Brew your best beer EVER. Start your Free Trial of Brewer's Friend today! Sign Up ×

American Porter and Stout - Imperial Stout


An intensely-flavored, big, dark ale with a wide range of flavor balances and regional interpretations. Roasty-burnt malt with deep dark or dried fruit flavors, and a warming, bittersweet finish. Despite the intense flavors, the components need to meld to

Flavor Profile: Rich, deep, complex and frequently quite intense, with variable amounts of roasted malt/grains, maltiness, fruity esters, hop bitterness and flavor, and alcohol. Medium to aggressively high bitterness. Medium-low to high hop flavor (any variety). Moderate

Ingredients: Well-modified pale malt, with generous quantities of roasted malts and/or grain. May have a complex grain bill using virtually any variety of malt. Any type of hops may be used. American or English ale yeast.

BJCP Style Guide

Top 10 Imperial Stout Recipes

Title Size ABV IBU OG FG Color Method Views
05 TINY DARK ATOMS
500 L 14.25% 34.61 1.155 1.046
All Grain 13224
Abraxas clone
5.5 gal 14.11% 99.33 1.130 1.039
All Grain 10878
Imperial Stout BIAB
5.75 gal 9.51% 80.77 1.094 1.021
All Grain 8429
Chocolate Vanilla Pastry Stout
15 L 9.49% 58.34 1.101 1.029
All Grain 5836
American Imperial Stout I - Beer
33 L 9.01% 74.3 1.083 1.014
All Grain 5615
Adjunct Imperial Stout v4
20 L 17.55% 67.64 1.160 1.054
BIAB 5221
Beer Geek Vanilla Shake
19 L 9.79% 95.51 1.108 1.034
All Grain 5122
dark horizon clone
21 L 16.14% 73.19 1.145 1.022
All Grain 4378
Bakke Brygg Rye Porter 20 L
20 L 8.44% 59.27 1.085 1.020
All Grain 4375
☆ "Full Monty" ☆
6 gal 9.83% 97.54 1.100 1.025
All Grain 4232

Newest Imperial Stout Recipes

Title Size ABV IBU OG FG Color Method Views
Doghouse Imperial Stout
3.5 gal 10.79% 96.16 1.099 1.025
BIAB 14
Stress test
5.5 gal 9.36% 40.97 1.092 1.021
All Grain 25
imp gimp 4/7/26
38 L 10.27% 92.83 1.100 1.022
All Grain 44
Imperial stout
5 gal 11.1254% 0 1.106 1.021
All Grain 0
Gonzo Clone
21 L 9.45% 49.79 1.089 1.017
All Grain 61
Pitbull’s Fireball Campire Brew Weekend Ale
5.5 gal 11.96% 96.11 1.121 1.030
extract 39
jh ims
20.8 L 9.94% 56.65 1.093 1.018
All Grain 53
IMPERIAL STOUT GUBE
120 L 8.84% 26.09 1.079 1.012
All Grain 69
Whisky Stout
23 L 5.56% 0 1.069 1.027
extract 62
i dont know how to name this ba imperial stout
10 L 10.61% 51.09 1.100 1.019
All Grain 78

Fermentables Used In Imperial Stout Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Country Category Type Color PPG Avg. Usage Usage Range
Flaked Oats 1,355 Adjunct raw 2.2°L
33 8% 1% - 100%
American - Chocolate 1,144 American Grain roasted malt 350°L
29 5% 0% - 61%
American - Roasted Barley 1,103 American Grain roasted malt 300°L
33 4% 0% - 77%
US - Pale 2-Row 913 US Grain base malt 1.8°L
37 62% 4% - 100%
United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale 710 United Kingdom Grain base malt 3.75°L
38 58% 2% - 100%
American - Caramel / Crystal 120L 646 American Grain crystal malt 120°L
33 4% 0% - 23%
Caramel / Crystal 60L 409 Grain crystal malt 60°L
34 5% 0% - 52%
Lactose (Milk Sugar) 384 Sugar sugar 1°L
41 5% 0% - 54%
United Kingdom - Roasted Barley 370 United Kingdom Grain roasted malt 550°L
29 4% 0% - 16%
American - Black Malt 361 American Grain roasted malt 500°L
28 4% 0% - 100%

Hops Used In Imperial Stout Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Average AA Avg. Usage Usage Range
Magnum 559 15 57% 2% - 100%
East Kent Goldings 373 5 38% 7% - 100%
Columbus 358 15 45% 0% - 100%
Willamette 327 4.5 36% 2% - 100%
Cascade 307 7 36% 1% - 100%
Nugget 303 14 43% 5% - 100%
Centennial 272 10 32% 1% - 100%
Chinook 268 13 37% 2% - 100%
Northern Brewer 234 7.8 36% 5% - 100%
Fuggles 218 4.5 39% 2% - 100%

Steeping Grains Used In Imperial Stout Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Country Category Type Color PPG Avg. Usage Usage Range
American - Chocolate 56 American Grain roasted malt 350°L
29 31% 7% - 100%
American - Roasted Barley 48 American Grain roasted malt 300°L
33 24% 3% - 70%
American - Black Malt 27 American Grain roasted malt 500°L
28 20% 4% - 50%
American - Caramel / Crystal 120L 27 American Grain crystal malt 120°L
33 25% 1% - 100%
United Kingdom - Black Patent 19 United Kingdom Grain roasted malt 525°L
27 18% 5% - 40%
United Kingdom - Chocolate 18 United Kingdom Grain roasted malt 425°L
34 24% 9% - 50%
United Kingdom - Roasted Barley 16 United Kingdom Grain roasted malt 550°L
29 28% 8% - 50%
Flaked Oats 15 Adjunct raw 2.2°L
33 24% 3% - 100%
American - Caramel / Crystal 40L 15 American Grain crystal malt 40°L
34 30% 13% - 44%
Caramel / Crystal 60L 11 Grain crystal malt 60°L
34 36% 13% - 100%

Yeasts Used In Imperial Stout Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Laboratory Type Alcohol Tolerance Flocculation Attenuation Min. Temp Max. Temp
Fermentis - Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05 601 Fermentis / Safale Ales Low Medium 81% 54°F 77°F
Fermentis - Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04 292 Fermentis / Safale Ale .0975 High 75% 54°F 77°F
White Labs - California Ale Yeast WLP001 201 White Labs Ale High Medium 76.5% 68°F 73°F
Wyeast - American Ale 1056 176 Wyeast Ale 0.1 Med-Low 75% 60°F 72°F
Imperial Yeast - A10 Darkness 112 Imperial Yeast Ale Medium 71% 62°F 72°F
Lallemand - LALBREW® NOTTINGHAM HIGH PERFORMANCE ALE YEAST 108 Lallemand Ales Medium High 80% 50°F 72°F
White Labs - Dry English Ale Yeast WLP007 99 White Labs Ale Med-High Med-High 75% 65°F 70°F
Danstar - Nottingham Ale Yeast 98 Danstar Ale Med-High High 77% 57°F 70°F
Mangrove Jack - New World Strong Ale M42 74 Mangrove Jack Ale n/a High 79.5% 61°F 72°F
White Labs - San Diego Super Yeast WLP090 61 White Labs Ale High Med-High 79.5% 65°F 68°F

Other Ingredients Used In Imperial Stout Recipes (View More)

Name Recipes Type Use Avg. Usage Usage Range
Gypsum 399 Water Agt Mash 14% 0% - 100%
Calcium Chloride (dihydrate) 226 Water Agt Mash 16% 0% - 100%
Baking Soda 197 Water Agt Mash 15% 0% - 100%
Whirlfloc 190 Fining Boil 48% 0% - 100%
Epsom Salt 163 Water Agt Mash 7% 0% - 100%
Lactic acid 134 Water Agt Mash 66% 0% - 100%
Irish Moss 129 Other Boil 48% 0% - 100%
Chalk 128 Water Agt Mash 20% 0% - 100%
Calcium Chloride (anhydrous) 120 Water Agt Mash 21% 0% - 100%
Vanilla Bean 90 Spice Secondary 43% 0% - 100%

Photos