Ok, this weekend I am brewing up my first attempt at a big oatmeal stout. It's not really to style, per se, but it'll be fun and hopefully pretty tasty. My main goal is to make a slightly "American" take on a classic British style. To do that, I'll be bumping up the BU:GU ratio, providing a bit of American hops for flavor, not to mention giving it a bit of an alcohol boost. It's sort of a "Partial Extract" recipe...

Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions...


Brew-at-a-Glance
Batch Size = 6.5 gal
Predicted OG = 1.072
Hopeful FG = 1.016-1.018
ABV = 7.3%
SRM = 51
BU:GU = 0.71

Grain Bill:
Maris Otter Pale Malt 10.00 lbs
Flaked Oats 1.50 lbs
Victory Malt 1.00 lbs
Chocolate Malt 0.50 lbs
American Crystal Malt 80 0.50 lbs
Roasted Barley 0.50 lbs
Flaked Barley 0.50 lbs
Pale LME 3.00 lbs

Mash grains at 152 for 90 min. Mashout and single batch sparge.

Hop Schedule
2 oz. EKG @ 90 min.
1/2 oz. Cascade @ 30 min.
1/2 oz. Cascade @ 10 min.
Total IBUs = 40

I will be toasting 1/2 lb. of the oats at 300F until they start to become aromatic. I really want a nutty, bicuity, oat-y flavor to be noticeable. I am also considering "dry-cinnamoning" after about two weeks in primary, just to make this into the ideal breakfast beer. I will be using US-04, two packets.

My questions: do you think I'll achieve nearly 80% attenuation on this grain bill with US-04? I don't want it to end up too sweet. I figure by mashing relatively low, I'll get plenty of fermentables, but the LME will help keep it from drying out excessively. Should I drop the mash to 150?

Secondly, will Cascade in an OS just taste wrong? I love my hops, but I don't want it to turn into some abomination when malt flavors are supposed to be the focal point just because I feel weird seeing a number less than 75 IBUs in my brew spreadsheet...

Thirdly, how much of the oats should I toast? Should I toast some of the MO as well? I really want to achieve some serious toasty flavors, it's what I look for in an oatmeal stout. What has worked for you?

Lastly, anybody used cinnamon before? What quantity and duration has been successful for you?

Thanks for reading this very long post! Hopefully there's someone else out there with enthusiasm for the oats!