Im brewing an Irish stout and i'd like to add oatmeal....where do i start
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lowtones84
Well-Known Member
Well, first of all are you brewing extract with steeping grains, partial mash, or all grain? If you're doing extract and steeping grains, I don't think oats will do much for you. But either flaked oats from a home brew supply store or regular rolled oats from the store can work. Just make sure it's organic rolled oats or "old fashioned" oats, not something like quick/instant oatmeal.
You cannot get all the goodness from oats without mashing but you can still get some of it by steeping. You can either use quick oats where the manufacturer has processed them using rollers and heat to gelatainize them or old fashioned oats can be cooked first and then steeped. Oats should give you a smoother mouthfeel and better head retention.
I haven't done an oatmeal stout yet but if I was doing it I'd be inclined to do a partial mash since (as RM-MN states above) the oatmeal is best mashed with some base malt.
Some Oatmeal Stout recipes here, will give you an idea of quantity to use:
http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2011/09/23/oatmeal-stout-recipes-great-beer-styles/
Some Oatmeal Stout recipes here, will give you an idea of quantity to use:
http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2011/09/23/oatmeal-stout-recipes-great-beer-styles/
wailingguitar
Well-Known Member
You can steep the oats or flaked barley along with other specialty grains in an extract+steep brew. You will get a little flavor, but the real goal is the creamy mouthfeel that you get from the flaked grain... and that will be there. I tend to go with one pound of wither flaked barley or oatmeal whether I am steeping or doing an AG
As a warning, I did my first Oatmeal Stout about a month ago and it was the most active fermentation I've experienced by a mile. I put about 5 1/4 gallons of wort in a 6.5 gallon carboy, no starter and within 12 hours it was spewing from my airlock. A blowoff fixed the problem, but be prepared. Oddly, the kit from my LBHS is called Up and Over Oatmeal Stout..I see where the name came from!
I should be a nice breakfast since it has oatmeal in it.
LTownLiquorPig
Well-Known Member
Would steeping oats add mouthfeel to any beer?
LTownLiquorPig
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking something along the lines of a Boddington's. Most of my experience drinking it is from the widgeted cans, so I'm thinking a smoother mouthfeel might get that feeling a little? I'm a straight kit and kilo extract brewer at this point, I don't want to get too far away from that, at this point anyway.
