Anyone planning an Imperial Stout for Christmas?

[foxbat]

I'm toying with the idea of a small stove-top RIS batch that I can ferment in a demijohn and leave to age in 330ml bottles in time for Christmas. Is anyone else planning their big beer for Christmas yet?

 

[Honk]

I've never tasted an imperial stout but a small batch ready for Christmas is a good idea, shall get the recipe books out tonight.

 

[Clint]

I put my last kit on three weeks ago,muntons Belgian ale,subbed the yeast out for a CML Belgian. I ballsed the volumes up to 23 litres instead of 18 so the abv will be lower but never mind eh? It's taking it's time getting down to the 1006 suggested on the instructions but a sample at 1010 tastes spicy and has some good aroma. I'm in no hurry but plan to keg it and leave it for Christmas.
I think I'd do a half batch or smaller of anything stronger as I don't want 40 bottles of 9%+

 

[foxbat]

I was thinking something along the lines of this for a 5 litre batch that I could manage in a large stockpot on the kitchen hob.

BH Efficiency: 80%
Est OG: 1.099
Est FG: 1.023
Est ABV: 10.2%
IBU: 115

63% 1.28kg Maris Otter
20% 0.4kg Munich Malt
10% 0.2kg Chocolate Malt
7% 0.14kg Roasted Barley
20g Target (9.5% AA) 60 min
30g Target (9.5% AA) 20 min
Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale

Or I could do a DIPA instead as I've already got everything I need for that. Choices, hmmm.

 

[Martybhoy]

Great idea. Been looking for some inspiration and that's right up my street

 

[stigman]

I drink impy's what ever the weather, currently working through a keg of chocolate and coconut 10%abv. It's delicious sat in the sun after work.

 

[Sadfield]

I brewed a Barley Wine in April, and also a heritage IPA, brewed in February, that is aging in a keg with oak and dry hops that'll be bottled near to Xmas. As with Stigman these aren't particularly pencilled in for Christmas, I'll just age them and dip into them as the mood takes. They'll join the Impy Stout from September 2016 in the beer to savour cupboard. I'll probably do a 10%+ Belgian beer at some point too.

 

[MickDundee]

Bottled my Belgian Dubbel last week at 7.7%. I mainly bottled into 330ml so have around 55 bottles. Should start to peak around December and last me through the winter.

 

[BeerCat]

I have just done a RIS so was thinking about a barley wine. Might up the ABV with some honey.

 

[foxbat]

I drink impy's what ever the weather, currently working through a keg of chocolate and coconut 10%abv. It's delicious sat in the sun after work.

What was your recipe if you don't mind me asking?

 

[dad_of_jon]

I think I'd do a half batch or smaller of anything stronger as I don't want 40 bottles of 9%+

40 bottles of 9%+ - nowt wrong with that ask my shed

 

[Clint]

I bet...it's me I can't handle it! End up falling over or pissing in the cupboard! Make Mrs Clint very unhappy!

 

[dad_of_jon]

I have 6 bottles of king kong which will be 2 yr old this xmas, and 50 bottles of abbey beer, so might plump for a barley wine instead although imperial stout is always good in the darker months. I like them at 3-6 months old and then 18 months plus so after 6 months I age any I have left.

 

[krispn]

I’ve just got this on last week.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...ing-shades-and-phantoms-imperial-stout.77355/

Likely a bit high on the crystal malts but was hoping to get some flavour depth. Just picked up some cacao nibs which I’ll add in secondary and leave for a few weeks before bottling and if I can keep the hands off it leave until Christmas. I’m tempted to do a slightly bigger batch (possibly with a slight tweak to the recipe) as a reiterated mash and maybe a bit of dme or sugar to it and set it aside and use this small batch as my tester/taster over the coming months to see how it develops. I may have just talked myself into it

 

[Oneflewover]

What was your recipe if you don't mind me asking?

I'm planning this one. It was posted on @strange-steve s reviews thread if I recall correctly. Not quite RIS territory but sounds bloody good

4.7kg pale malt
250g amber
250g oats
220g carafa 1
220g roasted barley
200g crystal 60
200g caramunich
130 g chocolate malt
60min mash @67
Mash out 75
15g magnom and 11g columbus @90 min
Ibu 43
100 g lactose @ 10 min
300g toasted coconut @0 min
20g cascade @ 0 min
Whirlpool 5 min steep 15 min
Nottingham yeast pitch and ferment
@19°c
Dry hop 5 days 300g roasted coconut
100g roasted cocoa nibs which had been soaked in 90g vodka
Og 1062
Fg 1017

 

[foxbat]

After hauling out my demijohns from the store cupboard I realised that they only hold 4 litres up to the part where the neck starts to narrow inwards. I wouldn't dare fill them any more because I'd more than likely get a krausen volcano so I've decided to use two of them for an 8 litre batch and after messing with the recipe a little, including scaling back my efficiency expectation to 75% this is where I'm at so far:

59% 1.8kg Maris Otter malt
23% 0.7kg Munich malt
6.6% 0.2kg Chocolate malt
6.6% 0.2kg Roasted barley
4.9% 0.15kg Medium Crystal (240 EBC)
30g 60 mins Mandarina Bavaria (9.3% AA)
20g 20 mins Mandarina Bavaria (9.3% AA)
1pkg Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007)

Mash 90 mins @65C. Boil 60 mins.
OG 1.088, FG 1.017, ABV 9.4%
IBU: 88, bitterness ratio: 1.003

Total water needed is 14.9 litres. If I save back 5 litres for a dunk sparge then that'll easily fit with the grain bag in the 18 litre stockpot I've got. Probably going to aim for 1:1 sulphate/chloride for the water.

 

[Zephyr259]

I've got the vanilla bourbon stout from Greg Hughes book brewed back in March. Since I used kveik year it's already really good, curious to see if kveik beers age well.

Got a big old ale planned for Christmas once my helles is done.

 

[Ajhutch]

I’m doing an Imperial stout this weekend, my second one. My first was originally going to last until Christmas when it would’ve been right around a year old but it’s fine now and I’ve been drinking it too quickly!

 

[Jakeyboi]

I've got the vanilla bourbon stout from Greg Hughes book brewed back in March. Since I used kveik year it's already really good, curious to see if kveik beers age well.

Got a big old ale planned for Christmas once my helles is done.

I am planning to brew the old ale from Greg Hughes soon, ready for xmas. Still deciding if I want to add spice. I think I might keep it to the recipe first time round ...

 

[jafski]

I've bottled mine already in 330ml bottles.

Not quite Imperial so just an Extra Stout I guess (got a crap efficiency was hoping for nearer 8%, oh well).

Ingredients:

• 3.4 kg Belgian 2 row Pale Malt
  
  
• 0.55 kg Amber Malt
  
  
• 0.4 kg Brown Malt
  
  
• 0.2 kg Black Patent Malt
  
  
• 0.2 kg Chocolate Malt
  
  
• 0.1 kg Roasted Barley
  
  
• 45g Nugget a.a. 12.9%
  
  
• 70g East Kent Goldings a.a. 6.8%
  
  
• 0.6 kg Invert Sugar (Golden Syrup)
  
  
• 3g Irish Moss
  
  
• Nottingham Yeast
  

Additions:

• 45g Nugget a.a. 12.9% @60 minutes
  
  
• 20g East Kent Goldings a.a. 6.8% @30 minutes
  
  
• 15g East Kent Goldings a.a. 6.8% @20 minutes
  
  
• 0.60g Invert Sugar @20 minutes
  
  
• 15g East Kent Goldings a.a. 6.8% @10 minutes
  

Got 14.5L into primary fermenter at OG of 1.069


Dry hopped with 20g East Kent Goldings for 7 days


FG of 1.016 = ABV of 7.0%

Bottled it on 15th April, so may try one for quality control purposes this weekend.