Oatmeal Stout Kit

devildancer · 02-06-2010, 03:04 PM

We're getting ready to brew the Brewer's Best Oatmeal Stout kit, just a couple of questions. It includes some pale malt with instructions on a "steep to convert", which is pretty much what we do with specialty grains anyway. I was thinking of doing a mini-mash, but it would be our first attempt at that. Also looks like the Windsor yeast produces a pretty sweet beer, and I expect it to be sweet with the oatmeal, but is there anyway I could dry it out a bit. Maybe sub in some corn sugar or adjust fermentation temps. It does include a pound of Maltodextrin. Thanks for any input!

devildancer · 02-06-2010, 03:44 PM

Here's the recipe:
3.3 Dark LME
3 Extra Dark DME
1 MD
1 lb Oats
6 oz Dark Chocolate
12oz 2 row pale
2 oz crystal 120L
4 oz victory
1oz each brewers gold & cascade

**McGarnigle** · 02-06-2010, 08:39 PM

This looks like a Minimash kit, with the 2-row and oats. My first thought is to say don't sub, just trust the kit. Is that actual chocolate, or chocolate malt?

devildancer · 02-06-2010, 11:10 PM

Chocolate malt. I did the steep at 160-150 for 1 hour, sparged with 1/2 gallon of 150, then mixed with "wort" of 3 lbs DME disolved in one gallon. Added MD, and saved LME for late addition. My reading is 1.072, after I topped it up to 5 gallons, the kit calls for much lower like 1.052.

Pluto035 · 02-06-2010, 11:14 PM

My guess is that it is not mixed up very well. It's hard to get the OG that off with an extract kit.

skydog4884 · 02-09-2010, 05:14 AM

I just did this exact recipe kit and I was wondering about the exact same high OG at about 1.071. I started with about 3 gallons and steeped everything including the oats for about 45 mins then added the extracts and hops at the specific time and had my main boil for an hour. It has been fermenting for about 5 days now and I tested it this morning and its already at 1.030. Anywas I guess a little off topic but ya I got the same OG

**Shooter** · 02-09-2010, 06:07 AM

In theory extract kits should be a known value for the OG. I too used to have the issue with not stirring in top off water, but I've had several kits recently that didn't come out right and I'm doing full boils. So, not mixing in the top off water is not the issue.

Sometimes the answer is obvious with some research. The kit I just brewed called for an OG around 1.045. However, mine came out to around 1.055. If I put the ingredients in to BrewPal it agreed with the predicted 1.045, but only if I didn't include the small amount of 2 row that was part of the "steeping" grains. Once I input that it assumed I was mashing and gave me 1.057. Based on my steeping temps and water to grain ratio I figured it was highly likely that I did extract fermentable sugars from the 2 row. I've also had several that I just can't explain, other than they gave me too much extract. In the end, I just go with it and enjoy the beer!

devildancer · 02-10-2010, 12:26 AM

This one shows 1.066 in Brew Pal. Also, I put the liquid in late I don't know if that would make a difference. I would like to think I got some fermentables out of the 2 row too, that's why I did all the math for the water volume and hit a target temp.