Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Heat 4.5 gallons of strike water to 168°F (to hit a mash temperature of 152°F).

Heat strike water

Add the crushed Maris Otter, flaked oats, Crystal 80L, chocolate malt, black patent, and roasted barley to the mash tun. Stir thoroughly to avoid dough balls and ensure even hydration. Target mash temperature: 152°F. Hold for 60 minutes, stirring gently at 20 and 40 minutes to ensure even conversion.

Mash in

Raise mash temperature to 168°F by adding near-boiling water or applying direct heat and hold 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity.

Mash out

Recirculate wort until clear (vorlauf), then lautering. Sparge with ~3 gallons of water at 170°F to collect approximately 6.5–7 gallons of wort into the kettle.

Sparge

Bring wort to a vigorous boil and begin a 60-minute timer. Add 1 oz East Kent Goldings at the start of the boil for bittering.

60-minute boil

With 15 minutes remaining, add Irish moss or Whirlfloc and 0.5 oz East Kent Goldings for a touch of hop flavor. With 10 minutes left, add the 4 tbsp molasses to integrate pastry-like sweetness and complexity. At 5 minutes remaining, add the chopped dark chocolate (this helps melt and integrate flavor — watch for scorching; remove kettle from heat for a minute if foaming/sticking occurs).

Mid/late additions

At flameout, chill the wort rapidly to 68°F using a wort chiller or ice bath. Transfer to a sanitized fermenter.

Cooling

If using liquid yeast, make a starter for a large imperial stout (recommended). If using dry packs, rehydrate per manufacturer's instructions. Pitch target: 1.060–1.090 original gravity expected; pitch enough healthy yeast to ensure a strong fermentation.

Rehydrate/Prepare yeast

Aerate or oxygenate cooled wort well (1–2 minutes with an oxygen stone or vigorous shaking for smaller batches). Pitch yeast once wort is at fermentation temperature (65–68°F for English styles or 68–70°F for a cleaner profile). Ferment primary at 66–70°F for 7–10 days or until vigorous fermentation subsides and gravity drops significantly.

Primary fermentation

After primary fermentation has slowed (typically day 5–10) transfer (rack) to a secondary/secondary-like conditioning vessel. Add the toasted cocoa nibs (6 oz) in a sanitized mesh bag, the coarsely ground cold-brew coffee concentrate (12 oz), the split vanilla beans (seeds and scraped pods), and the chopped roasted pecans (8 oz). If using bourbon, add at this stage or reserve to soak pecans in bourbon for 24–48 hours before adding. Condition on these adjuncts for 7–14 days, sampling periodically for desired flavor intensity.

Adjunct additions (pastry character)

Lactose (2 lbs) should be added during the last 10–15 minutes of the boil (if not already added) so it dissolves fully. If you prefer to add at packaging, dissolve lactose in hot water and add to fermenter before bottling/kegging to maintain sweetness.

Lactose addition

After conditioning on adjuncts, cold crash the beer to 35–40°F for 48–72 hours to help settle particles and clarify. Rack carefully off the trub and adjunct material.

Cold crash & clearing

For nitro-style presentation: force carbonate in a keg to 20–30 psi and use a stout nitrogen/CO2 blend (e.g., 75/25) through a stout faucet with a restrictor plate. For standard kegging: carbonate to ~1.8–2.2 volumes CO2. If bottling: prime with ~5 oz priming sugar for about 2.0 volumes and bottle-condition at room temperature until carbonated (~2 weeks).

Carbonation choices

This imperial pastry stout benefits from short-term aging. Age bottles or keg for 2–6 weeks to allow flavors to meld; aging longer (2–6 months) will soften roast edges and integrate bourbon notes if used.

Optional aging

Serve slightly cool, 50–55°F (10–13°C) to allow the pastry and roast aromas to be appreciated.

Serving temperature

For nitro dispense, pour hard into a glass to achieve a creamy head. Optionally sprinkle a few toasted chopped pecans or a light dusting of cocoa powder on top for presentation when serving individual pours.

Squatch Tracks

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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