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junkmaster · 04-04-2011, 05:26 PM

I'm looking for info on converting an extra Dry Irish Stout extract kit I have into an Oatmeal Cream Stout.

Adding the Lactose to make it a cream/milk stout shouldn't be a problem but the Oatmeal is the difficult part because it needs to be mashed?

I'm not looking for perfection in this batch just the best I can do.

From what I've read it sounds like I need to use Quick Oats(with no additives/preservatives) and I need to bake them @ 350 for 60 mins stirring them every 15 then add them to my other steeping grains?

Anything else I can do to improve my outcome?

jm

**shawnbou** · 04-04-2011, 05:56 PM

I believe the purpose of cooking the oats is to gelatinize them so they can be converted by enzymes in the mash. If you're just steeping them with specialty grains, you may not get the conversion. At any rate, 60 minutes at 350F seems like a very long time and high temperature, but I'm sorry I don't know enough to answer that part of the question.

However, if you're not actually mashing the oats, you probably want to add extract to raise the OG of the wort by about 10-15 gravity points. The OG and FG for oatmeal stouts is a bit higher than for dry stouts.

**edmanster** · 04-04-2011, 07:38 PM

What yeast did the kit come with? I wouldn't do anything with the oats other than add them to your steeping grains..

junkmaster · 04-04-2011, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shawnbou

I believe the purpose of cooking the oats is to gelatinize them so they can be converted by enzymes in the mash. If you're just steeping them with specialty grains, you may not get the conversion. At any rate, 60 minutes at 350F seems like a very long time and high temperature, but I'm sorry I don't know enough to answer that part of the question.

However, if you're not actually mashing the oats, you probably want to add extract to raise the OG of the wort by about 10-15 gravity points. The OG and FG for oatmeal stouts is a bit higher than for dry stouts.

Thanks for the info. I think the baking for 60 minutes was supposed to provide a 'nutty' flavor but that may only apply if you mash instead of steep.

junkmaster · 04-04-2011, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmanster

What yeast did the kit come with? I wouldn't do anything with the oats other than add them to your steeping grains..

So just use the Quick oats and add them to the steeping grains? What about baking them to add a 'nutty' flavor, would that work with steeping or only if you mash?

The kit came with a dry Munton Ale yeast packet, but I also have White Labs WL004 Irish Ale yeast in my yeast bank or various wine yeasts like EC-1118 & D-47.

**edmanster** · 04-04-2011, 08:13 PM

Do you want a nutty flavor? I would use a little biscut malt to add it.. I like the muntons dry yeast, it does a great job..

**Golddiggie** · 04-04-2011, 08:19 PM

The nutty flavor usually comes from either roasted barley or chocolate malt (or both). Part of the character will also come from the yeast. Of the choices you listed, the Irish ale is probably the best of the lot. I wouldn't use a champagne yeast (EC-1118) or white wine (D47) yeast in a beer. At least not for it's main fermentation yeast. Maybe if you have a high ABV brew that is going beyond what the primary yeast can handle (such as a big barley wine)...

Personally, I wouldn't try to monkey around with cheap quick oats for a brew... IMO, better to get the actual item designed/produced for use in a brew.

If you look at enough recipes, you'll see the commonalities between them... Most common is chocolate malt, flaked barley (and/or oats) a darker caramel malt (at least 80L) and roasted barley...

You could see what the oatmeal stout recipe, from where you got the current kit from, lists for specialty grains and try to alter what you have to at least get closer to that... Or, you could just get another kit and shelf this one for later.

junkmaster · 04-04-2011, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golddiggie

The nutty flavor usually comes from either roasted barley or chocolate malt (or both). Part of the character will also come from the yeast. Of the choices you listed, the Irish ale is probably the best of the lot. I wouldn't use a champagne yeast (EC-1118) or white wine (D47) yeast in a beer. At least not for it's main fermentation yeast. Maybe if you have a high ABV brew that is going beyond what the primary yeast can handle (such as a big barley wine)...

Personally, I wouldn't try to monkey around with cheap quick oats for a brew... IMO, better to get the actual item designed/produced for use in a brew.

If you look at enough recipes, you'll see the commonalities between them... Most common is chocolate malt, flaked barley (and/or oats) a darker caramel malt (at least 80L) and roasted barley...

You could see what the oatmeal stout recipe, from where you got the current kit from, lists for specialty grains and try to alter what you have to at least get closer to that... Or, you could just get another kit and shelf this one for later.

Thanks for all the tips. The problem I'm facing is the kit has DLME in a plastic container and I've read the storage time in a refrigerator for that is only about 3 months so I need to make this batch as quick as possible. I still have a ton of Dry Irish Stout in bottles so I thought I would try to convert this one into an oatmeal-cream-irish-stout.

So I'm thinking just add some Lactose & Oatmeal how hard can it be? lol

The closest LHBS is 70 miles away, so I'm not sure if its worth trying to do it right vs just making it per kit instructions.

I guess the question is does anyone think adding some Lactose & Oatmeal(steeped with other grains from kit) has a chance of coming out drinkable or should I just stick with Dry Irish Stout for this batch?

**Golddiggie** · 04-04-2011, 09:02 PM

DLME? Dried Liquid Malt Extract??

Did you get any steeping grains with the extract? Is it already hopped or unhopped? If unhopped, and/or you have a grain bag already, I would just look to see what's listed in the grain bag and augment that... Roasted barley and flaked barley will give you more mouthfeel (to get you closer to what oatmeal stouts have) and the roasted barley will give you the nutty flavor.

I'm avoiding using lactose in any of my brews since my system can't handle it... Given enough flaked oats, or barley, you should get about the same result. If you're going for a 5 gallon batch, then a pound of either should be plenty. I wouldn't use both. About 4-8oz of roasted barley could give you the nutty flavor you're looking for too.

Can you post up what's in the kit? That will really help out a lot...

junkmaster · 04-04-2011, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golddiggie

DLME? Dried Liquid Malt Extract??

Did you get any steeping grains with the extract? Is it already hopped or unhopped? If unhopped, and/or you have a grain bag already, I would just look to see what's listed in the grain bag and augment that... Roasted barley and flaked barley will give you more mouthfeel (to get you closer to what oatmeal stouts have) and the roasted barley will give you the nutty flavor.

I'm avoiding using lactose in any of my brews since my system can't handle it... Given enough flaked oats, or barley, you should get about the same result. If you're going for a 5 gallon batch, then a pound of either should be plenty. I wouldn't use both. About 4-8oz of roasted barley could give you the nutty flavor you're looking for too.

Can you post up what's in the kit? That will really help out a lot...

Oops

Dark Liquid Malt Extract lol It is unhopped.

Yes its a 5 gallon batch.

It has a grain bag, specialty grains well here we go

6 lb. Dark liquid malt extract, 4 oz. Chocolate Malt, 4 oz. Caramel 10L, 4 oz. Roasted Barley, 4 oz. Flaked Barley specialty grain, 1 tsp. Gypsum, 1/2 oz. Nugget, 1 oz. Willamette pellet hops, yeast, priming sugar and a grain bag.