Imperial Stout

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All-Grain Ingredients for 10 Gallons

Malts

• 36 lb. Pale Malt
• 1 3/4 lb. 37°L English Crystal
• 1 1/2 lb. 55°L English Crystal
• 1 1/4 lb. 60°L Belgian Cara Munich
• 1 lb. 140°L Belgian Special B
• 1/2 lb. 450°L English Chocolate Malt
• 1 1/4 lb. 450°L Roast Barley
• 3/4 lb. 500°L Black Patent

Hops

• 2 1/2 oz.Magnum 14.2% loose leaf (60 min.)
• 2 1/2 oz. Amarillo 9.3% loose leaf (20 minutes)
• 1 1/2 oz. Northern Brewer 8.1% loose leaf (10 minutes)

Yeast

• White Labs WLP007 Dry English Ale Yeast
• Make 1/2 gallon starter
• Red Star champagne yeast for bottling.

Water

• LA tap water
• Filtered through charcoal
• Add 5 grams of calcium carbonate (chalk) to the mash

Procedure: Double Brew Process

• Take half of the grain (22 of the 44 pounds) and infusion mash with 6 ½ gallons of water at 172°F.   Target temperature 152°F.  Hold 1 hour.
• Recirculate first runnings until clear and collect the boiling kettle.
• Sparge mash with 6 1/2 gallons water at 175°F. 
• Collect the second runnings (about 7 gallons) in a separate pot.  Reheat to about 172°F.
• Mash in second batch of grain with reheated second runnings. Target temperature 152°F. Hold 1 hour. 
• Recirculate runoff until clear and then collect the runoff from the second mash into the boiling kettle.
• Sparge the second bath witl about 5 gallons of sparge water. Target total volume in the boliing kettle of 12 gallons.
• Skim hot break and begin hop additions.
• Rapic chill to 70°F.
• Decant off the clear liquid from the yeast starter and pour yeast concentrte into carboys.
• Oxygenate with pure O2 and diffuser stone twice, 5 hours apart.
• Primary fermentation 18 days at 68 to 72°F
• 14 days secondary at 70°F.

O.G. 1.100
F.G. 1.023
Alcohol 10.5%

Judges' Comments

Malty aroma with slight roast. Black opaque with creamy head. Creamy raisiny flavors. Big chewy mouthfeel. Well balanced and nicely aged.

Brewer's Comments

This beer used the double brew process to keep the efficiency high and minimize the amount of boil-down needed. The process was rather complicated and took all day long, but worked well. As expected, this beer took some time to mature. It faired pooly in early competitions, but finally took a first place in the California State Homebrew Comptition at an age of 10 months