Recipe and additional brewer’s notes provided by Mitch Grittman, Zony Mash Beer Project brewer-owner
This decadent imperial pastry stout brings together some of the classic flavors of King Cake, the iconic Carnival season and Mardi Gras treat – cinnamon, vanilla, and almond. Brewed in collaboration with King Cake Hub, a King Cake pop-up market hosted at Zony Mash Beer Project in New Orleans. To achieve the huge starting gravity of this beer, Mitch suggests brewery practice reiterated mashing (or double mashing); for more on that technique see this Brew Your Own article.
Zony Mash King Cake Imperial Stout
For 5 gallons all-grain
OG: 1.128
FG: 1.045
ABV: 10.5
IBU: 40
Malt
- 6 lbs 2-Row, Rahr (34.46%)
- 5 lbs Golden Promise, Simpsons (28.72%)
- 1 lb Flaked Oats (5.74%)
- 1 lb Golden Naked Oats, Simpson (5.74%)
- 1 lb Chocolate Malt, Simpsons (5.74%)
- 1 lb Chateau Special Belgium (5.74%)
- 0.5 lbs Caramel 60 (2.87%)
- 0.5 lbs Caramel 40 (2.87%)
- 0.5 lbs Roasted Barley, Simpson (2.87%)
- 1 lb Flaked Barley (5.22%)
- Rice Hulls (More Than Lots)
Mash Temp: 155F
Mash Length: 30 min x 2
Note: These quantities are based on 75% efficiency. I rounded the amounts for this five-gallon batch up a little bit to make them simpler. You will likely have poorer efficiency than typical. To increase efficiency, split the grain into two separate amounts. Use the wort from the first mash to mash in for the second (see Reiterated Mashing note and link above). You are aiming for a SG 1.093 wort before the additions of the below sugar sources, which will push the actual OG of the beer to 1.120! (So, if you’re entering the recipe into brewing software, be sure to note that 1.093 is the gravity from just the grains.)
Other Boil Additions (Add Near End of Boil)
- Maltodextrin – 1 lb per 5 gal
- Lactose – 1 lb per 5 gal
- Brewers Crystals – 1 lb per 5 gal
- Cinnamon Sticks – 0.5 oz in whirlpool
- Cinnamon Sticks – 0.5 oz in brite tank*
- Vanilla Bean Paste – 0.5 fl oz in secondary
- Almond Extract – 0.125 fl oz in brite tank*
* On a homebrew scale these can be added to secondary, whether that’s a carboy or directly into keg. Looking for a small volume of vanilla bean paste? Try this one from Nielson-Massey.
Hops
- Magnum – bitter to approx 40 IBU
Yeast
- American Ale Yeast (a BIG starter or multiple packs based on OG 1.120)
Additional Notes
Mash and Kettle pH is crucial. If you don’t make your own water profile, have some calcium bicarbonate (mash) and sodium bicarbonate (kettle) on hand to adjust the pH as needed.
Aim for a mash pH of 5.4, and a kettle pH of 5.2 or the beer will be an acidic bitter mess.
You definitely need an oxygen stone for this beer. A HUGE yeast starter is extremely important. You want even more yeast since you really want to start the fermentation temp on the low side to avoid it getting overly boozy and ester-y. It may be tempting to add yeast nutrient, but all that grain is going to get you where you need to go. Too much nutrient could cause the yeast to burn out too quickly and/or throw too many esters. Goal is a nice clean stout base. Only add nutrients if you know that your water is low in zinc. I don’t think zinc-only nutrients are available to homebrewers (which is a shame), so just be prudent in adding your nutrient, and add it to the carboy (not the boil).
Avoid “high gravity” yeasts. They tend to be diastatic, and they’ll eat through your dextrins and leave the beer dry. I use US-05, but any standard American ale yeast would work.
Fermentation Temp: Knock out at 65F to avoid fusel notes or excessive esters. At high krausen, start to ramp the temp up to encourage the yeast to keep going. End fermentation around 72-75F