All-Grain Recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.120  FG = 1.034
IBU = 24  SRM = 110  ABV = 12%

Bomb! is the brewery’s adjunct-driven flagship, a 12% ABV imperial stout made with ancho chiles, cocoa nibs, vanilla, and coffee.

Ingredients

16 lbs. (7.3 kg) Canadian Superior Pilsen malt
14 oz. (400 g) Simpsons black malt
14 oz. (400 g) Simpsons roasted barley 
14 oz. (400 g) Simpsons Golden Naked Oats® malt
14 oz. (400 g) Dingemans chocolate malt
14 oz. (400 g) Dingemans Special B malt
14 oz. (400 g) Weyermann melanoidin malt
1.25 lbs. (567 g) D2 liquid candi sugar 
4 oz. (113 g) medium brown sugar
4 oz. (113 g) maltodextrin 
4 oz. (113 g) lactose sugar
7.7 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.55 oz./16 g at 14% alpha acids) 
0.67 oz. (19 g) vanilla beans, split and chopped
1.3 oz. (37 g) ancho chiles, chopped
2.8 oz. (81 g) cacao nibs
4.4 oz. (124 g) coffee beans
Servomyces (yeast nutrient)
SafAle US-05, LalBrew BRY-97 (American West Coast Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Be sure to use two sachets if using a dry yeast or make a large starter if using a liquid yeast strain. You may consider re-pitching yeast from a previous batch as well.

This is a single infusion mash with a ratio of 2 qts./lb. (4.2 L/kg) of grain to provide a thin mash with high enzymatic activity. Target a mash temperature of 149 °F (65 °C) and mash for 60 minutes or until conversion is complete. Recirculate wort (vorlauf), then sparge with enough water at 170 °F (76.7 °C) to collect 7.5 gallons (28.4 L) of runoff to your boil kettle. Boil for 120 minutes or until target gravity is achieved, adding sugars at beginning of boil and hops after the first hour. 

At flameout, rapidly chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and transfer the wort to your fermenter. Pitch yeast, oxygenate well if using a liquid yeast strain, and set the fermenter in a cool, dark place to ferment at about 68 °F (20 °C). 

After fermentation has completed, rack the beer onto adjuncts. Leave beer on adjuncts until flavor/aroma target has been achieved. Crash cool, keg, and force carbonate to 2.5 volumes, or prime and bottle condition.

Partial Mash Recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.120  FG = 1.034
IBU = 24  SRM = 110  ABV = 12%

Ingredients

8.7 lbs. (4 kg) Briess Pilsen light dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Canadian Superior Pilsen
14 oz. (400 g) Simpsons black malt
14 oz. (400 g) Simpsons roasted barley 
14 oz. (400 g) Simpsons Golden Naked Oats® malt
14 oz. (400 g) Dingemans chocolate malt
14 oz. (400 g) Dingemans Special B malt
14 oz. (400 g) Weyermann melanoidin malt
1.25 lbs. (567 g) D2 liquid candi sugar 
4 oz. (113 g) medium brown sugar
4 oz. (113 g) maltodextrin 
4 oz. (113 g) lactose sugar
7.7 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.55 oz./16 g at 14% alpha acids) 
0.67 oz. (19 g) vanilla beans, split and chopped
1.3 oz. (37 g) ancho chiles, chopped
2.8 oz. (81 g) cacao nibs
4.4 oz. (124 g) coffee beans
Servomyces (yeast nutrient)
SafAle US-05, LalBrew BRY-97 (American West Coast Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale), or White Labs WLP001 (California Ale) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Be sure to use two sachets if using a dry yeast or make a large starter if using liquid yeast strain. You may consider re-pitching yeast from a previous batch as well.

Using about 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water, mash the Pilsner and melanoidin grains at 149 °F (65 °C) in a mesh bag for 60 minutes or until converted. Remove the grain bag, allowing the liquid to drain back into the kettle. Next, steep the rest of your grains for 10 minutes in a separate mesh bag. Repeat steps for removal of bag. It’s best to mash first and steep second because the grist has so many dark grains that can lower pH levels too low as well as add unpleasant bitterness if soaked too long. Once the steeped bag is drained, add water to 3 gallons (11 L), then raise to near-boiling temperatures. Remove the pot from heat and slowly stir in half of the malt extract until thoroughly dissolved. Return to the heat and boil for 60 minutes.

Add hops and sugars at the beginning of the boil. With 10 minutes remaining, remove again from the boil and slowly stir in the rest of the DME.

Chill wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and transfer to your fermenter, topping up to a volume of 5.5 gallons (21 L). Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.