Here is my somewhat highly modified version of this recipe.
ABV (%): 16+
Recipe Type: All Grain
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Yeast: WLP090 then WLP099 after 1 week
Yeast Starter: 2 vials into 1 gallon, then step up an additional 2 gallons (1.5 Trillion cells) (Do the same for both Yeast strains)
Batch Size (Gallons): 18
Pre-boil (Gallons): 25
Pre-boil Gravity: 1.100 (Brix 23.8)
Target Original Gravity: 1.132 (Brix 30.6)
Target Final Gravity: 1.020 (hard to hit, you'll usually reach around 1.025)
Target Refractometer Corrected Final Brix: *15.5 (1.063 SG)
Boiling Time: 2 hours
Primary Fermentation (Time & Temp): 2-3 weeks @ 62-64*
Secondary Fermentation (Time & Temp): 3-4 weeks @ 62-64*
Tertiary Fermentation (Time & Temp): Minimum 18 Months @ 62-64*
I use a 42 gallon conical for primary and secondary, and then 6 gallon carboys for the tertiary. You could use carboys for all 3, but it's just more work to transfer that many times.
Total Grain: 90.5 pounds + 4 pounds of Brown Sugar
Total Hops: 1 lb 2 oz Columbus
70 lbs Maris Otter
6 lbs Roasted Rye France (or substitute Chocolate Rye)
6 lbs Chocolate Malt Belgium
5 lbs Crystal 150L Great Britain (or substitute English Dark)
3.5 lbs Special B Malt Belgian
4 lbs Brown Sugar @ 10 mins
20 tsp Diammonium Phosphate Yeast Nutrient @ 10 mins
18oz Columbus @ 60 mins
Tertiary:
3lbs Starbucks Sumatra coffee (don't buy until you're ready to use)
3lbs cacao nibs (don't buy until you're ready to use)
Strike Water Temp: 160* (varies depending on grain temperature)
Initial Strike Water Volume: 28 Gallons
Total Mash Water Volume: 37 Gallons
Mash for 90 minutes @ 146* before beginning lautering – no change in mash out temperature
36 drops Fermcap-S after pitching (Optional to prevent blow off)
Pitch the WLP099 after the WLP090 stops activity (roughly 1 week)
9 tsp of yeast energizer 1 week after pitching WLP099 depending on gravity and activity (usually not needed)
About a 2-3 weeks after secondary, transfer to 3 carboys and put into dark cool corner of your basement and then forget about it for 18 months (occasionally check to see that there's sanitizer in the air locks since that will dry up over time).
2 weeks before kegging add 1 lb per carboy of cacao nibs
1-2 days before kegging, cold press 16oz of coffee per carboy and dump into carboy with beer (have Starbucks grind it for cold press, which is more coarsely ground)
(I've also tried bourbon soaked oak spirals. It's very good, but not as good as the coffee version). (I've also tried a dry hopped version, yeah...don't do that it isn't good). (I've also tried a "normal version", and that's good, but not as good as the bourbon or coffee version.)
If you do the bourbon soaked oak chips, I recommend two full spirals per carboy, and dump the bourbon in with the chips.
edit: Soak the spirals by completely submersing them in bourbon for 3-4 days. Try to find as small of a container as you can to fit the spirals and bourbon into. you may want to break your spirals in half to accomplish this.
Whether you do the bourbon or coffee method, the beer will lose that flavor over time. That's why it's important to age the beer in carboys before adding that flavor. So if you want the beer to be aged longer, age it in the carboys before adding either the bourbon oak spirals or the coffee.