Hops and Yeast for Imperial Stout

SamWise72 · Jan 22, 2011

I'm planning an extract Imperial Stout, and I need some advice. I'm trying to plot 6 months of brewing, in order to order everything together and pay less shipping, and I reckon if I make things like spicey winter warmer and IS now, they'll be good and tasty for next Chrimbo.

I've put together a recipe which comes out at 10.8% with an FG of 1030, and I'm wondering about hops. I like complex, sweet malty beers, and I'm not a big fan of bitterness (I find 45 IBU too bitter in anything other than an IPA style thing), but this will need a fair bit to balance it. I suppose I probably won't do any late aroma hopping, and I guess the obvious answer is a largish pile of Fuggles for 60 mins, but does anyone have other suggestions?

Likewise, what sort of yeast will go all the way to 10.8 and give me a nice complex taste?

Aleman · Jan 22, 2011

I had no issue with Nottingham going to 10.6% . . . just pitched 3 packets into 23Litres

You don't need a yeast to give a complex taste with an IS . . . there is more than enough going on as it is

Hop with Fuggles to 130+ IBU . . . and you will be boiling for a lot longer than 60 minutes . . . more like 3 Hours!

unclepumble · Jan 22, 2011

Aleman said:
I had no issue with Nottingham going to 10.6% . . . just pitched 3 packets into 23Litres You don't need a yeast to give a complex taste with an IS . . . there is more than enough going on as it is

Hop with Fuggles to 130+ IBU . . . and you will be boiling for a lot longer than 60 minutes . . . more like 3 Hours!

I seem to remember reading somewhere in the depths of the forum several moons ago, that you pitched Windsor not Nottingham AM :wha: :wha:

Aleman · Jan 22, 2011

Yeah . . . I vaguely recall that as well :hmm:

SamWise72 · Jan 22, 2011

3 hours for an extract brew? Suspect I'm outside my comfort zone here. Why's that?

Aleman · Jan 23, 2011

Sorry didn't realise it was extract . . .in that case a 60 minute boil will be adequate . . .although I woudl be tempted to boil for an hour with only 1/3 of the extract added . . .then add teh rest of teh extract and boil hard for another 20-30 minutes. . . . You'll get better use of the hops that way.

For an All Grain beer you need the 3 hour boil to concentrate the wort as it is normally about 1.075 (Unless you cheat and add extract) from teh mash tun . . . and you want somewhere around 1.105