Reiterated Mash Imperial Stout

[AlDaviz]

Good to know, this yeast is good for 12% so it should have some legs left in it and the fermentation seems to have gone like clockwork. Wonder how long it's gonna take to condition...

I made my last stout in June last year 2020, started drinking after a few weeks of bottling. It was good then to drink, but it did get better as I saved a few bottles for Xmas.

 

[Oneflewover]

Sorry, I now realise I wasn't very clear there, I always use the Brewer's Friend priming calculator; I was more wondering if I should pitch some fresh yeast. At least my new stir plate isn't wired through the fridge so I could set it up to grow up some fresh yeast for priming and brewing my next beer (the stirplate and flask don't fit when there's a FV in the fridge).

Alternatively, I think I have a 2nd sachet of CML sparkling wine yeast which I used to help carbonate my sours, that should be safe enough to use.

I've been having problems lately getting my big beers to carbonate properly, particularly if I've left them a good while before bottling. If I was doing a 12% beer now I'd be using champagne yeast at bottling based on my recent experience.

 

[Zephyr259]

Oh yes !
The fermentation is really explosive
So it’s worthwhile using a large fermenter with good headroom, the speidel 30L I use has a large hole in the top for the blow-off !!

That's why I'm making 15L, I was going to do 10L but that would probably have escaped the 12L spiedel so I did 15L and used the 30L conical.

I made my last stout in June last year 2020, started drinking after a few weeks of bottling. It was good then to drink, but it did get better as I saved a few bottles for Xmas.

Cool, I remember Dad of Jon always said he liked then fresh then decently aged as he didn't like the taste of the middle phase, think he foudn them licoricey.

I've been having problems lately getting my big beers to carbonate properly, particularly if I've left them a good while before bottling. If I was doing a 12% beer now I'd be using champagne yeast at bottling based on my recent experience.

I've had issues in the past with bigger beers, in general the only big beer that went well for me was my Tripel Karmeliet clone which aimed for 8% and hit 9% and carbonated no problem and was drinkable within a month. I think I have a second sachet of the wine yeast, if so then it's probably worth adding as some insurance against flat beer.

 

[AlDaviz]

My first attempt a couple of years ago !
I’d been out for the day and returned home with explosive stout all over the kitchen walls and ceiling
Missus was pleased
I’ll bottle Tuesday or Wednesday, the oak chunks I’ll dry in the oven for 10 mins, then add back to a single malt for the next stout

 

[AlDaviz]

Bottled earlier and only 43x 330ml bottles, there was quite a lot of sediment was in the secondary fermenter. Strong whisky, coffee, and oaky !-)

 

[Zephyr259]

Looks like mine's done fermenting as tonight's sample was in the 1.028 range so it's now crashing down to 3c and I'll bottle it at the weekend.

 

[Zephyr259]

Beer is in the bottle, final gravity check was 1.029 so a bit higher than expected but hopefully it's fine as it was stable for the best part of 2 weeks, that gives me a 9.8% stout which will be a round 10% with the priming sugar. Added a sachet of CML sparkling wine yeast as a bit of insurance for carbonating. 37 x 250ml and 14 x 330ml botttles.

Oh, and it tasted great out of the fermenter, noticeable alcohol but not hot like fusels, just that spiritous edge you get with big stouts so I may have finally managed to brew a big beer without big flaws. :-)

 

[AlDaviz]

Bottled earlier and only 43x 330ml bottles, there was quite a lot of sediment was in the secondary fermenter. Strong whisky, coffee, and oaky !-)

It will be around 4x weeks since bottling next week so I’ll have to try a bottle
Last year I saved a few for the Xmas period, but ended up drinking most throughout the year

 

[AlDaviz]

I tried a bottle last night, it’s just starting to get to a good carbonated level after around 5 weeks in the bottles. Tastes good, a little hint of the coffee and a good warming whisky taste but not too overpowering

 

[AlDaviz]

I tried a bottle last night, it’s just starting to get to a good carbonated level after around 5 weeks in the bottles. Tastes good, a little hint of the coffee and a good warming whisky taste but not too overpowering

 

[Zephyr259]

View attachment 47036

Looking good, I poured one for my step father the other week and it was coming into condition nicely, amusingly my mum really liked it and she doesn't drink beer. She left with 2 bottles.

Nice glass, Brew Dog teku? I have 2 as well.