Please help make a great brew better Oatmeal Stout

I made the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout clone from "Clone Brews" recipe.

Definitely my best brew ever. Nice session beer. Great taste. Great Head and Lace. I can see why many say this is the only beer they brew.

Not the perfect clone, but I think I find the orginal a touch harsh.

I 'd like to make some improvements: Creamier Head and more body. Maybe a touch more of the harsh or dark flavor.

Can you offer suggestions?

OG & FG spot on at 1.05 and 1.012.

8 oz toasted flaked oats.
8 oz 55degL British Crystal Malt
8 oz British Chocolate Malt
4 oz Rice Shells
3 oz. Roasted Barley

5.75 lb Light DME

2 oz East Kent Goldings at Boil

1 tsp Irish Moss

Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale yeast

1 1/4 cup Weat DME to prime.

Bought everything at LHBS. He ground grain.

I stored in zip lock bag in fridge. Waited 2 or 3 weeks to brew.

Put in 5 gallon carboy about .5 to 1 gallon blew off during primary.

If you want more of that harsh (I call it ashy) flavor I would up the roasted barley by a few more ounces. To make it a touch creamier and add body you could add some lactose to it but the other side to that is that it will leave some sweetness. Then there's always maltodextrin which adds body without much in the way of sweetness.

Thanks for the reply.

Do you have a suggestion for how much lactose or maltodextrin?

Thanks

I agree with Homebrewtastic, up the roasted barley, use black roasted barley if it's available. You can drop the rice hulls, they don't contribute anything. For dextrin rich malt you can try carapils or caravienna or some wheat extract....I use a little wheat in a lot of my beers just for the body it contributes.

Carapils will give you better head retention with no effect on flavor.

I'd add 1/2 pound of black barley, or black patent if you can't find briess black barley. Increase the crystal malt, adding 8 ounces of 80L. For a sweeter finish and more body, consider using Windsor yeast instead of the Irish ale yeast as it will finish at a higher FG and leave more residual sweetness.

I`ve been looking for a GOOD Oatmeal Stout recipe for
quite some time -subscribed

I finished and bottled the same recipe except I used all grain. I did a 4 gallon batch with 12oz of oats vs 8oz for 5 gallons. Its by far the best oatmeal stout I have brewed. Very smooth and creamy. Maybe go with a ESB yeast?? I would agree with the previous comments about different specialty grains. I'm not changing a thing though!