Russian Imperial Stout and Oak Aging Experiment

Yeah, I said it.  Oak Aging my Russian Imperial Stout on Med Toast American Oak Cubes.  Last weekend I brewed my take on "Kate the Great" Russian Imperial Stout.  If you would like to follow the recipe Click HERE.  If you would like to find the Original Kate the Great recipe Click HERE.

The plan is this:

• Brew a high gravity stout (currently looking at about 11.82%)
• After Primary and Secondary Fermentation, transfer to a keg for testing with Oak Cubes.  **UPDATE**  Put the beer on Bourbon 6/29/11
• Let the Oak Chips sit on the beer for a period of 2 months. No tasting will happen before that time as passed.  I will test the beer with a wine thief from More Beer
• The Oak Cubes will sit on a cheap bourbon for 3 to 4 weeks, changing the bourbon as necessary. Before entering the beer.
• Once the beer is done fermenting, I will transfer out of secondary into a stainless keg.
• The "soaked" American oak will be dropped into the Beer.  
• I will use 2 oz of the Med Toast American Oak.  From MoreBeer.

• Repeat again and again until I personally think the beer is ready.

After the experiment is complete, I will report back with my thoughts and a hangover from the (Crossing fingers) Best FUCKING beer ever.

UPDATE#1

Last night I added the Oak Cubes to the Bourbon after a little starter taster.  I got a little tupperware container from the cabinet roughly the size of a baseball.  See the pictures below, I had to use my Cell phone because my wife got drunk and left our camera at her brothers last weekend.

As you can see I have the Oak Cubes from MoreBeer, the Bourbon and the tupperware all ready for action.

 Here is the Oak Cubes with the bourbon added.  After this picture I took another shot of bourbon, put the lid on the tupperware and placed it in the cabinet.  I will change out the bourbon in a couple of days if needed. 


UPDATE #2 (6/29/11)

The beer is now in a Stainless Steel Keg with the American Med Toasted Oak inside.  The Bourbon aging went great.  The oak sat on in the Bourbon for 30 days.  I dumped the 1st batch of Bourbon after 24 hours on the Oak and added more.

UPDATE #3 (9/13/11)

I am sourcing the bottles to put this beer into.  Right now I can use the standard old 22's or maybe I'll look into the classy corked topped 25 oz's.

UPDATE #4 (11-01-11)

The beer was taken off the oak last week.  I currently have the oak in the freezer for another batch of this beer.  ( Or maybe a sour ale)  The taste is great.  I am just saving up bottles for this.

UPDATE #5 (12-13-11)

I bottled this last night.  I only did a total of 12 bottles and the rest will be put on tap here at the house.  From the little taste that I got the beer has turned out very complex and robust.  I'm looking forward to a proper tasting in the next couple weeks