How to Brew an Imperial Beer

Imperial beers are stouts. They were developed in the 1800s to impress the Russian czar. Imperial stouts are malty with a high alcohol and hop rate. Brewing an Imperial stout is best-suited to an intermediate or advanced home brewer. The amount of specialty grains used in the brew adds to the complexity of the brewing process, as does the extended aging period.

Things You'll Need

• 20 qt. brew pot
• Large metal spoon
• Glass measuring cup
• 12 oz. glass jar
• Fermentor
• Large plastic container
• Airlock
• Tubing
• Sanitizer
• Thermometer
• 2 steeping bags
• 12 lbs. pale malt grain
• 2 lbs. flaked barley grain
• 1.5 lbs. black barley grain
• 0.75 lb. caramel malt grain
• 0.5 lb. carafoam grain
• 0.5 lb. chocolate malt grain
• 0.25 lb. black malt grain
• 2.5 oz. challenger hops
• 1 pkg. Irish Ale yeast
• 48 12. oz bottles
• 48 bottle caps
• Bottle capper
• Tubing to fit inside the bottles
• Bottling bucket
• Siphon
• 3/4 cup sugar

Instructions

Mashing the Grains into a Wort

1. Crush grains with a rolling pin. Use just enough force to crack open the grains.

2. Fill a steeping bag with the crushed grains.

3. Heat 3.19 gallons of water to 168 degrees Fahrenheit. Steep bag of grains for 60 minutes.

4. Remove steep bag from the brew pot. Rinse it over the pot with 21.88 quarts of water heated to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Bring the brew pot to a boil for 20 minutes. Add boiling water so the water does not drop below 3 gallons. Stir regularly.

6. Add hops to the second steeping bag. Place in the boiling water for 30 minutes.

7. Remove the bag filled with hops. Boil for another 40 minutes. Stir.

8. Cool the wort to 75 degrees. Transfer to fermentor. Add cold water so you have 5 gallons of liquid.

9. Hydrate the yeast with lukewarm water in a glass measuring cup.

10. Add the hydrated yeast.

Fermenting

1. Place the fermentor out of sunlight and where the temperature remains 52 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Fill a second large plastic container with water. Set beside the fermentor.

3. Insert the tubing in the top of the fermentor. Place the other end in the second container. Keep the tub underwater to maintain an airtight seal.

4. Remove the blow-off tube in three days, when yeast activity has slowed. Inset airlock at the top of the fermentor.

5. Ferment for 56 days.

Bottling

1. Boil 3/4 cup of sugar in 2 cups of water. Cover the pan and let cool.

2. Pour the sugar solution into a large plastic container. Siphon the beer from the fermentor into the container.

3. Siphon the beer and sugar mixture into each of the bottles. Crimp on bottle caps using the capper.

4. Store the bottles for two weeks to allow the beer to carbonate.

References

• Beer Smith: Russian Imperial Stout Recipes
• 2BASnob: Specialty Grains
• BYO: Carolina Brewing Company Imperial Stout Clone
• Beer Smith: Jays 'One at a time' Imperial Stout
• 2BASnob: Basic Brewing Instructions
• How to Brew: Bottling Day