Imperial Stout: how to brew it

Big, black and complex: dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruit and a warming alcohol, balanced by solid bitterness. Made to age.

Imperial Stout at a glance

Original gravity: 1.075 – 1.115
Final gravity: 1.018 – 1.030
Bitterness (IBU): 50 – 90
Color (SRM): 30 – 40
Alcohol: 8.0 – 12.0%
Carbonation (vol): 2.2 – 2.8

Ranges from the BJCP 2021 style guidelines, category 20C.

A typical recipe

For 20 L (5 gal) at about 1.095: 75 % pale malt, 8 % roasted barley, 7 % chocolate malt, 5 % dark crystal, 5 % flaked oats. Around 70 IBU from bittering hops. A large, healthy pitch of clean ale yeast, mash at 66–67 °C (151–153 °F), ferment at 18 °C (64 °F) and give it time.

Brewing tips

Plan for efficiency loss

Big grain bills lower mash efficiency: count on 5–10 points less than usual or extend the boil.

Oxygenate well

Oxygen at pitching is the difference between a clean finish and a stalled, sweet beer.

Patience

Two to three months of conditioning smooth out the roast and the alcohol.

Brew your own Imperial Stout

Start from the style in Mashwerk: it builds a recipe inside the ranges for your equipment, and checks every number as you tweak it.

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