all in the fridge now that I am happy with their carb level in the hope they will age and not gas anymore.
I think patience is the key with these high gravity brews.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Quintrex]

In secondary? After how long? I've never had an issue with autolysis in big beers (though I have tasted it in others beers).

I've done a number of big beers but the only one I had any issues getting down in gravity was this RIS - possibly due to the high percentage of dark malts.

OH my bad, didn't read the secondary bit.

Just as an experiment I left ~5L on the full yeastcake, obviously this makes the yeast/beer ratio higher than it would be normally, and so it was probably a lot more pronounced than if you left the whole batch on the yeast cake. It had masses of yeast lees character after 2 months on it.

 

[Jesse]

The RIS I did with crozdog a couple of years back started at 1095 and stalled at 1030, also on a yeast cake to start. Chucked more ale yeast at it but to no avail. Ended up bottling it after only a few weeks in secondary and found ourselves with bottle bombs after a while. Not too pretty. I'd definitely recommend leaving it in secondary for much longer than 3 weeks. Especially at this time of year if you don't have temp control. Since you're probably going to want to age this for a while, I'd suggest you leave it in secondary for as long as you can.

Bottle bombs are not cool

So two weeks in primary and 3 weeks in secondary is to short? I have crude temp control. I stick the fermentor in a big esky of water (100L+) and hold the esky at 18 degrees with ice/hot water

It does have a swag load of dark malts in it...12.5% could this be why it is so sticky (1113>1042)? 62% attenuation I was aiming for 75% with the nottingham

It does taste fairly sweet still. What if I didn't carb the bottles?

 

[Stuster]

What if I didn't carb the bottles?

The problem is that you can't be sure exactly how much more fermentation there is to go. Which could be dangerous. :unsure:

I wouldn't worry about keeping the temp down to 18C now it's nearly finished. Letting the temperature rise will help the yeast keep going and ferment a little more. What are ambient temps for you at the moment?

 

[floppinab]

I've done a number of big beers but the only one I had any issues getting down in gravity was this RIS - possibly due to the high percentage of dark malts.

I've still got the bottle of that you gave me Stu. Actually put it in the fridge to have a crack at it last weekend but forgot about it amongst the usual chaos!!!!!

 

[Jesse]

The problem is that you can't be sure exactly how much more fermentation there is to go. Which could be dangerous. :unsure:

I wouldn't worry about keeping the temp down to 18C now it's nearly finished. Letting the temperature rise will help the yeast keep going and ferment a little more. What are ambient temps for you at the moment?

Ambient is 12-14 overnight and 22 during the day.....The tub of water being 100L+ stays constand 18+ or - 0.5 degrees

I have a heater I could sitck on the fermentor.....

I keep trying to rouse the yeast by shaking the fermentor but nothing seems to be working

Tastes great when i do hydrometer samples

 

[Dave86]

I got a couple of freebies from my LHBS (out of date stock) that I'm thinking of turning into an imperial stout type brew. Looking for minimal effort. It might not be great, but it'll be a low cost brew that could turn out to be a lovely winter warmer in a few years time.

I've got a muntons barleywine kit and a morgan's masterblend roasted malt can (both out of date freebies)

A coopers IPA kit that I can't be bothered doing another K&K with, I'm in a hurry to get out the mash tun again!

The three of these made up to 20L would give about 90 IBU and OG 1065 I calculate. Being k&k and the extended aging I'll be doing I was think of adding another kit with some dark DME. The best k&k I ever made was a cascade porter and a kilo of dark DME with some steeped choc malt, so I was thinking of basically making the same beer and adding my extra cans to that to produce an imperial stout/porter (OG 1110, 110-130 IBU?) to put away for a few years. Will have a nice big yeast cake of 1272 to dump it on next week (extra savings!)

So, a terrible idea, or worth trying?

Cheers in advance

Edit: Will this beer be qualified as more a baltic porter?

 

[Steve]

The RIS is on at the Wig & Pen now. Pheeewwwwwy! Its got balls!. Its now 12 months old. 10% alc. Its only served in half pint glasses.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Sammus]

I just missed out on the RIS at the wig n pen Sucks, I was in the berra right during the change of seasons, so I missed out on the venom and the hopidemic too.
ahh well, anywho, I did my first RIS just recently. Left it 3-4wks in primary and wasn't budging from 1.030. Reading this thread mightve made me anxious, except its FG is right on target, so I'm not really expecting it to go down more just that time in primary was enough to make it taste like vegemite though heres hoping it gets better somehow with age.

 

[Brewer_010]

I just missed out on the RIS at the wig n pen Sucks, I was in the berra right during the change of seasons, so I missed out on the venom and the hopidemic too.
ahh well, anywho, I did my first RIS just recently. Left it 3-4wks in primary and wasn't budging from 1.030. Reading this thread mightve made me anxious, except its FG is right on target, so I'm not really expecting it to go down more just that time in primary was enough to make it taste like vegemite though heres hoping it gets better somehow with age.

I tried the hopidemic and found it a bit ordinary, so much promise but the result was a bit disappointing. Their IPA is better (or the hand pumped pale ale) IMO.

 

[raven19]

Planning my first RIS, the mash will 'span the decades!' - overnight mash... :lol:

Comments? Thoughts?


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: 17 RIS 'Span of the Decades'
Style: Imperial Stout

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 20.00 L
Boil Size: 31.36 L
Estimated OG: 1.080 SG
Estimated Color: 94.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 59.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 120 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 kg Pale Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 75.47 %
0.50 kg Wheat (2.5 SRM) Grain 6.29 %
0.40 kg Caramalt (125.0 SRM) Grain 5.03 %
0.40 kg Choc Malt (1200.0 SRM) Grain 5.03 %
0.35 kg Crystal (140.0 SRM) Grain 4.40 %
0.30 kg Roast Barley (1400.0 SRM) Grain 3.77 %
25.00 gm Chinese Cluster [6.80 %] (60 min) Hops 18.1 IBU
25.00 gm Chinese Cascade [5.80 %] (60 min) Hops 15.4 IBU
25.00 gm Chinese Cascade [5.80 %] (30 min) Hops 11.8 IBU
25.00 gm Chinese Cluster [6.80 %] (30 min) Hops 13.9 IBU
0.50 items Whirlfloc (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs 1084 (Wyeast) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: *** Single Infusion, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 7.95 kg
----------------------------
*** Single Infusion, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
600 min Mash In Add 20.72 L of water at 71.2 C 65.0 C
10 min Mash Out Add 11.60 L of water at 97.2 C 75.6 C

 

[bradsbrew]

Mine dropped from 1.105 down to 1.024, took 2 + months in the bottle to start carbonating. I didn't end up adding extra yeast or warming the bottles. I've got them all in the fridge now that I am happy with their carb level in the hope they will age and not gas anymore.
I think patience is the key with these high gravity brews.

Cheers
Andrew

Andrew how did these ones end up??

Cheers Brad

 

[fuddnuddler]

Anyone have a k&k recipe for RIS?
the link on page 2 to grain and grape doesn't work and searching there (and here) I can't find one.
much obliged for any help...
cheers

 

[raven19]

RIS from the recipe post #52 above.

It tasted really hot out of the fermentor at room temp, but now it has been chilled and carbonated slightly, it is not too bad at all.

Looking forward to see how this ages...

Cheers! :icon_cheers:



Edit - post # added.

 

[Melthar]

Anyone have a k&k recipe for RIS?
the link on page 2 to grain and grape doesn't work and searching there (and here) I can't find one.
much obliged for any help...
cheers

2 Cooper's Stout kits.
1kg LDME
1kg Dex.
Nottingham Yeast.

Might be worth adding the sugar/LDME over several days (300 of each initially, another 300 after a day or two, the rest a day or two after that) as I found the krausen took on a life of its own, making its way across the cellar.

 

[paulwolf350]

Andrew how did these ones end up??

Cheers Brad

I have oneof Andrews, I might bring it with me to Chappos, if you are going to hang around

Paul

 

[mb83]

What do you guys think about this grain bill for a RIS?


Vladimir the Stout
March 12, 2010

Category Stout
Subcategory Russian Imperial Stout
Recipe Type All Grain
Batch Size 13 liters
Volume Boiled 20 liters
Mash Efficiency 72 %
Total Grain/Extract 6.45 kg.
Total Hops 150.0 g.
Calories (12 fl. oz.) 410.8
Cost to Brew $52.35 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.) $1.43 (USD)

4 kg. Australian Traditional Ale info
1 kg. Brown Malt info
.25 kg. Black Roasted Barley info
.05 kg. Chocolate Malt info
1 kg. Amber Malt info
.3 kg. Oats Flaked info
100 g. Czech Saaz (Pellets, 4 %AA) boiled 90 min. info
50 g. Czech Saaz (Pellets, 4 %AA) boiled 20 min. info
1 tsp. 5.2 pH Stabilizer (not included in calculations)
Yeast : White Labs WLP004 Irish Stout info

Predicted BJPC Guidelines Compliance
Original Gravity 1.102 1.075 - 1.095 65 %
Terminal Gravity 1.027 1.018 - 1.030 100 %
Color 36.25 SRM 30.00 - 40.00 SRM 100 %
Bitterness 118.7 IBU 50.00 - 90.00 IBU 28 %
Alcohol (%volume) 10.0 % 8.00 - 12.00 % 100 %
79 % overall

Cheers,

Michael

 

[Effect]

Coming from someone who has never brewed a RIS before, my advice may not be the best. But as I am also planning a RIS in the next few weeks, I have been doing a bit of reading up. So here are my thoughts on your recipe.

Firstly I think that you need a lot more roast barley and choc malt, I think you need atleast 3 times more. As far as the hops go, I think you could find a better bittering hop, maybe por or northern brewer. With the later hops, are you considering aging this beer, you may find that the malt on the beer will overpower the hop flavour and the extended conditioning may lend the flavour to deteriate.

Hope this helps some,

cheers
Phil

 

[paulwolf350]

I dont think I would use saaz in a RIS, it is going to roasty and overpowering the hop anyway.
I would up the choc to equal parts with the roast (250g apiece) or do away with it and up your brown malt to 1.5kg.

I am no means an expert, and its your beer, if you like the look of it (grist) give it a go, it certainly wont be bad

Paul