Oatmeal stout lacking body

[Fraser's BRB]

G'day all. I brewed the below recipe (adapted from Brewing Classic Styles) a few weeks ago and am drinking now from the keg.

The flavours are all good but I find myself thinking that it feels "thin"? It has the creamy undertone that I'd expect from an oatmeal stout and a nice biscuity note, it just doesn't seem quite where it should be for mouth feel.

I use a 3V system, false bottom MT, CFC straight from kettle to fermenter. FG finished high at 1.018 (I've had this issue before with S-04).

Any suggestions?

[SIZE=9.96037pt]Rolled Gold[/SIZE] [SIZE=9.96037pt]Oatmeal Stout[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Recipe Specs[/SIZE][SIZE=9.96037pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Batch Size (L): 23.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Total Grain (kg): 5.824[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Total Hops (g): 51.00[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Original Gravity (OG): 1.054 (°P): 13.3[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Final Gravity (FG): 1.014 (°P): 3.6[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 5.31 %[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Colour (SRM): 35.1 (EBC): 69.1[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Bitterness (IBU): 28.9 (Average)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Boil Time (Minutes): 60[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9.96037pt]Grain Bill[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]4.246 kg Maris Otter Malt (72.9%)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]0.448 kg Flaked Oats (7.7%)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]0.339 kg Chocolate (5.82%)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]0.339 kg Victory (5.82%)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]0.226 kg Black Roasted Barley (3.88%)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]0.226 kg Crystal 80 (3.88%)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9.96037pt]Hop Bill[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]51.0 g East Kent Golding Pellet (4.7% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (2.2 g/L)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9.96037pt]Misc Bill[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]----------------[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9.96037pt]Single step Infusion at 68°C for 90 Minutes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Fermented at 20°C with Safale S-04[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9.96037pt]Notes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Toast oats in oven at 150deg until slight colour change[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9.96037pt]Recipe Generated with BrewMate[/SIZE]

 

[fcmcg]

Well the reason you finished a bit higher is that you did mash at 68...having a look at your recipe , i would have thought that you'd end up with a great beer...
Maybe have someone else taste it ?

 

[Fraser's BRB]

Well the reason you finished a bit higher is that you did mash at 68...having a look at your recipe , i would have thought that you'd end up with a great beer...
Maybe have someone else taste it ?

A friend whose palate I trust tasted it and agreed with my sentiment. Hits the right flavour notes, just a little lacking in mouth feel.

Edit: 68 was as per the original recipe with 1.014 being their reckoned FG, but I know what you're saying.

 

[jeremy.settle]

I was just coming on here to look for a stout to brew. Might give this a go with but cut down the boil time a bit.

 

[Fraser's BRB]

I was just coming on here to look for a stout to brew. Might give this a go with but cut down the boil time a bit.

Let me know how it turns out.

 

[droid]

weird, coz it sounds filling

maybe you and your mate are your worst critics

did you do a full volume mash? even then the FG is the FG so yeah, just be true to yourself about the numbers you got and iI'd say try another yeast keeping everything else the same but again that gets back to the FG and 1018 says it should be beefy enough

dunno

 

[Fraser's BRB]

I've been looking back through my notes and I suspect I have an answer.

My notes are a little unclear, I believe we were quite boozed on the day, however I think I may have added the dark grain at vorlauf rather than for the full mash as described by Gordon Strong. As I understand it, this is meant to reduce astringency caused by these darker grains.

I've used this method in the past with some success, but could this lead to reduced mouthfeel?

 

[manticle]

I would suggest your 90 minute mash might have contributed.
Adding roast grains late would just help make it smooth.

 

[Fraser's BRB]

I would suggest your 90 minute mash might have contributed.
Adding roast grains late would just help make it smooth.

The 90 minutes was suggested to assist in fully converting the oats. As I don't know any better I took this on face value.

 

[Dae Tripper]

Is this a different one to Bathurst Brunch?

 

[Fraser's BRB]

Is this a different one to Bathurst Brunch?

Yeah mate, very different. Remind me next time you're over and I'll print off Bathurst Brunch for you.

This one wasn't tapped when you were here last.

 

[fraser_john]

This may or may not be accurate as I have yet to do it myself, but, I have always just used rolled oats from the super market, and, have NEVER got that oaty creamy full bodied texture in an oatmeal stout. One of the GCB brewers also had the same experience and tried the Blue Lake Milling oats and found that it DID introduce that into the stout.

So, are crappy cheap rolled oats made for porridge that much different to the ones available to breweries by Blue Lake Milling? Maybe?

As insurance, I bought some BLM oats for my next stout......

 

[WarmerBeer]

How confident are you that your thermometer is reading accurately?

I've had (admittedly cheap) thermometers read 4 deg C out using the ice bath / boiling water calibration methods.

 

[Fraser's BRB]

This may or may not be accurate as I have yet to do it myself, but, I have always just used rolled oats from the super market, and, have NEVER got that oaty creamy full bodied texture in an oatmeal stout. One of the GCB brewers also had the same experience and tried the Blue Lake Milling oats and found that it DID introduce that into the stout.

So, are crappy cheap rolled oats made for porridge that much different to the ones available to breweries by Blue Lake Milling? Maybe?

As insurance, I bought some BLM oats for my next stout......

I hadn't considered that as most things I'd read said just get the cheap oats from the supermarket. Let me know if you see any improvement.

 

[Fraser's BRB]

How confident are you that your thermometer is reading accurately?

I've had (admittedly cheap) thermometers read 4 deg C out using the ice bath / boiling water calibration methods.

I was talking to someone this morning who asked the same question, I'll have a look at calibrating it this weekend.

 

[WarmerBeer]

I hadn't considered that as most things I'd read said just get the cheap oats from the supermarket. Let me know if you see any improvement.

I use Aldi oats, and get a wonderful, silky, mouthfeel to my Oatmeal Stout.

 

[dannymars]

Came here to say calibrate/check your thermometers.

Also, 90 mins may be a little long. Also, do you treat your water? that can affect the mouthfeel also.

 

[Mat B]

I just purchased grain to make a similar recipe for Oatmeal Stout. After reading a lot about rolled oats from supermarket vs flaked oats etc, I ended up getting the quick oats. Apparently that's more effective that the rolled ones. I'll find out when I brew I guess.

 

[kunfaced]

This may or may not be accurate as I have yet to do it myself, but, I have always just used rolled oats from the super market, and, have NEVER got that oaty creamy full bodied texture in an oatmeal stout. One of the GCB brewers also had the same experience and tried the Blue Lake Milling oats and found that it DID introduce that into the stout.

So, are crappy cheap rolled oats made for porridge that much different to the ones available to breweries by Blue Lake Milling? Maybe?

As insurance, I bought some BLM oats for my next stout......

Do you boil the crap out of your oats first?

 

[Reman]

Do you boil the crap out of your oats first?

If they are rolled oats they are pre-gelatinised and don't need a cereal mash, aka boil the crap out of them.