My Russian Imperial Stout tastes....

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Cappy
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My Russian Imperial Stout tastes....

Post by Cappy »

Hi Gang,

I made a Russian Imperial Stout from a Brewer's Best extract kit. It's been in the bottle for about seven weeks now and I'm told that this beer gets better with age. It's not too bad except that it tastes like burnt molasses. And it doesn't have much of a head and it seems fizzy on the tongue.

Maybe I should reconsider before I say that it's not too bad.

Anyone have a comment on this beer.

Thanks,

Eric
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slothrob
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impy stout

Post by slothrob »

The flavors will mellow and merge with time. The high alcohol can do a number on the head.

My brewbuddy's Imperial Stout was great after about 1 1/2 years. He left it in the secondary fermentor for about 6 months. It might take longer in the bottle.

I'd check a bottle again New Years and maybe every 3 months after that until I was happy with it, but you'd probably be better served by putting it away until next Thanksgiving.
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Cappy
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Next Thanksgiving!?!

Post by Cappy »

I don't think my stout is going to make it until next year!
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slothrob
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Imperial stout

Post by slothrob »

That's fine, I certainly can relate; you'll just be drinking it at less than it's best. (Well... it might not take more than 6 months or so to reach it's peak, but it isn't going to happen in a week or 2).

I don't make many big beer, but when I do make a beer that I expect to age, I make a couple other quick drinking beers right away. That way I have something to distract me while the other beer is aging properly.
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Imperial stout

Post by bfabre »

I don't think my stout is going to make it until next year!
You better make another batch quick like. I recomend you listen to slothrob....
make a couple other quick drinking beers right away. That way I have something to distract me while the other beer is aging properly.
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old stout

Post by slothrob »

At least put a couple bottles away in a dark and cool spot. Then crack them in a year so you can get an idea of what time can do for a big ale.
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Post by Cappy »

OK, OK. I'll hide some and try to forget where it is. I do have an IPA and a red ale that should be drinkable soon.

This Russian stout is a bit wimpy. I made it from a Brewer's Best kit and if I figured it correctly the ABV is only 4.15%.

My latest effort is another IPA that I made from a recipe I found online. That one looks to be about 7% ABV. YEAH, BABY!

Here's the recipe but I had to make a couple of substitutions with the hops since my local brew store didn't have all of the exact ingredients.

http://www.beersmith.com/Recipes2/recipe_241.htm

Eric
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Stout

Post by slothrob »

Hmm, not really an Imperial Stout at 4%.
It probably just needs a few weeks for the roasted malt to mellow.

That looks like a good IPA. Probably on the sweet side with a pound of crystal malts, but it's good and bitter, so it should balance.
Word of warning: IBU's max out at about 110. If you make this as a 2.5 gallon boil, diluted to 5 gallons, it will only be about 55 IBU in the end. If that's the case, I'd probably halve the caravienne and caramunich, but that's me.
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Imperial Stout ABV is low

Post by bfabre »

That is what I was writing when my computer decide to flush itself.
What are you calculations? I know there are other forms to determine ABV but I use this one.
Example:
OG=1050 - TG=1012 = 38 divide by 7.5 = 5.06% ABV.

You know I made a tagy IPA once and it came out rather smooth. I was not thinking of the diluting of the IBU's after the boil. I hate it when the answer is hiding in plain sight. Thanks "Slothrob" for setting me strait.
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IPA

Post by slothrob »

Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to make a proper IPA over about 5.5-6% unless you do a full volume boil.
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Post by Cappy »

Hey Everybody,

Thanks for all the comments. I'm a newbie so my learning curve is pretty steep, I hope. Thanks for the ABV calculation, bfabre. That's a lot simpler than the one I scrounged off the internet.

Using your calculation the IPA comes out to 6.8% ABV. Just about the same. I did taste it and it's amazingly bitter. I loved it!

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Post by Bowser »

I did the same kit earlier this year and it tasted a little funky to me as well. It did get better as time went on, but I only let it sit for about three months...I have roommates so beer is hard to hide for very long. I can't remember what the ABV was on my batch, but I didn't really need a calculator to determine it was strong. I could tell by just drinking it.
- Bowser
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