Menu Icon


Looking for homebrewing gift ideas? Check out our previous gift guides here or here!
Also, if you enjoy BrewUnited, please consider doing your Amazon shopping via our affiliate link!



You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Brewing Discussion --> Upping the starting gravity of a Imperial Stout

Jump to:    1   
TCXRyNO
Yardley
3 Posts


So I have a 15 gallon Rye Whiskey barrel I got for Christmas I need to fill here ASAP.  I want to put a heavy Imperial Stout(RIS) with in the barrel.  I use 15 gallon pots for my boil kettle and mash tun.  My issue/question is, I can only make ~5.5 Gallons all grain with my setup if I want to hit my planned original gravity(1.114) due to my mash tun size(~13 gallons, ~2 gallon loss to false bottom).  So I could do 3 batches(would prefer to avoid this).  Or my other idea is do 2 batches, shoot for 8-8.5 gallons, use the right amount of specialty grains, but reduce the 2-Row so I can fit all the grains in my mash tun, then substitute some DME/LME/Corn Sugar in place of the 2-row in the boil to bring up the Gravity. 
1)Does this sound feasible.
2)what is the best replacement for 2-row.(corn sugar is cheapest, but I know its not the same)
3) any other ideas or considerations?
4) could I possibly cold steep some of the specialty grains? how would that affect the outcome of the beer?

Cheers,
RyNo





Posted 34 days ago.

brewcrewkevin
Charter Member
Appleton, WI
66 Posts


1. Yeah, I'd say it's feasible. 8-9 gallons should be very doable with your setup. I would plan on a super-high gravity. If you exceed 1.11, you can always top off with water if you don't hit the full 15 gallons.

2. I would say light DME. It'll keep an almost identical character. Just add some in the boil to bring it up to where you want to be.

3. I think you've got a good idea of what you're doing.

4. Yeah, you could. Some people will tell you cold steeping eliminates part of the "bitterness" of dark roasted malts. I've also found that sometimes late-mash additions are good, too. If you just mix them into the mash right before verlaufing. I haven't done that myself, so I can't attest to it.




Posted 34 days ago.

ingoogni
nl
314 Posts


How about two brews, keep the 'second' runnings (that could well be in the high 1050sh) of both brew and boil them down. That should get you to the needed volume (if I estimated right with the gallon things).

Ingo




Posted 34 days ago.

Jump to:    1