# Oatmeal stout



## time01 (11/2/15)

I'm looking to make an oatmeal stout for winter and hoping I can adjust recipe below I have used previously from database, trouble is I'm not sure on what to drop or add to make it an oatmeal stout?

I'd also like to bump it up to 5.5-6%

And finally do I just add oats to boil like grain.? Any specific oats required?

Three shades of stout
4.5 kg	Bairds Golden Promise Pale Ale Malt
2 kg	Weyermann Pilsner
1 kg	TF Brown Malt
0.7 kg	Flaked Barley
0.5 kg	TF Roasted Barley
0.5 kg	TF Pale Chocolate Malt


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## manticle (12/2/15)

For oatmeal stout, I use a base stout recipe and add oats. No need to replace grain.
How you use it depends a little on the type of oats but I presume you mean mash rather than boil.
Look up adjuncts, gelatinisation and cereal mash. Pre-gelatinised oats can be added to the mash with no special treatment.

I like to toast mine first though - nutty.


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## time01 (13/2/15)

Thanks manticle.
Yes your right I meant mash
How much oats would you recommend? I've read comments for it to be 5% of grain bill?
I've previously used danstar Nottingham British ale yeast, any others you would recommend for this style?
I found the below oats from craftbrewer, I'm assuming I could use rolled oats from supermarket?
http://craftbrewer.com/shop/details.asp?PID=2968


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## Dan Pratt (13/2/15)

Those oats are the right ones, they can also be called flaked oats. Just call into the supermarket and grab some off the shelf or from the LHBS.

Percentage wise start with 10% and work from there, I use 12% and find that adds the right complexity to make the style. Often I use about 5% flaked oats in American amber ales and black IPA to add mouth feel and creaminess.


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## Tahoose (13/2/15)

My first attempt at the style. Was aiming for a thick to chewy mouthfeel, hopefully really nice and smooth. Steeped the black grains overnight in cold water and added at the end of the mash. 

Staff's Stout (Oatmeal Stout)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.064 (Â°P): 15.7 Actual 1.060
Final Gravity (FG): 1.016 (Â°P): 4.1
Alcohol (ABV): 6.29 %
Colour (SRM): 41.2 (EBC): 81.2 
Bitterness (IBU): 41.3 (Average) Probably around 37 IBU after dilution to get the volume.

69.39% Maris Otter
10.2% Flaked Oats
6.12% Chocolate
5.1% Crystal 120
5.1% Crystal 60
4.08% Black Roasted Barley

0.9 g/L East Kent Golding (4.6% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (First Wort)
1.5 g/L Fuggles (4.8% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (First Wort)
1.2 g/L East Kent Golding (5.7% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil)
0.3 g/L Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) @ 0 Minutes (Mash)

Single step Infusion at 68Â°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes
Fermented at 18Â°C with Wyeast 1084 - Irish Ale


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## manticle (13/2/15)

Have you added gypsum to malt driven dark beers before Tahoose? General recommendation is to avoid adding sulphate to dark beers although with some of the more hoppy styles like American browns and blacks it can work.

I would have gone for cal chloride but see how you go.


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## Tahoose (13/2/15)

No I haven't, first really dark beer that I have made to be honest. I was trying to push the malt mostly. 

Also was deliberately liberal with crystals.. I suppose I'll just have to suck it and see. 

All up I used about 2 tsp's in a 4.9kg grain bill.


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## manticle (13/2/15)

Calcium chloride is the salt you want to use to push malt. Calcium sulphate should accentuate dryness and hop character.


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## Tahoose (13/2/15)

Think I hit the wrong button when I was plugging in the recipe. Pretty certain I did actually use calcium chloride in the mash.


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## time01 (14/2/15)

Hi tahoose, what's the reason for steeping black grains over night? And what's the process? Also why do you add them at end of mash?


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## Tahoose (14/2/15)

Paging manticle here.

From my understanding, it reduces astringency. The process was simple; milled by black grains, added 2-3 litres of water and put that container in the keg fridge. Added the contents after I'd hit my mash out, stirred the mash again and ran into the kettle.

It's also has something to do with the ph level of the mash, like I said I'm not totally across it so hopefully someone with a better knowledge can throw in a few words here.


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## manticle (14/2/15)

You're pretty much on it tahoose. A lot of roast can reduce pH too low so brewers find ways to combat it. A common one is adding chalk but this is not super effective due to chalk's relative insolubility. Some don't enjoy the flavour contributions chalk brings either.

Adding roast at the end of the mash means you can get pH right as for any other beer, it will buffer itself pretty well by that point. Cold steeping simply allows full, smooth flavour extraction for the belated addition.


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## Tahoose (14/2/15)

Thanks for the clarification.


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## time01 (16/2/15)

Thanks for the tips boys, I read a bit more about and it makes sense. A few articles suggested adding it at the end of the boil as opposed to end of mash, anyone tried this? Also any tips on yeast for this style?


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## manticle (16/2/15)

If using liquid, I have used WY1469, 1084, 1099 and 1275 and been happy. 1469 is my favourite.


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## time01 (18/2/15)

hi guys, after a bit of critique on my latest recipe, thoughts?
aiming for say 5.5% with 33 IBU
70% Maris Oter
10% flaked oats
5% pale chocolate malt
5% roasted barley
10% crystal malt dark (should this be a combination of crystal dark and crystal medium?)

appreciate the feedback, the reason for the thorough research is a I brew a bday stout for sons bday each yr. 1st yr was an extract, 2nd was my 1st all grain stout, this yr I want to step it up a notch.


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## time01 (21/2/15)

bump


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## Tahoose (23/2/15)

Time seeing as this is the first time I've ever made a stout, and I'm not a regular stout drinker I can't really critique the recipe.

Tbh though your recipe there doesn't look much different to mine. I think the other thing is with this beer is that yeast plays a big part. I ended up using wyeast 1084 irish ale. As Manticle said 1469 west Yorkshire is a nice English yeast for a few styles.

Kegged mine tonight and drank the entire hydrometer sample, very tasty, looking forward to having this on tap.

Also currently sipping a sam smiths oatmeal stout which I picked up on the weekend for something to compare too. At first (probably too cold) I found this over carbed and too much liquorice. But now as it warms up a little it really nice and smooth and the roast flavours are starting to shine.


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## time01 (26/2/15)

Thanks tahoose, be sure to post how yours turns out


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## Tahoose (26/2/15)

I'll try and remembers, I suppose it depends on how many I've had..


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## time01 (11/6/15)

Finally had a chance to brew this one on the weekend, went with grain bill as per above, EKG at 60 mins for 30 ibu and 1469 yeast. Also toasted oats and steeped the roasted and chocolate grain and added to fermenter. Didnt hit target OG of 1054, it was 1050. Look forward to tasting it


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## Spiesy (11/6/15)

I brewed up an oatmeal stout last weekend as well. My first. Malt pipe was packed super tight and with the 400g of oats I had a really bad recirculation. 
Not a great brew day due to being in a rush, but I'm looking forward to the finished product - currently bubbling away with 004.


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## time01 (15/6/15)

This is down to 1018. Unfortunately hydro sample tastes very boring, almost tastes of nothing, very disappointed


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## time01 (18/6/15)

I had another sample of this, side by side with a bacchus porter FWK.

the aroma on stout is basically non existent, perhaps a little sweet almost? where as the porter is smokey and roasty almost.

taste of the stout is very bland as I mentioned where as porter is full of flavour.

could it be due to the way I have steeped the roasted barley and chocolate malt? or the amount I have used?


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## time01 (23/6/15)

bump


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## manticle (23/6/15)

Is it carbed and ready for drinking or still in fermenter?

Yes cold steeping will be smoother, but in my experience, fine grind, cold steeped overnight, heated to mash temp and added with 10 mins is every bit as flavourful.

Allow time for flavours to meld.


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## time01 (25/6/15)

Yes it's still in the fermenter, but I thought would be getting some roasted characteristics? 
When I did the steeping, I did it for 15 mins at 74 degrees then put it in fridge overnight and added it to the fermenter, perhaps I have lost flavour this way?


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## manticle (25/6/15)

The way I do it is crack it fine, steep in cold water in a stainless pot, covered and in fridge for 24 hours. Then heat to mash temp (or at least warm it up) in time to add to last 10 mins of mash.
I only do it to avoid my mash pH getting too acidic (and like the results since I first tried) so once the bulk of the mash is done, there's no reason not to add it in. 
You have made apartheid stout.

Did your steepings get boiled?


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## manticle (25/6/15)

If not boiled, you may have a lactic infection which can strip malt and hop flavour. Will eventually taste like sour milk if that is the case.


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## time01 (26/6/15)

No they didnt get boiled, I just steeped at 74 degrees for 15 mins, covered the pot with lid and glad wrap and put in the fridge overnight, then added it to the fermenter the next day. I read about this method on beer smith I think. If it is an infection doesn't sound like its worth bottling? Probably best to tip out?


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## manticle (26/6/15)

IF it is an infection.


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## time01 (30/6/15)

I bottled this on the weekend, will see how it turns out. I don't think it's an infection, just a bit bland or watered down


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