All-Grain Recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.120  FG = 1.034
IBU = 56  SRM = 92  ABV = 13% 

A thick and chewy barrel-aged imperial stout with a high OG and FG, and tons of flavor.

Ingredients

16 lbs. (7.3 kg) Canadian Superior Pilsen malt
13 oz. (366 g) Simpsons DRC® malt
5.4 oz. (153 g) Simpsons roasted barley 
13 oz. (366 g) Dingemans Special B malt
8 oz. (227 g) Dingemans chocolate malt
13 oz. (366 g) Weyermann Carafa® III malt 
8 oz. (227 g) Weyermann chocolate rye malt
5.4 oz. (153 g) Weyermann melanoidin malt
113 oz. (366 g) Crisp pale chocolate malt
2 lbs. (910 g) flaked oats 
1.2 lbs. (540 g) D2 liquid candi sugar 
4 oz. (113 g) dark brown sugar
4 oz. (113 g) turbinado sugar 
4 oz. (113 g) maltodextrin 
21 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 14% alpha acids) 
2 oz. (56 g) French oak cubes
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

If you do not have a used Bourbon barrel for aging, then soak the oak cubes in the Bourbon of your choice at least two weeks before brew day to recreate the barrel aging essence of the beer. Also, 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. 

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 to set the grain bed, then sparge with enough of 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 start of boil and hops with 60 minutes remaining. 

At flameout, whirlpool, then rapidly chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and transfer the wort to your fermenter. Oxygenate the wort if using a liquid yeast strain or re-using yeast, then pitch the yeast. Set the fermenter in a cool, dark place to ferment at about 68 °F (20 °C). 

After fermentation is complete, add your soaked oak cubes, or rack to a secondary vessel containing the cubes. After achieving the desired flavor profile, 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 = 56  SRM = 92  ABV = 13% 

Ingredients

7.7 lbs. (3.5 kg) Briess Pilsen dried malt extract 
2 lbs. (910 kg) Canadian Superior Pilsen malt
13 oz. (366 g) Dingemans Special B malt
8 oz. (227 g) Dingemans chocolate malt
13 oz. (366 g) Weyermann Carafa® III malt 
8 oz. (227 g) Weyermann chocolate rye malt
5.4 oz. (153 g) Weyermann melanoidin malt
113 oz. (366 g) Crisp pale chocolate malt
2 lbs. (910 g) flaked oats 
1.2 lbs. (540 g) D2 liquid candi sugar 
4 oz. (113 g) dark brown sugar
4 oz. (113 g) turbinado sugar 
4 oz. (113 g) maltodextrin 
21 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 14% alpha acids) 
2 oz. (56 g) French oak cubes
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

If you do not have a used Bourbon barrel for aging, then soak the oak cubes in the Bourbon of your choice at least two weeks before brew day to recreate the barrel aging essence. Also, use two sachets if using a dry yeast or make a large starter if using liquid yeast. You may consider re-pitching yeast from a previous batch as well. 

In a mesh bag, mash Pilsen and melanoidin malts and flaked oats in 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water at 149 °F (65 °C) for 60 minutes. Steep the rest of your grains for 10 minutes in a separate mesh bag. Drain bags and add water to make 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Raise to near boiling, then remove pot from heat and slowly stir in half of your malt extract until dissolved. Return to the heat source and boil for 60 minutes.

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

Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe, topping up to 5.5 gallons (21 L) in the fermenter.