Yet Another Recipe Critique (Oatmeal Stout Partial Mash)

Okay. Have a few extract brews under my belt, and one previous partial mash. Upgraded a few things ( got a bigger BK and wort chiller ), so I can now do a full boil.

Working on building a cooler MLT, so moving to all grain soon, but for now, still wanting to change only a few things each time, so this is still a partial mash. ( I also want to actually calculate my brewhouse efficiency, which I haven't done yet ).

It's based on an Oatmeal Stout PM recipe here, but modified a bit to fit ingredients that I have, plus some I know that my LHBS carries.

Looking for feedback on whether I'm setting up any bad grain combos, with too much of the darker grain, not enough base malt, etc. BeerTools shows it to be inside the BJCP guidelines, but there's obviously lots of other X factors that a program can't tell me and I don't have enough experience on my own yet.

Here's the recipe:

2 lb Two Row Pale
1 lb Oat Flakes
1 lb Crystal 60
1 lb Dark Chocolate Malt
0.6 lb Roasted Barley

30 min @ 154, then dunk sparged
Mixed with 3.0 lb of Muntons Light DME

Add water to make 6.25 gallons to start the boil

1.5 oz East Kent Goldings 60 min
0.5 oz East Kent Goldings 15 min

Wyeast Irish Ale XL (1084)

Primary @ 63F for 2-3 weeks, the bottle condition for as long as I can hold off. :cross:

BeerTools comes up with:

OG - 1.054
FG - 1.013
Color - 31.5 SRM
ABV - 5.3%
IBU - 32.5

Realize it's nothing terribly outrageous, just looking for any insight like "way too much roasted barley" or suggestions on other grain to add/replace in the recipe.

Cheers!

-Chris

I think you've got too much crystal and dark chocolate malt personally, I'd go for around half a pound instead of a full pound. I've never used -dark- chocolate malt before, but the grain bill for my oatmeal stout is similar with the changes I've mentioned. I also enjoy a touch of black patent, in my case 2 oz., but some would disagree with me on that.

East Kent Goldings is good, but so is Williamette in my opinion. Just something to consider and raise more questions Good luck, whatever you end up doing!

I don't mind the amount of crystal so much as I mind the amount of chocolate malt. I think 1/2 pound (8oz) would be enough to get the flavor and color. I also would agree with the black patent - or black barley (same thing pretty much I think).

I'd also agree with the Williamette. I've only tried a couple different types of hops, but Willy has been my favorite with the stouts and porters.

Okay, some good insight and suggestions.

Going to change the hops to Wilamette, and reducing the Dark Chocolate Malt, and increased the mash duration ( and temp slightly ).

Here's the current iteration:

2 lb Two Row Pale
1 lb Oat Flakes
0.5 lb Barley Flakes
1 lb Crystal 60
0.5 lb Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb Roasted Barley

Mash: 60 min @ 156F

Add to BK and mixed with 3.0 lb of Muntons Light DME

Add water to make 6.25 gallons to start the boil ( boil off ~1 gallon )

2.0 oz Willamette 60 min

Wyeast Irish Ale XL (1084)

Primary @ 63F for 3 weeks, then bottle.

BeerTools comes up with:

OG - 1.052-1.055 (depending on efficiency of mash)
FG - 1.013
Color - 25 SRM
ABV - 5.1-5.3%
IBU - 37

Color is on the low end, but still in BJCP range.

Any suggestions on how to get the color a little darker? Trying to avoid too much leftover grain. I don't have a mill at home, so I have to mill at the LHBS, and buy in 1 lb quantities.

-C

personally, I liked the original recipe better, and it was easier for you.

who makes the dark chocolate, ive yet to see it?

Dark Chocolate was a typo in the original, sorry.

They're both about the same difficulty, I'm more concerned with not ending up with an overly astringent brew due to using too much of the dark malts.

My LHBS has Belgian Chocolate, UK Chocolate(Pauls), American Chocolate(Briess), Pale Chocolate(TF&S). Hmm, the UK Chocolate is 450L, while the American Chocolate is 350L.

I could also sub Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter for the 2 Row Pale.

Ack! Should stop second guessing myself, and just brew it and see.

i meant easier in the sense you wouldnt have as much excess grain. the astringency aspect depends on your water chemistry.