Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

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BigB

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2009
Messages
1,750
Reaction score
51
Location
Shelby Twp, MI
Recipe Type
Extract
Yeast
WLP037 Yorkshire Square
Yeast Starter
1L
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
No
Batch Size (Gallons)
5
Original Gravity
1.056
Final Gravity
1.015
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
20
Color
29
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
28 Days @ 68F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
N/A
Additional Fermentation
N/A
Tasting Notes
Fantastic Oatmeal Stout, Full of Body and Flavor.
I understand that this recipe is nearly identical to what is in Clone Brews, but I cannot say for sure because I have never read it! At any rate, the original recipe used Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale, but I find that completely inappropriate for Samuel Smiths. I used WLP037 Yorkshire Square which IMHO was perfect. The tough part about WLP037 is that it is a seasonal/platinum strain, so it may be hard to find. As a substitute, I would recommend WLP005 British Ale.

5 lbs 12.0 oz Light Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 71.88 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 12.50 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 6.25 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 6.25 %
4.0 oz Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM) Grain 3.13 %
2.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 20.4 IBU
1 Pkgs Yorkshire Square Ale (White Labs #WLP037) [Starter 1000 ml] Yeast-Ale

Toast the oats at 325F for 75 minutes... And No, that is not too much time! My process was to steep in 2 gallons of water and sparge in 1. Combine initial steep wort and sparge wort, bring to boil, and add DME. Return to boil and add hops, boil 60 min.

I bottled with 3/4 cup dextrose (corn sugar) for 2.4 volumes CO2. Aged for 4 weeks before drinking.
 
I'm hoping to try this recipe tomorrow. It will be my third beer and my first partial mash. I'm wondering if you can provide some more detailed instructions for the mashing process. Specifically, I'd like to know if this calls for a true step mash where I'll be extracting fermentables, or if I'm just supposed to steep at 150 degrees to draw out the caramelized sugars in the dark roasted malts and oats. What I've read elsewhere suggests it will be the latter. If that's the case, how long should I plan to steep? Any additional information on this would be very helpful! Thanks!
 
Well, it wouldn't be a mash, as it is not a PM recipe. But you could easily convert this to PM by reducing the DME to 3 lbs and adding in 3 lbs of Marris Otter. Then you would do a mash of the Marris Otter and the specialty grains at 154 for 60 minutes. I generally will figure a strike temp of approximately 10 degrees higher than the mash temp... so heat your 2 gallons of water to 164 and turn off heat, add the Marris Otter and specialty grains, then wrap in a towel or blanket and let sit for 60 minutes, maybe stirring a couple times. If you are doing this in a muslin bag, then remove the bag from the wort and allow to drain. Move the bag to another pot that has about 1 gallon of 168 water and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove bag and transfer that wort to the originla 2 gallons. Then continue as you would an extract batch.

Otherwise, if you kept the recipe as listed, you would just steep the specialty grains for 30 minutes... no mash necessary as all of the fermentables come from the extract.
 
Thanks, BigB, that was very helpful. Brew day went off without a hitch, apart from dropping my hydrometer and having to run out to buy another. The "sound of victory" this morning was a bit louder than expected, however: krausen forced its way into my airlock, clogged it, and eventually blew the lid clear off my primary bucket. I was able to rig a blow off tube using part of the airlock and the siphon tubing. Crisis averted for now. Fermentation was active enough that I hopefully won't suffer any serious contamination, but final word on that will have to wait until I bottle in four weeks. Thanks again!
 
Glad to hear everything went well. I wouldn't worry about any contamination. With CO2 coming out that fast and the yeast being that active, it would be really difficult for any stray microbe to get a foot hold. Besides, one way to think about it, is that many breweries in England still use open top fermenters -and they don't have any issues!
 
Just bottled the batch I brewed 29 days ago. Gravity came out at 1.013 or 1.014, so everything looks good there. I'm happy to say that no crickets made their way into the liquid when my lid blew off in the first stages of fermentation. Sadly, however, this means I can't call it my "Jiminy Stout."

I stole a taste as I was transferring to my bottling bucket and it seemed a bit fruitier than I might have expected. I'm guessing this was the result of having to settle for the 1084 Irish Ale yeast and (perhaps because of?) having a lower than expected ambient temperature for fermentation--I'd say about 62 degrees. I'm hoping that those flavors settle out and I get more chocolate and oatmeal as this bottle ages. My robust porter got a *lot* better with just two weeks of rest, but I still don't have enough experience to judge how these things are going to change in the bottle. I'll let you know in another month when this is drinkable!
 
I am going to be trying this one very soon. Thanks for the recipe. Will let you know how it turns out. 2BeerSpeer I use Beer Smith and it converts great.
 
How do o convert this to AG? I'm not familiar with using dme..

I did convert it to AG at one point. I'm at work right now, but I'll check it tonight when I get home. But yes, like the other poster said, I used Beersmith as well.
 
BigB, my only other question... What was the benefit of roasting the flaked oats? I only ask because ive never used them before. Is this common to do when using this for any recipe or is it just your personal preference?
 
Here'e the AG version. Mash at 152-154

8 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM)
1 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
1.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min
1.0 pkg Yorkshire Square Ale (White Labs #WLP037)

Toasting the oats imparts a bit of a nutty flavor and a cookie type aroma in the finished beer.
 
I can confirm that you want to toast those oats. I wasn't able to do it--my homebrew store crushed the oats along with the other specialty grains--and it tasted like something was missing when I put it into the bottle a week and a half ago.
 
I can confirm that you want to toast those oats. I wasn't able to do it--my homebrew store crushed the oats along with the other specialty grains--and it tasted like something was missing when I put it into the bottle a week and a half ago.

Yes, I would agree with that statement. I made that mistake as well the first time I made it AG... and it tasted, well kind of one-dimensional.
 
The recipe calls for a 28 day fermentation in the primary. Is that correct? Should I leave it for 28 days before bottling and then give it 2-4 weeks in the bottle before enjoying?
I hit the OG target dead on, should I just base the time in the primary on hitting the FG target, wait until the gravity reading stays constant for a couple days or wait out the 28 days?

I'm glad BigB added the "And No, that is not too much time!" comment about roasting the oats for 75 mins because my wife was like "75 mins?!?". I was nervous the whole time because it started to smell like the burn was coming, but every time I looked, it was just a nice toasty color.

Thanks for any comments regarding the fermentation time.
 
The recipe calls for a 28 day fermentation in the primary. Is that correct? Should I leave it for 28 days before bottling and then give it 2-4 weeks in the bottle before enjoying?
I hit the OG target dead on, should I just base the time in the primary on hitting the FG target, wait until the gravity reading stays constant for a couple days or wait out the 28 days?

I'm glad BigB added the "And No, that is not too much time!" comment about roasting the oats for 75 mins because my wife was like "75 mins?!?". I was nervous the whole time because it started to smell like the burn was coming, but every time I looked, it was just a nice toasty color.

Thanks for any comments regarding the fermentation time.

I state 28 days because the yeast still continue to do some clean up after FG. But in general, you could get away with 3 weeks. For bottle conditioning, I would wait at least 3 weeks as well... even if they are carbed up, the flavor just doesn't seem to hit its stride until then.
 
What would an LME substitution do to the original recipe? What is the difference from a brew stand point? Great recipe! Looks like a real winner. I'm thinking doing this one this weekend.
 
What would an LME substitution do to the original recipe? What is the difference from a brew stand point? Great recipe! Looks like a real winner. I'm thinking doing this one this weekend.

I doubt it would make any perceptible difference as long as you scale the amount appropriately to account for the difference between LME and DME.
 
UPDATE:

My batch of this has been in the bottle for a month, and I've been pulling a few bottles to test the results. Over the course of the last week it's gotten a lot better, but it still tastes a bit one-dimensional. I'm thinking it could use at least another few weeks.

One strange feature: the finished product has a large quantity of residual yeast floating around it. I know this can be normal with an unfiltered beer, especially since I didn't bother racking this to secondary, but I'm still surprised at how much I'm getting. Any ideas why this might have happened?
 
BigB, In looking for an oatmeal stout recipe, I've found numerous postings that say you can't do an extract stout and expect it to come out well. The overall view is that you can't extract the right properties from the oats without a full mash. But, seems like you've had great success with yours. Does the toasting of the oats help convert some of starches? I'd be interested in hearing your take on it.
 
One strange feature: the finished product has a large quantity of residual yeast floating around it. I know this can be normal with an unfiltered beer, especially since I didn't bother racking this to secondary, but I'm still surprised at how much I'm getting. Any ideas why this might have happened?

Never had that problem with this beer. Sometimes the floaties are just simply because for some reason the yeast stuck together in small clumps rather than packing at the bottom, or the yeast cake was disturbed prior to/at racking.
 
BigB, In looking for an oatmeal stout recipe, I've found numerous postings that say you can't do an extract stout and expect it to come out well. The overall view is that you can't extract the right properties from the oats without a full mash. But, seems like you've had great success with yours. Does the toasting of the oats help convert some of starches? I'd be interested in hearing your take on it.

Thats a new one on me. Unless people are trying to say you can't get any fermentables out of the oats without a mash...then that would be true. Otherwise, the only thing you get out of the specialty grains (including oats) in ANY extract batch is either flavor, or body, or head retention, or sometimes just color. You will still get body characteristics out of the oats and a hint of oaty flavor by steeping the oats. Plus, the toasting will lend a nutty edge to the beer. But no, you won't get fermentables...but in an extract recipe, you aren't looking for those anyways.
 
BigB said:
You will still get body characteristics out of the oats and a hint of oaty flavor by steeping the oats. Plus, the toasting will lend a nutty edge to the beer. But no, you won't get fermentables...but in an extract recipe, you aren't looking for those anyways.

Well said! Thanks. This one is definetly on deck for Saturday.
 
XID_AZ said:
I'm glad BigB added the "And No, that is not too much time!" comment about roasting the oats for 75 mins because my wife was like "75 min?"

Mine said the same thing. :)
 
Update: I brewed this tonight. Overall it was modestly successful. since this is only my third brew, I'm still working to refine my process.

I toasted the oats per your recipe, then started the steep with just the oats in 1.5 gallons at 115*F for 15 mins then added the rest of the grains and raised the temp to 155 for an additional 20 mins. I learned the hard way exactly how much volume the grains will increase since my strainer wasn't large enough to hold them while I rinsed them with another 1.5 gallons. Eventually I just rinsed it in stages. Oh well! Next time I'll use a muslin bag.

Once I got the boil going I added half of the extract, about 3#, and 2 oz goldings. @ 15 mins I added the remaining extract and 2 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate.

At flame out I started chilling, and here's where it got interesting. I froze a gallon of sterile water to aid in cooling and also for top off. I didn't calculate the liquid displacement very well so it spilled over into my sink. I then thought I could cool it better after transfering to the fermenter because I'd have more room for additional ice. In the process of cooling I dropped my thermometer into the bucket. Doh! So I dumped half of it back to my boil kettle so I could fish it out.

After all that, turned out I'd aerated enough that my temp was about 66*F so I pitched wyeast 1469 (yorkshire). Hopefully fermentation will take off quickly even without a starter. I'd wanted to make one but just didn't get to it.

And in all the excitement I forgot my OG sample so I took it after pitching the yeast. Came out at 1.044. Hopefully taking the sample with yeast in it won't throw it off.

Anyways, thanks for a great recipe and I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cheers!
 
Yeah, it's a fault....sometimes I can't leave well enough alone. I'm hoping the late addition cocoa will leave some flavor behind. It's chugging away quite happily as we speak.
 
Yeah, it's a fault....sometimes I can't leave well enough alone.

It's your beer. I always encourage experimentation. That is the best way to learn.
EDIT: Besides, I think the chocolate might add a bit of rich complexity. It should work well with this recipe.
 
One week into fermentation and it still has a high krausen and is off gassing about 4 times a minute. My previous brews, an Amber and a Belgian Dubbel were at terminal gravity by this point. Granted, I haven't sampled it yet, but don't see a reason to as long as it's still got krausen. Must be a top cropping yeast? It was Wyeast 1469 (Yorkshire).
 
Seriously considering making this recipe as my second brew.
The White Labs yeast you are suggesting is unfortunatly not available around here (Netherlands), but I do have access to most dry yeasts, and a collection of Wyeast.

What would be a good alternative to use? From a costs perspective, and being new to the game, I would prefer a dried yeast, so was thinking Nottingham or S-04. Any feedback on those, or should I skip them and go into the direction of Wyeast #1028 (London Ale) / #1084 (Irish Ale) / #1318 (London Ale III) ?
 
Both Nottingham and S-04 are great yeasts, but IMHO they are a bit too neutral for the Samuel Smith. I would definitely not use 1028, too dry. I've never used 1318, so I'm not sure there. I guess I'd lean towards the 1084 or if you really wanted dry, I'd go with Nottingham, or even Windsor Ale if you have access to it (manufactured by Danstar).
 
Thanks,

Yeah all Danstar are available widely here, as are Fermentis yeasts.
Will keep your suggestions in mind. A Wyeast might be a nice step forward quality wise.
 
I did a 2.5 gallon scaled down version of this. Fermenting away in my LBK...or should I say NOT fermenting any longer. Been in the fermenter now for almost 3 weeks and will bottle it just after new years day. I cant wait to try this!
 
I'd recommend racking this to secondary for a little while to make sure the oatmeal proteins and yeast can settle out. I had a lot of that stuff coagulate in the bottle, and it was a pain to explain it to people who hadn't had home-made beer before.
 
Perhaps a silly question that is still bothering me. But wouldn't steeping oatmeal result in little effect and a lot of unconverted proteins in the wort?
 
Perhaps a silly question that is still bothering me. But wouldn't steeping oatmeal result in little effect and a lot of unconverted proteins in the wort?

Valid question. But see post #26 for my thoughts on it.
 
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