Is this a solid stout recipe?

Guys,
I was just wondering if I could get some input on this recipe. I love stouts and would like this one to have a little coffee and chocolate taste to it.

Do I need to add/subtract anything here, other requirements needed that I'm not aware of?


(Chocolate Oatmeal Stout)
1 pound Crystal-120 malted barley
12 ounces roasted malted barley
8 ounces chocolate malted barley
4 ounces black patent barley
1/4 pound flaked oats
3 pounds powdered malt extract (dark)
2 pounds powdered malt extract (extra dark)
1 1/2 ounces Kent Goldings (bittering hops)
1/2 ounces Kent Goldings (finishing hops)
1/4 pound lactose
1 ounce of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Irish Moss (a clarifying agent)
London Ale yeast or British Ale yeast

Thanks in advanced,

Steve

There is no need for the dark extracts. I'm not sure what they impart to the beer. I'v just always used extra light extracts. You will get plenty of color from the roasted malts.

i would use only grains for your color and not bother with the dark malt extracts. the east kent goldings is good...that will compliment the chocolate notes nicely. not sure on the quantities without AA%

that is a LOT of roasted malts/barley. i'd cut back on the crystal and the roasted barley by 1/2 or the beer will taste very unpleasantly roasty and bitter.

You can brew it as-is or use light extracts. It will work either way.

Doing research for my own stout, and listening to Jamil Z's podcasts, I will say that you probably do not want the black patent in there. Black Patent is in a porter, Chocolate Malt is in a stout, Roasted Barley is in both.

Also, you might reconsider the Crystal 120. You dont need it that dark for the color, you already have the color with the RB and the chocolate malt. The higher lovibond crystals impart more of a raisin, fig, dark fruit type of flavor. Crystal 40 - 60 will produce a more caramel flavor that will most likely compliment what you have got going on a little better. (I am lamenting now that I removed all the crystal from my batch. But it is still fermenting, and I am confident it will be delicious anyway.)

As for quantities, well, I made an attempted Imperial Stout, and like I said it isnt done yet, so I dont have too much personal experience... the stouts I have brewed in the past have both only been mediocre, with somewhat muddy flavors due to me trying to do too much (though I drank all five gallons anyway!). I do know that the BJCP style guidelines say that oatmeal stouts should be "5-10%+" Oats. what you have now is a good deal less than that...

And +1 using pale DME. I brewed this with Dark DME. Because I am a n00b and should have done a little more reading first, and because no one posted taht advice in my thread. But from now on, with all of my partial mash batches I will only be using Pale or extra pale DME. All of the other color (and potential flavor) I will add on my own with steeping grains or a partial mash.

Flaked oats need to be mashed - they don't have their own enzymes, they rely on the excess enzymes from your base malt. In other words, they're not possible in an extract-and-steeping-grain-only beer. You'd have to go partial mash at least for the oatmeal.

Kai said:

Flaked oats need to be mashed - they don't have their own enzymes, they rely on the excess enzymes from your base malt. In other words, they're not possible in an extract-and-steeping-grain-only beer. You'd have to go partial mash at least for the oatmeal.

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+1 to this. It is, essentially, one step more than steeping. Go for it! If you dont want to go crazy with your PM, steep your specialty grains separately, and only mash the oats with some 2-row.

Kai said:

Flaked oats need to be mashed - they don't have their own enzymes, they rely on the excess enzymes from your base malt. In other words, they're not possible in an extract-and-steeping-grain-only beer. You'd have to go partial mash at least for the oatmeal.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's true that you're not going to get conversion, however...lots of extract brewers steep flaked/quick oats just to get the beta glucans/starches for mouthfeel/body. Just sayin they will still add something to a steeping based recipe.

Thanks for the replys, you guys are a great help.

The question I have, and I have not researched it or try to find it here yet, so I may be repeating the question.

What is the differnence between light and dark DME? Does it really make that big of a difference in taste? I guess I thought that the dark DME was made up of grains that were roasted longer, am I wrong?

As you can see, I am clueless.

stagstout said:

Thanks for the replys, you guys are a great help.

The question I have, and I have not researched it or try to find it here yet, so I may be repeating the question.

What is the differnence between light and dark DME? Does it really make that big of a difference in taste? I guess I thought that the dark DME was made up of grains that were roasted longer, am I wrong?

As you can see, I am clueless.

Click to expand...

Extracts are nothing more than the result of a mash, just like all-grain brewers execute in their home breweries. The resulting sweet wort is carefully dried to a certain percentage of moisture, depending on whether the desired result is a syrup or powder.

In the case of dark extracts, the extract manufacturer has already mixed in roasted grains of various types to make the extract dark. That removes a layer of control you have over the finished beer; you have no control over the extract composition, and you have no real idea what specialty grains and how much the extract manufacturer has added to his mash. That's why the others have recommended you start with the lightest extract you can find and add dark-roasted malts as specialty grains to impact flavor and color.

I'm going to add my support for cutting back on the 120L crystal. That stuff's potent. I'd either maintain the amount and go with a lighter crystal - say, 40 or 55L - or cut the 120L at least in half.

Cheers,

Bob

I am under the impression that Dark DME is just pale DME mixed with other roasted grains. The problem wiht this is that you do not get any control of the ratios of roasted grains, etc. if you use Pale DME, you get full control by adding all of the extras yourself. If you use Dark, you still have the majority of control, but there will be some flavors you cannot account for, because they were inherent in the DME. And all different manufacturers use different grains and ratios, so no two are the same.

If you use a Dark DME from a specific company and love the way it tastes, then keep using it, obviously their recipe works with your palate and brew style. But if you want more control over all of the flavor sin your beer, use DME that is as Pale as possible, just 2-row.

EDIT" D'oh! Too slow!

Thanks Bob,

That explanation helps a lot and I see the concept of using light DME. From what I am hearing, I will revise the 120 to 60 and go with light DME for the extract. Thanks again guys.

Steve