Russian Imperial Stout

[sdt7618]

Another month on and I need to make another, this is simply awesome, all the alcohol taste is gone, dark and rich. Will need to hide some as want to taste this after 2 years.....hehehe

 

[dad_of_jon]

I have a production line of dark strong beers there's always one in the pipeline....

sdt7618 - if u want to know what a dark 2 yr old beer is like PM me and I'll send u a ris-ky business :thumb:

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I really want to make this, but I love my Toucan Choc Stout.
I'm torn over which I should make.

 

[sdt7618]

How do you make your toucan?

Really enjoying this RIS, but has taken the time to get good.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

How do you make your toucan?

Really enjoying this RIS, but has taken the time to get good.

Coopers Dark Ale
Coopers Stout
250-300 grams Choc Malt steeped for 45 minutes in 75C water, and then boiled.
500 grams -1 Kg dextrose, depending on how I feel.
Both kit yeasts

This is popular with a few friends. A couple of times last year they supplied me with the ingredients and I gave them half the beer.

I'm thinking of upping the Choc Malt to 500 grams and using 1 kg dextrose.

 

[Clint]

Pete,to put your mind at rest I really think that making both is the only option.....otherwise you will forever wonder....

 

[OlsBean]

I started this 2 days ago, pretty much stuck to the Coopers Recipe apart from I subbed 500g of the Dextrose for the same amount of Extra Dark Spray Malt (because I had some), it has taken off like a rocket! Just 18 hours in and the airlock is bubbling like mad.

 

[IainM]

I don't know how big your fv is, but you might need a blow off tube.

 

[OlsBean]

Yes it blew off a little, I did not have a tube fitted, it was not bad, it was just overnight, I wiped down the outside of the FV and replaced the airlock with a clean one, although the jacket I am using to insulate it with will need a wash once it's racked :smile6:

I'm not sure if I've gone wrong with the somewhere as after only 4 days the gravity is down to 10.012 (SG 10.090), is that even possible? It smells fine, tastes fine, krausen has dropped right back, it's extremely fizzy/carbonated though, a bit like you get doing a lager at lower temperature.

*EDIT Found the reason, on examination there is a crack in hydrometer, which is letting in.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

Pete,to put your mind at rest I really think that making both is the only option.....otherwise you will forever wonder....

Eventually got around to this one. I made sure I had plenty of cold water refrigerated to get it down to temp quickly.
It didn't take as much mixing as I'd expected, and with the cold water it was about 19C when I put it in the fridge.
I fermented it at 18C for two weeks and cold crashed for 5 days. Not that it needed it, but I couldn't get to bottle it last weekend.
The ferment wasn't too bad. I'm not sure if you can make it out in the pic.
I took a reading and then left it next to the FV in the fridge.
Gravity was down to 1.020 or so when I bottled it.
How long should I leave it before trying one?

 

[OlsBean]

Eventually got around to this one. I made sure I had plenty of cold water refrigerated to get it down to temp quickly.
It didn't take as much mixing as I'd expected, and with the cold water it was about 19C when I put it in the fridge.
I fermented it at 18C for two weeks and cold crashed for 5 days. Not that it needed it, but I couldn't get to bottle it last weekend.
The ferment wasn't too bad. I'm not sure if you can make it out in the pic.
I took a reading and then left it next to the FV in the fridge.
Gravity was down to 1.020 or so when I bottled it.
How long should I leave it before trying one?

The longer you leave it the better, it the alcohol will be more apparent due to the strength the younger you drink it. I brewed my March 2018 for the Christmas 9 months later, I had a couple of bottles last June though with a Mate, but kept the rest for the Winter/Christmas and it really melded into something extremely special. I still have 10 (330ml) bottles left and it still tastes epic a year on!

 

[sdt7618]

so this beer of mine is coming up for 2 years old, and its certanily got better with age, thought I suspect it may have reached its peak.

 

[Fuzzy Growler]

so this beer of mine is coming up for 2 years old, and its certanily got better with age, thought I suspect it may have reached its peak.

Great read on making this.... I'm going to try something similar

 

[Banbeer]

Great read on making this.... I'm going to try something similar

But can you wait 2 years? I know I couldn't

 

[Fuzzy Growler]

But can you wait 2 years? I know I couldn't

No chance it'll be well drunk and on my 5th batch by then

 

[Pirate_Pete]

No chance it'll be well drunk and on my 5th batch by then

Just checked my notes.
Brew started 2nd October 2018.
Still got some left. Not sure how many, but I wasn't real keen on this so there's a few.

 

[kodak79]

Just checked my notes.
Brew started 2nd October 2018.
Still got some left. Not sure how many, but I wasn't real keen on this so there's a few.

Just done a RIS so interesting to see the timelines for best drinking. Having read through this its made me wish I hadn't thrown out the 100+ bottles when I got my corny kegs.
When you said you're not keen do you mean the recipe in the OP?
Thinking of trying your recipe with choc malt. What sort of timescale do you drink that at?
Thanks,
Chris

 

[Pirate_Pete]

Just done a RIS so interesting to see the timelines for best drinking. Having read through this its made me wish I hadn't thrown out the 100+ bottles when I got my corny kegs.
When you said you're not keen do you mean the recipe in the OP?
Thinking of trying your recipe with choc malt. What sort of timescale do you drink that at?
Thanks,
Chris

In my opinion the IRS isn't as nice as the Choc Malt one. The recipe I was referring to was the Coopers one.
This recipe
I'll try another IRS later in the week, and I'll write again.
Can't say why off the top of my head as I haven't had one for a while. They're in the back of the garage in boxes.
I tend to drink the Choc Malt one early. The usual 2+2+2.
I've mentioned before I don't like coffee and I find with mine a coffee flavour comes through if I keep them six months or so.
Don't be fooled by the name Choc either. Definitely a coffee flavour after a while.

I see what you mean about getting rid of bottles. They would have been idea to put stout in.
Bummer when you chuck something out and then realise you could have used it.
Well, get some friends to start collection over Christmas.
Brew January, drink Christmas. Repeat.

 

[Nufc76]

Just done a RIS so interesting to see the timelines for best drinking. Having read through this its made me wish I hadn't thrown out the 100+ bottles when I got my corny kegs.
When you said you're not keen do you mean the recipe in the OP?
Thinking of trying your recipe with choc malt. What sort of timescale do you drink that at?
Thanks,
Chris