Russian Imperial Stout

[huaco]

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I'm looking to brew something that will work with my ultra hard water and apparently darker is better. I have looked at a few recipes and come up with this below. What do you guys think? It's going to be big, but that's par for the course...

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
19 lbs Pale Ale (Crisp) (4.0 SRM) Grain 1 82.6 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Black Barley (Stout) (500.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.5 %
1 lbs Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.3 %
1 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.3 %
8.0 oz Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.2 %
2.00 oz Horizon [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 49.7 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 7 -
2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 6.9 IBUs
2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 9 0.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124.21 ml] Yeast 10 - (will make an appropriate starter and use pure O2 prior to pitching)


Mash Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.095 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.025 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.3 %
Bitterness: 57.4 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 51.2 SRM


Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 7.20 gal of water at 168.2 F 156.0 F 40 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 5.89 gal water at 168.0 F

[perogi]

Here's a discussion about a clone of Kate the Great: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/official-kate-great-russian-imperial-stout-clone-217674/

I was lucky enough to take part in Kate the Great day in 2012 - it might be the last day since Tod Mott left with the rights to the recipe - the beer was too young on that day but I have 10 bottles aging in my cellar

I had the 2010 version and it was incredible. I wasn't sure if it was going to live up to the hype but it was one of the best beers I have ever drank.

Keep us updated on how this turns out!

[huaco]

I picked up my grains, hops, and yeast for this today. I changed my mind on the yeast to London Ale yeast.
In the picture, the 2 bags on the left are my Russian Imperial Stout grains and the grains on the left are for an English Strong Ale. Two BIG Beers! The Strong was my first recipe to construct. Hope I did ok. I guess I will see in SEVERAL MONTHS once these have time to finish up fermentation and age.
Both of these are single carboy batches.

[huaco]

Well, the RIS has been in the fermentor at 63 for almost 3 weeks. I checked the gravity on it yesterday evening and it attenuated down to 1.021.

OG was supposed to be 1.095 and I hit 1.091
FG was supposed to be 1.025 and it hit 1.021

I ran a calculator on it and it shows it is at 9.25 ABV

I and enjoyed the 6 or so ounces of my gravity sample last night. Turned out very complex. Coffee is in there, as are the dark fruits I was going for. Chocolate. And something I can't quite put my finger on. It seems savory.
It is not a sweet stout... not cloying that I can pick up on. What surprised me so much was that there was ZERO harsh alcohol in it. I fermented it on the cool side and it looks to have paid off! This is a drinkable beer right now at less than 3 weeks old. I can't wait for it to get about 5-6 months of age on it!
I will rebuild a keg and rack it over that that and pressurize it to seat the seals. put it back in the corner of my fermentation chest and let it sit for a while.
Is it best to go ahead and carb it up or just get some head pressure on it?

[supercub405]

looks like it went pretty good i'll be interested to hear a final taste when its all done

lol just saw this thread after i posted my imperial stout recipe