Batch #11: Black Tabby Imperial Stout

A big beer brewed to commemorate Friday the 13th (December 2002), and hopefully allowed to age to the next Friday the 13th (June 2003). The name commmemorates our young orange tabby's near-perverse fascination with the oily black blow-off from the fermenter....

While the gravity is respectable, it was lower than I was shooting for because I made too much volume (nearly 6 gallons). Most of this excess volume blew off in a vigorous primary ferment, bringing the volume of the batch down to 5 gallons.

Recipe

Grain Bill

Extract

6 lbs. Northern Brewer pale malt syrup

Hops

Yeast

Racked onto Wyeast 1728 (Scottish Ale) yeast cake from previous batch

Mash

Single infusion mash, 60 minutes at 152F.

Vitals

Timeline

Brew day: December 13, 2002

Racked to carboy from previous batch through siphon sprayer to pick up yeast cake. Next, racked to clean carboy for further aeration (and to recover stopper from first carboy :-/). Finally, aerated with aquarium pump for 30 minutes (20 minutes bubbling plus 10 minutes foam settling). Finished this around 7:30-8:00 pm.

By 10:30 pm, the fermenting beer had invaded the airlock, so I rigged up blow-off tube. The fermentation reached its peak Dec 14th, with a ferocious level of bubbling and blow-off. I left the blow-off gallon jug half full, and it overflowed by the next morning. This was the most vigorous ferment I've ever witnessed (in a fermenter <7 bbl.), and at 60F with a yeast not known for rapid ferments! The ferment slowed almost as suddenly Dec 15th, to a bubble every 5 seconds, and almost no noticeable activity on the 16th.

Racked to secondary December 20th, S.G. 1.036

Bottled February 18, 2003. 18 22oz bottles + 11 12oz

Tasting notes

4/13/2003

Couldn't wait until June 13th, surprisingly :-)

Tasted at cellar temps (56F at this point), with low but emerging carbonation, enough for a slight sparkle in the mouth, but not enough to kick up a head.

Aroma is redolent of toffee and caramel, with dark fruit notes of plum and blackberry. The beer is jet black, but the roasted malt flavor is smooth and chocolatey, with very slight burnt flavors in the finish. Roasty and hoppy bitterness balances out the residual sweetness. Mouthfeel is creamy and thick, but diabolically drinkable.

I'll just keep telling myself it needs more time to carbonate :-)

6/13/2003

Low to medium carbonation, enough to kick up a small dark tan head. Completely opaque, jet black. Clean, roasty aroma is accompanied by slight fruitiness. Mouthfeel is rich, oily, and mouthcoating, but smooth for the high FG. Flavor is roasty and chocolaty, with a grain and hop bitterness which balances the residual sweetness. Finish is dry, with a lingering lightly burnt bitterness.

Tasting on a warm day after an Indian dinner makes it difficult to fully appreciate this beer. It deserves another tasting (and more age).

8/19/2003

Medium carbonation, very little head retention, pitch black. Aroma of rich coffee and chocolate, with plum and toffee notes, and a slight alcoholic aroma. Texture is oily, but not at all syrupy despite the high FG. Flavor begins with burnt coffee and biscuit, but finishes light and clean with flavors of red wine and chocolate, and a slight lingering bitterness.

Age has been good to this beer. It has lost its residual sweetness, becoming practically dry. This has brought out some more biscuit-y flavors in the malt profile, and accentuates the full body.

Submitted to the 2003 MN state fair in the strong ales category, scored 28.5. Judges commented on good balance, somewhat low (apparent) alcoholic strength, one-dimensional flavor. Needs yeast and hop character, and a lighter hand with the roasted malt.

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