[bluesman]

I'm planning to brew this beer on Sunday and thought I'd pass it by the jury. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Russian Imperial Stout 2010
Imperial Stout

Type: All Grain
Date: 3/21/2010
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Brewer: Bluesman
Boil Size: 6.99 gal 
Boil Time: 120 min 
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00

Ingredients
 
21.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 80.77 %
2.00 lb Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 7.69 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
1.00 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1.92 %
0.50 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 1.92 %
2.00 oz Mt. Hood [5.10 %] (120 min) Hops 22.1 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [11.20 %] (75 min) Hops 23.3 IBU
0.75 oz Magnum [14.20 %] (60 min) Hops 21.2 IBU
0.50 oz Zeus [16.40 %] (30 min) Hops 12.5 IBU
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (30 min) Hops 13.0 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.00 %] (5 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc 
5.50 gal Poland Spring (R) Water 
2 Pkgs SafAle US Ale (Fermentis #S-05) Yeast-Ale 

Beer Profile
 
Est Original Gravity: 1.113
Est Final Gravity: 1.021
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 12.13 %
Bitterness: 93.7 IBU
Est Color: 39.9 SRM 
 
Mash Profile
 
Single Infusion
60 min Mash In Add 32.50 qt of water at 162.5 F 151.0 F
10 min Sparge Add 16.00 qt of water at 207.6 F 168.0 F

 
 

[roguejim]

More roast barley, less brown malt?

That looks to me like an unnecessarily complicated hop schedule, too.  I hope your yeast can handle that gravity.  Will you be bottling this?  Just curious.

[blatz]

Ron, with that little roasted malt, you're going to have more of an imperial porter than a RIS.  You need a lot more roast to stand up to the load of malt you have in there.

Otherwise, the grist looks rather familiar 

5 min hallertau looks out of place.
don't think you'll get much out of separating the 60 and 75 min additions - I'd just combine them.

might want to use 3 packs of US-05 or use fresh slurry instead.

[bluesman]

On second thought, I think your right about the roast barley. I'll bump it up a notch and recalculate. The hop schedule is somewhat flexible at this point. I will probably tweek it a bit before Sunday.

and Paul your about right...I just checked Mr Malty. I need about 3.5 packs for this big boy.

Jury's still out on this one but getting closer.

Thanks for the input.

[blatz]

the roasted barley, black patent, and chocolate in mine total around 9% (off the top of my head).

also, don't forget as it ages those will mellow, so keep that in mind.

[bluesman]

the roasted barley, black patent, and chocolate in mine total around 9% (off the top of my head).

also, don't forget as it ages those will mellow, so keep that in mind.

Valid point taken. I definitely want to age this properly.

[redbeerman]

the roasted barley, black patent, and chocolate in mine total around 9% (off the top of my head).

also, don't forget as it ages those will mellow, so keep that in mind.

Valid point taken. I definitely want to age this properly.

So far, I think mine's been aging a little over 3 months.  I plan on letting it go until next fall.  It will be next winters big beer.  I tried to model it after Old Rasputin.  Only time will tell.

[blatz]

the roasted barley, black patent, and chocolate in mine total around 9% (off the top of my head).

also, don't forget as it ages those will mellow, so keep that in mind.

Valid point taken. I definitely want to age this properly.

So far, I think mine's been aging a little over 3 months.  I plan on letting it go until next fall.  It will be next winters big beer.  I tried to model it after Old Rasputin.  Only time will tell.

I take it by your post that Ron used your grist?

Got some 2 year aged going right now...yum..

[redbeerman]

His is similar, but a bit stronger.  I did not use any brown malt and I used crystal 80 instead of 120 and of course, quick oats. And no Victory either.  Actually it's nothing like mine.   I only had two hop additions as well.  One bittering and one flavor.

[bluesman]

What efficiency did you guys (Paul and Jim) get on your latest batch?

I entered 65% for my brewhouse efficiency.

[blatz]

68-69% actually - I always enter 65% as well - never hurts to lowball the big guys, IMO.

to give you some scale, I usually get 77-78%.

[bluesman]

68-69% actually - I always enter 65% as well - never hurts to lowball the big guys, IMO.

to give you some scale, I usually get 77-78%.

That's what I thought. Actually 69 is pretty good for a 100+ beer IMO. At least for single infusion+batch sparge technique.

[redbeerman]

I set mine for 65% for big >1.090 beers as well although my DIPA is ususally around 72-75%.  I attribute that to the cane sugar addition.

[bluesman]

I set mine for 65% for big >1.090 beers as well although my DIPA is ususally around 72-75%.  I attribute that to the cane sugar addition.

What was your actual efficiency for your RIS?

[mikeypedersen]

That's what I thought. Actually 69 is pretty good for a 100+ beer IMO. At least for single infusion+batch sparge technique.

Yeah......Maybe if you're using a blue mash-tun......