Jamil's Oatmeal Stout

After listening to Jamil's podcast on oatmeal stout, I decided I needed to make one.

I have a question, though- Jamil's recipe calls for black roasted barley, a darker SRM roasted barley. I also needed to adjust the amounts because I'm making 5 gallons and my efficiency is a bit different.

I'm not a huge roasted barley fan, but I know you need some in an oatmeal stout. I thought I'd drop the roasted barley "down" to the 300 SRM and see how roasty it is.

I want a creamy, slightly roasty, full flavored but not terribly coffee-ish stout. Will this recipe get me there?

7 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 66.67 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 9.52 %
12.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 7.14 %
12.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 7.14 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 4.76 %
8.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 4.76 %
1.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [6.20 %] (60 min) Hops 32.4 IBU
1 Pkgs London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) Yeast-Ale

I think I'll be using Safale S-04 instead of the ESB yeast.

I think that will work just fine. Where did you get the 300L roasted barley?

PseudoChef said:

I think that will work just fine. Where did you get the 300L roasted barley?

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I don't remember (it's from Briess, though, so maybe Northern Brewer?)- but I just looked and I only have about 4 ounces! Argggghhh! So, now I'll be shopping today in Green Bay and just buying whatever they have. Hopefully, they have roasted (in whatever version) or else I'll have to order. Darn!

I did Jamil's recipe, and from what I remember it is not overly roasty. The crystal in combination with a higher mash temp (can't remember what the recipe calls for) left a fair amount of residual sweetness. I would have preferred more roast and bit drier, but that's me. Good beer none the less!

Edit: I used 500L roasted barley.

It seems Oatmeal Stouts can vary a bit on the sweetness/dryness scale (even per BJCP) so recipes will vary just based on that. I would likely use a full pound of Crystal (and lighter than 80L) but maybe I like a little more sweetness in an Oatmeal Stout.

I use Simpsons Roasted Barley @ ~550L but it doesn't come across as too roasty imo...maybe because I can use less of it?

EDIT: If you want to de-roastify it a bit perhaps you could sub a little dehusked Carafa Special (Weyermann) or debittered Black (Dingemans) for the RB or Chocolate malt to get some of your color with less roasty bitterness?

SpanishCastleAle said:

It seems Oatmeal Stouts can vary a bit on the sweetness/dryness scale (even per BJCP) so recipes will vary just based on that. I would likely use a full pound of Crystal (and lighter than 80L) but maybe I like a little more sweetness in an Oatmeal Stout.

I use Simpsons Roasted Barley @ ~550L but it doesn't come across as too roasty imo...maybe because I can use less of it?

EDIT: If you want to de-roastify it a bit perhaps you could sub a little dehusked Carafa Special (Weyermann) or debittered Black (Dingemans) for the RB or Chocolate malt to get some of your color with less roasty bitterness?

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Great points, everybody! I have a feeling that if that little LHBS doens't have much in roasted barley, I'd doubt they'd have much debittered or carafa special, but I'll check and see.

Maybe to counteract what I think may be too "roasty", I could use a lighter L crystal and a bit more, that's a great idea. I don't think I have any 60L, but I have tons of 40L. Hmmm. You've given me lots to think about.

Yooper, I'm a bit confused . . . It sounds to me like what you want to make is an Oatmeal Porter instead of an Oatmeal Stout. I think that's a perfectly respectable thing to do. It just sounds like what you are aiming for isn't really a stout. Why not go for a porter with some oatmeal?

I played this game with Jamil's Dry Stout recipe because I'm not crazy about the roastiness either. So I subbed some Chocolate 350 for some of his roast barley.

Guess what - it wasn't roasty enough.

I think Jamil's recipes are pretty damn tough to beat. I would make it to recipe and then adjust if necessary.

What you're making is a ton sweeter than my dry stout and you're using less than half the dark grains I used. I don't think it's going to have any roast at all, putting you more in the oatmeal porter area, as suggested above.

My RB is Fawcett and is nice and dark. Carafa II would be the best sub, but if you can't get that... chocolate isn't gonna do it, it'll end up a porter rather than a stout. Good, but not roasty enough.

With S-04 I would mash at 156*F. That yeast is a beast. The Fullers ESB yeast is gonna be hard to beat, Thames Valley (Wyeast 1275) would be another good choice if you don't mind going liquid. To me S-04 leaves too thin of a beer for this style unless you add some malto-dextrin powder.

mkling said:

Yooper, I'm a bit confused . . . It sounds to me like what you want to make is an Oatmeal Porter instead of an Oatmeal Stout. I think that's a perfectly respectable thing to do. It just sounds like what you are aiming for isn't really a stout. Why not go for a porter with some oatmeal?

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No, I want a stout! I just don't like the "coffee"ness bitterness in some of the roasty ones. I like the roast, in small amounts, but I'm not a fan of the bitter "bite" that a coffee like finish can give. I don't like the black coffee finish, I guess, to be more precise.

I went to the LHBS in Green Bay, and they only had the darkest black roasted barley. Well, I have to assume that's what it was. It said "Briess" on it, and when I asked, he didn't know. I looked at it, and it's a bit lighter in color than black patent, but not much.

So, I'm doing to do his recipe as written, with the black roasted barley. I will make it next week, since I'm on the road for work this week.

I have made this stout before and have won competitions with it. I am brewing it again on Friday and to me it is not to roasty at all. I think you need to have the roast in it to be to style but if you plan on not entering into a comp, well than anything goes. Let us know how it turns out for you.

Yooper, I've made JZ's oatmeal stout recipe 3 times, and the I don't think the roastiness is that prevalent. I would make it as is the first time, you'll probably be surprised. Next time you brew it, toast the oats for an extra special treat!

*edit: I used 550L RB. If you're too concerned about it, maybe drop it 6 ounces.

enderwig said:

Yooper, I've made JZ's oatmeal stout recipe 3 times, and the I don't think the roastiness is that prevalent. I would make it as is the first time, you'll probably be surprised. Next time you brew it, toast the oats for an extra special treat!

*edit: I used 550L RB. If you're too concerned about it, maybe drop it 6 ounces.

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Thanks everybody! I'll make it as written, since everybody has assured me it won't be too roasty for me.

I think I'll do a double batch day- do an IPA and the stout, just so I have something on tap that couldn't be more different!

I made this one too, but mine was more of a disaster...

I was still trying to dial in my AG efficiency. I made a few process changes and overshot my efficiency by over 15%. As a result, I accidentally made an imperial oatmeal stout. My OG was 1.071.

I didn't adjust my pitching rate for the OG (pitched one package of US-04) and had a final gravity of 1.028. Oh, well...I'll have a sweet oatmeal stout now.

My experience, though, is that Jamil's recipes are spot on. I've liked everything I've made from Brewing Classic Styles.

Im gonna make this recipe sometime this fall w/ roasting the oats