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Recipe: Private Press Base Imperial Stout
At his Private Press blendery in Santa Cruz, California, Brad Clark specializes in barrel-aging high-gravity stouts and barleywines. Here is a homebrew-scale recipe for a big-bodied Private Press imperial stout meant for barrel-aging and blending.
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“All of Private Press’s releases are blended expressions,” says Brad Clark. “I have high-FG beers and lower ones, all in different barrels and of varying ages. I use these ‘threads’ to build the desired mouthfeel and body in all my imperial stouts and barleywines.”
These include one of the blendery’s first releases, Rings of Splendor, pictured above—a blend of three stouts aged in Basil Hayden, Blantons, Heaven Hill, and Woodfoord Double Oak barrels.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.140
FG: 1.068
IBUs: 59
ABV: 10%
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“All of Private Press’s releases are blended expressions,” says Brad Clark. “I have high-FG beers and lower ones, all in different barrels and of varying ages. I use these ‘threads’ to build the desired mouthfeel and body in all my imperial stouts and barleywines.”
These include one of the blendery’s first releases, Rings of Splendor, pictured above—a blend of three stouts aged in Basil Hayden, Blantons, Heaven Hill, and Woodfoord Double Oak barrels.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.140
FG: 1.068
IBUs: 59
ABV: 10%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
13.2 lb (6 kg) two-row pale
3.3 lb (1.5 kg) Munich
1.5 lb (680 g) Weyermann Carafa II
1.5 lb (680 g) flaked oats
1.1 lb (499 g) Dingemans Special B
1 lb (454 g) rice hulls
10 oz (283 g) Gambrinus Honey Malt
7 oz (198 g) Weyermann Carafa III
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
3.9 lb (1.77 kg) Muntons dark dry malt extract (DME) at start of boil
1.5 ml isomerized hop extract [60% AA] at start of boil
2.2 oz (62 g) East Kent Goldings [5% AA] at 30 minutes
YEAST
SafAle US-05 or other Chico strain
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and add about 7.25 gallons (27.4 liters) of 163°F (73°C) water, aiming for a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Hold 30 minutes, then lauter slowly. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 8.2 gallons (31 liters) of wort—or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil 4 hours, adding extracts and hops according to the schedule. After the boil, chill the wort to 68°F (20°C), aerate well, and pitch plenty of yeast or a healthy starter. Ferment at 68°F (20°C) for 3 days, raise the temperature to 72°F (22°C) for 1 day, then allow to free rise. Ferment patiently until gravity stabilizes. When fermentation is complete, rack into a bourbon barrel (or onto oak cubes or spirals soaked in bourbon) for extended aging and blending.
BREWER’S NOTES
Aim for a mash pH of 5.3, avoiding chalk (calcium carbonate) if possible.
