OVHA Chat

I made this really basic recipe today for an imperial stout based on what I have on hand. Can anyone give any suggestions on it?

Skys Imperial Stout 11/25/13
Imperial Stout
Type: All Grain Date: 11/25/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Brewer: Sky
Boil Size: 7.37 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Pot and Cooler (10 Gal/37.8 L)
All Grain
End of Boil Volume 6.24 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.25 gal Est Mash Efficiency 86.4 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1 lbs Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 1 5.4 %
16 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 86.5 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.1 %
2.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 64.3 IBUs
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 5 -
2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 9.9 IBUs
2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 7 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.095
Est Final Gravity: 1.015
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 10.7 %
Bitterness: 74.2 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 39.9 SRM

Carbonation Type: Keg Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 12.54 PSI Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.54 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F

After looking over this recipe today I think it needs some carapils or some other dextrin malt for body/mouthfeel.

Imperial to me means big, don't be scared with the chocolate malt.

Just curious, I can't ever figure out why so many people need rice hulls, what are you sparging with? As long as I dont run too fast or grind too fine, I have never needed them. Had one problem one time when I rushed the flow but that's it, regardless of wheat content.

Here's one I make
I used to make it in my 10 gal mash tun and it was filled to the top, with so much weight on my gain bed I had to use the rice hulls to keep it from compacting under the weight.
Since I've gone to a 15 gal tun I don't have that problem, but still use the rice hulls out of habit.

Recipe: Russian Imperial Stout
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
TYPE: All Grain

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.65 gal
OG: 1.100 SG
Color: 64.9 SRM
IBU: 81.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 73.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

1 lbs Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct
18.5 lbs Maris Otter (Cargill) (4.0 SRM) Grain 75.56 %
1.5 lbs Roasted Barley (500.0 SRM) Grain 6.67 %
1 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 4.44 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Organic (Briess) (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.22 %
8.0 oz Pale Chocolate Malt (200.0 SRM) Grain 2.22 %
3.00 oz Northern Brewer HD [10.80 %] (60 min) Hops 71.4 IBU
2.50 oz Goldings,US HD [4.40 %] (10 min) Hops 8.8 IBU
2.50 oz Goldings,US HD [4.40 %] (1 min) Hops 1.0 IBU
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
2 Pkgs California Ale Cultured # 56 + Starter

90 min Mash In 154.0 F

The last two 1.100 beers I made in my 15 gallon tun with a Jay-Bird false bottom I was able to drop the rice hulls. I did have the same issue Don explained when I did one in my 10 gallon Gott cooler with a copper manifold. It was so heavy I couldn't get it to flow very well.

Thanks for the advice Jimmy, I think I will bump the chocolate malt up to two pounds maybe.
I have seen some recipes that have crystal malt in them, but I dont see any point in adding crystal malt if I am going to add melanoiden malt and chocolate malt since crystal doesnt contribute to gravity, just color and maybe aroma and a little body. It does seem like a lot of recipes use roasted barley which is something I dont have. It looks like it really just contributes to a dark color, I think 2 lbs of chocolate malt will make it stout enough.

I used to mash in a rubbermaid cooler with a metal braided hose for a false bottom and it would get stuck all the time so I bought a big bag of rice hulls and have been using them ever since, even though I have a concaved false bottom now. I figure I've got them, all they can do is help so I use them and I havent had any problems since. All it took it one stuck mash for me to say I dont want to do that again.

Roasted Barley is an old habit of mine I've broken from in recent years. You gotta think 25 years ago when I made my first stout, I really only had Guiness to compare with and they were big time Roasted Barley users. It makes a great stout, I just have just moved away from it to try other flavors and pretty much like it all...

Here is the final recipe I went with

1 lbs Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 1 4.9 %
17 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 82.9 %
2 lbs Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 3 9.8 %
8.0 oz Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM) Grain 4 2.4 %
2.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 59.7 IBUs
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 6 -
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 4.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Cluster [7.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 5.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 9

Est Original Gravity: 1.105 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 11.7 %
Bitterness: 70.1 IBUs
Est Color: 48.2 SRM

Saw this cool trick to get a nitrogen like feel to a stout.
http://infinitesimalbrewing.wordpress.c ... our-trick/