Extract Imperial Stout Recipe - Thoughts?

[KiaOraBrew]

Hi team

Got this recipe in the pipeline for the weekend. Any glaringly obvious bad decisions or edits you'd make? Not in the recipe is 45g of Bourbon Barrel chips added 1 week before bottling

**NOTE UPDATED RECIPE** - https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/738660/dreadnought-bourbon-barrel-imperial-stout

Cheers in advance lads

 

[Brew_DD2]

Not sure what using part dry and part liquid extract brings to the table. Also the steeping grains plus amber and dark extract is likely going to be overkill.

Also, I'm pretty sure that stout malt is just a pale base malt.

Might be worth simplifying things and sticking with pale extract and steeping grains.

 

[prog99]

DD2 beat me too it, it looks overly complicated (more so than my full mash imperial stout).

 

[KiaOraBrew]

So should I just use extra Dextrose to boost the ABV? Im patching together some kits I got that I won't use that have part dry and part liquid malt.

 

[KiaOraBrew]

Basically what I've done is I've taken the Northern Brewer Sweet Porter kit and added additional dark liquid malt, dextrose and amber dry malt to boost it up overall to be more 'imperial'.

This my give some context as to why its all over the show a bit.

 

[phildo79]

Why does it need to boil for 90 mins when your hops say 60 mins?

 

[KiaOraBrew]

Why does it need to boil for 90 mins when your hops say 60 mins?

That is indeed an error! I'll correct that and relook at the IBU. I don't like a hugely bitter stout

 

[phildo79]

Unless you have a method to cool 5 gallons of wort from 100 degrees C down to 20 degrees C in a very quick time, I wouldn't bother with a 60 min boil.

 

[KiaOraBrew]

Unless you have a method to cool 5 gallons of wort from 100 degrees C down to 20 degrees C in a very quick time, I wouldn't bother with a 60 min boil.

Would you go more or less?

 

[phildo79]

Well you don't really need any boil time at all for the DME so the boil, in extract brewing, is for the hops. It takes an awful long time for 5 gallons of boiled wort to cool down. And whilst it is very slowly cooling, oils are still being extracted from the hops. So I would go shorter on the boil. I brewed a 7.5% IPA (extract) a few weeks ago and only boiled for 20 mins. It turned out great. So much so that I will not be going back to 60 min boils.

 

[KiaOraBrew]

I've just run the same recipe through Brewers Friend instead of Beersmith and its coming up with very different results for ABV and IBU.

I've added some extras that I've got lying around to try and boost the IBU closer to 50 IBU according to style guidelines. I could drop the Amber dry malt extract to help simplify it but ABV takes a bit of a hit.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/738660/dreadnought-bourbon-barrel-imperial-stout

Any suggestions?

 

[KiaOraBrew]

Well you don't really need any boil time at all for the DME so the boil, in extract brewing, is for the hops. It takes an awful long time for 5 gallons of boiled wort to cool down. And whilst it is very slowly cooling, oils are still being extracted from the hops. So I would go shorter on the boil. I brewed a 7.5% IPA (extract) a few weeks ago and only boiled for 20 mins. It turned out great. So much so that I will not be going back to 60 min boils.

This makes total sense! I've never thought of that.. I usually do a kitchen basin ice bath, which takes a good while to cool down.

 

[phildo79]

Add more hops for IBU or try using IBU Rager instead of Tinseth to calculate. Also, try calculating ABV using alternate instead of standard. Rager and alternate will give you a little more.

 

[KiaOraBrew]

Add more hops for IBU or try using IBU Rager instead of Tinseth to calculate. Also, try calculating ABV using alternate instead of standard. Rager and alternate will give you a little more.

What is the affect of this on the beer itself? Its come up quite a bit higher for both

 

[phildo79]

You could spend all day reading up on this without finding an answer. I wouldn't get too hung up about IBU's as there is a difference between actual bitterness and perceived bitterness. Plus it's an estimation, not a 100%, full proof calculation. Personally, I use ranger and alternate because it gives you that little bit extra. I have also read that when it comes to ABV, alternate is slightly more accurate.

 

[KiaOraBrew]

You could spend all day reading up on this without finding an answer. I wouldn't get too hung up about IBU's as there is a difference between actual bitterness and perceived bitterness. Plus it's an estimation, not a 100%, full proof calculation. Personally, I use ranger and alternate because it gives you that little bit extra. I have also read that when it comes to ABV, alternate is slightly more accurate.

Nice thank you for your wisdom. I have updated the recipe and am now going into the brew with a bit more confidence :)

 

[phildo79]

No problem.
Are you doing a full 5 gallon boil? If so, how long does it take to get to a rolling boil with your equipment?

 

[KiaOraBrew]

Im doing probably a 2.5-3 gal boil in the pot. Takes around 20-25 mins to get the strike water to temp and then around another 20 to get it up to a boil when needed. (From memory)

 

[Tony Palmer]

For this gravity beer you are going to need a really high yeast pitching rate - at least 3 x your normal 1040 type beer.

 

[KiaOraBrew]

I was gonna rehydrate two packs of S-04 in chilled boiled water. Think thats enough? Or maybe pitch 3 to be sure?