BYO’s 10th Anniversary Imperial American Stout

BYO 10th Anniversary Imperial American Stout

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.103 FG = 1.026
IBU = 60 SRM = 69 ABV = 10%

Ingredients
13 lbs. 2 oz. (6.0 kg) 2-row pale malt
2.75 lbs. (1.25 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
5.0 lbs. (2.3 kg) flaked barley
2.0 oz. (57 g) biscuit malt
5.0 oz. (142 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
3.0 oz. (85 g) crystal malt (60 °L)
2.0 oz. (57 g) crystal malt (90 °L)
4.0 oz. (113 g) chocolate malt
12.0 oz. (340 g) roasted barley (500 °L)
2.0 oz. (57 g) black patent malt
25 AAU Centennial hops (10 additions) (2.5 oz./71 g of 10% alpha acids)
1/4 tsp yeast nutrients
1 tsp Irish moss
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) yeast (4 qt./4 L yeast starter)
0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
To develop a highly-fermentable wort, follow this step-mash procedure. Heat 7.25 gallons (27 L) of water to 142 °F (61 °C) and stir the grains into this water (in your kettle). Adjust temperature, if needed, to 131 °F (55 °C) and rest for 15 minutes. Heat mash to 140 °F (60 °C) and hold for 15 minutes. (Stir nearly constantly when heating mash. Raise temperature at rate of about 2 °F (1 °C) per minute.)

Heat again to 149 °F (65 °C) and hold for 45 minutes. Heat to 162 °F (72 °C) and hold for 5 minutes, then heat to 167 °F (75 °C) and transfer mash to lauter tun. Recirculate for 15–20 minutes, then begin running off wort. Heat about 7 gallons (26 L) of sparge water to 170 °F (77 °C). (Use180–190 °F/82–88 °C sparge water if grain bed temperature drops below 165 °F/74 °C.) Collect 11.5 gallons (44 L) of wort and boil for about 5 hours to reduce volume to about 5.33 gallons (20 L) at the end of the boil.

Divide hops into ten 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) charges and add one charge with 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 minutes left in the boil. Add the final hop addition at the end of the boil. Add Irish moss and yeast nutrients with 15 minutes left in boil.

Cool wort, let hops and trub settle and transfer clear wort to fermenter. Aerate wort (preferably with a 2-minute shot of oxygen) and pitch yeast sediment from starter. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) until fermentation is complete (about 2–3 weeks). Rack to secondary and let condition for about 2 months — at around 40 °F (4.4 °C), if possible. Bottle with corn sugar or force carbonate in keg.

BYO 10th Anniversary Imperial American Stout

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.103  FG = 1.026
IBU = 60  SRM = 68  ABV = 10%

Ingredients
4.5 lbs. (2.0 kg) Coopers light dried malt extract
6.6 lbs. (3.0 kg) Muntons light liquid malt extract (late addition)
2.66 lbs. (1.2 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
2.0 oz. (57 g) biscuit malt
5.0 oz. (142 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
3.0 oz. (85 g) crystal malt (60 °L)
2.0 oz. (57 g) crystal malt (90 °L)
4.0 oz. (113 g) chocolate malt
12.0 oz. (340 g) roasted barley (500 °L)
2.0 oz. (57 g) black patent malt
25 AAU Centennial hops (10 additions) (2.5 oz./71 g of 10% alpha acids)
1/4 tsp yeast nutrients
1 tsp Irish moss
Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) yeast (4 qt./4 L yeast starter)
0.75 cups corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
For best results, you will need a brewpot big enough to boil 4 gallons (15 L) of wort and a grain bag big enough to hold 4.5 lbs. (2.0 kg) of grain. In your brewpot, bring 1.75 gallons (6.6 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Put crushed grains in grain bag and submerge bag in the brewpot water; the temperature should drop to about 152 °F (67 °C). Hold at around this temperature for 45 minutes. (When temperature drops below 150 °F (66 °C), heat to 155 °F (68 °C).)

Place grain bag in a colander over brewpot and rinse grains with 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water at 170 °F (77 °C). Discard grains, add water — about 0.5 gallon (~2 L) — to make 4 gallons (15 L) and heat “Grain tea” to a boil.

Shut off heat and stir in dried malt extract. Resume heating and boil for 90 minutes, add 0.25 oz. (7.1 g) of hops every 10 minutes with the final hop addition coming at the end of the boil. Add liquid malt extract, Irish moss and yeast nutrients with 15 minutes left in boil. (Shut off heat when you stir in the extract.) Cool wort, let hops and trub settle and transfer clear wort to fermenter.

Add water to make 5 gallons (19 L), aerate wort and pitch yeast sediment from starter. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C) until fermentation is complete (about 2-3 weeks). Rack to secondary and let condition for about 2 months — at around 40 °F (4.4 °C), if possible. Bottle with corn sugar. You may want to add 1 tsp. of dried yeast (Safale US-05, for example) at bottling to facilitate carbonation.