Imperial Breakfast Stout
Dark, rich, and indulgent, The Most Important Beer of the Day! is an Imperial Breakfast Stout layered with coffee, chocolate, and deep roasted malt character, designed to be a big, sippable beer you will brew again and again.
A Big, Luxurious Imperial Stout For Coffee Lovers
This 5 gallon all grain recipe was designed by Jose Dias and Mark Zanfardino as a bold breakfast stout that still drinks smooth and balanced. A base of two row malt and flaked oats builds a full, creamy body. Multiple layers of dark grain add complex roast, cocoa, and subtle char. Nugget and Mt. Hood hops bring firm but balanced bitterness so the finish never turns cloying.
The real breakfast twist comes from generous additions of dark chocolate, roasted cocoa nibs, and a blend of Brazilian Oberon and Sumatran coffee. A short rest on oak cubes adds a touch of barrel like depth without needing an actual barrel.
The Most Important Beer of the Day! An Imperial Breakfast Stout At A Glance
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (18.9 l) |
|---|---|
| Boil Time | 60 minutes (optionally extend to 90 minutes to hit gravity) |
| Estimated Original Gravity | 1.098 |
| Measured Original Gravity | 1.089 |
| Estimated Final Gravity | 1.028 |
| Measured Final Gravity | 1.018 |
| Estimated ABV | About 9.5 to 9.6 percent |
| Bitterness | 53 IBUs |
| Estimated Color | 40 SRM (opaque black with ruby highlights) |
| Brewhouse Efficiency | 72 percent |
| Carbonation | Keg at about 14.9 psi at 45 °F for roughly 2.0 to 2.2 volumes of CO2 |
Grain Bill
This grist builds a dense, chewy body with complex roast and chocolate while rice hulls keep the mash flowing.
| Ingredient | Amount | % of Grist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briess Brewers Malt 2 Row | 15 lb 0.4 oz | 79.5% | Main base malt that provides fermentable backbone |
| Flaked Oats | 1 lb 5.3 oz | 7.0% | Adds silky body and long lasting head |
| Briess Chocolate Malt | 14.2 oz | 4.7% | Deep chocolate and roast character |
| Briess Roasted Barley | 10.7 oz | 3.5% | Classic stout roast, coffee, and light char |
| Caramel or Crystal 120L | 7.1 oz | 2.3% | Dark caramel and raisin notes, supports body |
| Weyermann Carafa Special I | 5.3 oz | 1.8% | Color and smooth roast with less bitterness |
| Rice Hulls | 3.6 oz | 1.2% | Helps prevent stuck mash with this heavy grist |
Hops And Kettle Additions
| Addition | Amount | Time | IBUs / Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nugget (13 percent AA) | 41 g | 60 minutes | About 44.5 IBUs of firm, clean bitterness |
| Mt. Hood (6 percent AA) | 20.5 g | 30 minutes | About 7.9 IBUs, light spicy and herbal flavor |
| Mt. Hood (6 percent AA) | 20.5 g | 2 minutes | About 0.9 IBUs, late aroma addition |
| Whirlfloc tablet | About 1/2 tablet | 15 minutes | Optional, helps with clarity even in a dark beer |
| Dark bittersweet bakers chocolate (about 60 percent cacao) | 3.64 oz | 15 minutes | Boosts chocolate depth and dessert like richness |
| Unsweetened cocoa nibs | 1.82 oz | 15 minutes | Adds cocoa aroma and layered chocolate complexity |
| Yeast nutrient | 0.45 tsp | 10 minutes | Supports a healthy fermentation in this big beer |
| Servomyces or similar yeast nutrient capsule | About 1 capsule | 10 minutes | Additional nutrient boost |
For extra depth you can lightly toast the cocoa nibs in a dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes, just until fragrant, then add them to the boil. Pull them off the heat if they begin to smoke.
Yeast, Coffee, And Oak
| Ingredient | Amount | Stage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Labs WLP007 Dry English Ale or similar | 1 large starter or 2 packs | Primary | Highly attenuative English strain that keeps the finish from being overly sweet |
| Brazilian Oberon coffee | 3.64 oz | Secondary | Coarsely crushed or cold brewed for smooth chocolate like coffee character |
| Sumatran coffee | 3.64 oz | Secondary | Earthy, deep roast coffee notes |
| Oak Cubes (Hungarian medium toast or similar) | 3.64 oz | Secondary for about 7 days | Soft barrel like vanilla and toast |
| Optional cold brew coffee at packaging | Up to 18 oz | Packaging | Brew a strong cold brew using about 120 g of coffee steeped 24 hours, then dose into the keg to taste. |
Mash Schedule
This beer uses a single infusion mash aimed at a full, velvety body that still finishes drinkable.
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| Mash in | Heat about 22.35 l of strike water to roughly 168 °F. Add grains and rice hulls to hit a mash temperature of 156 °F. Hold for 60 minutes. |
| Vorlauf and lauter | Vorlauf for about 10 to 15 minutes until the wort runs mostly clear, then lauter. |
| Sparge | Fly sparge with about 11.86 l of 168 °F water to collect your full pre boil volume in the kettle. |
Aim for a pre boil gravity that will land you near 1.098 after your full boil. If your gravity is low, you can extend the boil by about 30 minutes to concentrate the wort.
Boil, Chill, And Fermentation
- Boil for at least 60 minutes, following the hop and kettle addition schedule above. Maintain a strong, rolling boil to drive off DMS and build Maillard depth.
- At flameout, chill the wort to about 65 °F. Aerate thoroughly, targeting about 60 to 90 seconds of oxygen if you have pure O2, or several minutes of vigorous shaking or pump driven aeration.
- Pitch a well sized starter of WLP007 or two fresh packs, and ferment at about 65 °F. After about 4 days, begin raising the temperature to around 68 °F to help the yeast finish out and clean up.
- Once primary fermentation is mostly complete, rack the beer onto the coffee and oak additions in secondary. Steep on oak cubes and coffee for roughly 7 days, tasting every few days until you like the balance.
- Remove the oak and coffee, then cold crash if desired. On kegging day you can blend in up to about 18 oz of strong cold brew coffee to dial in the aroma.
Conditioning, Carbonation, And Serving
Imperial stouts reward patience. Carbonate this beer to about 2.0 to 2.2 volumes of CO2, which is often around 14.9 psi at 45 °F in a keg. Give it at least 30 days of cold conditioning at about 42 °F before you start pouring pints.
Serve in a snifter, tulip, or other stemmed glass at a slightly cool cellar temperature. Expect layers of dark chocolate, espresso, dark fruit, and gentle oak. The flaked oats and residual sweetness from the high gravity build a smooth, dessert like texture that still finishes balanced thanks to the firm hop bitterness and highly attenuative yeast.
Tasting Notes And Pairings
Look for a thick tan head on top of an inky black body. Aroma leads with coffee and cocoa, backed by roasted malt, dark caramel, and a hint of vanilla and toast from the oak. The flavor layers dark chocolate, espresso, mild ash, and dark berries, with enough bitterness to keep each sip from feeling sugary.
This beer pairs beautifully with rich desserts like flourless chocolate cake, tiramisu, or vanilla ice cream. It also shines next to smoked meats, blue cheese, and slow brunch plates loaded with bacon and pancakes.
