Okay, now a week and a half. Still at 1.032. Going to brew a red ale in an extra primary better bottle I bought and then rack this over onto that yeast cake. I will let you know how that works.
has anyone tried the brewers best oatmeal stout kit
- Thread starter slicksmix
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I'm brewing this recipe from Brewer's Best. It's been in the primary for four weeks now. There is still activity in the airlock about once every minute or two after shaking it once every few days, there was a period it stopped before I shook it around about two weeks in the primary. My current gravity is at 1.022, though I just took the first reading today (I didn't want to introduce bacteria). Unfortunately I do not have an OG reference but everything was done exactly to specs in the instructions.
The local homebrew shop gave me Irish Ale yeast in the vial (white labs I think?).
slicksmix
Well-Known Member
well, yesterday i did attempt number three of this recipe. Everything went really well. Some things i did differently is i mashed in two gal of water for about 50 min at 150*. Then when i added my extract i added only half a pound of maltodextrin instead of the full pound. Before pitching i stirred very well, trying to introduce as much oxygen into the wort as possible. This morning its bubbling alot. I will keep yinz updated on the progress.
on a side note... congrats paradoxic, 1022 is a record for this recipe.
on a side note... congrats paradoxic, 1022 is a record for this recipe.
BigB
Well-Known Member
Good luck Slicksmix. Just don't do the shaking every couple days like paradoxic did.... After fermentation has started, shaking a beer is a great way to oxidize it. Do all your shaking prior to pitching. After pitching you would only gently stir to rouse the yeast.
slicksmix
Well-Known Member
Thanks. Will keep this in mind.
BigB
Well-Known Member
I did not mean to use the word "shake", more of a twist of the bucket to stir things around some. Hopefully this doesn't cause problems
As long as you didn't froth it up, you should be fine... but if it tastes like wet cardboard, you'll know why! But just twisting it around a bit should be ok.:cross:
Brewed the red ale on the 12th, hit OG on the money, and a week later had the FG according to specs for two days. Transferred it to a secondary, and put the oatmeal stout (3 weeks old now, and still at 1.032) on to the red ale trub. 24 hours and I am getting some airlock activity. Not a lot, but it is gurgling every so often. I only swirled the sediment a little while I autosyphoned on the stout on it, but enough to break it up off the bottom and get some chunks floating.
I don't know how this will turn out, but it looks promising so far. The red ale was still very cloudy but smelled great, and the hydrometer sample tasted like it was going to good.
I don't know how this will turn out, but it looks promising so far. The red ale was still very cloudy but smelled great, and the hydrometer sample tasted like it was going to good.
slicksmix
Well-Known Member
My latest attempt is a personal best but still bad. 1030. I plan on doing the same thing with my falconers flight ipa. Keep us updated. Cheers
Well, the transfer onto the red ale yeast only gained 0.02 to my final gravity. I am going to go ahead and bottle this up and see how it is. It tastes fine, albeit thin.
By the time I try another oatmeal stout, I will probably be experimenting with other peoples clone recipes so I won't revisit this unless the bottled flavor blows mine or the SWMBI's minds.
By the time I try another oatmeal stout, I will probably be experimenting with other peoples clone recipes so I won't revisit this unless the bottled flavor blows mine or the SWMBI's minds.
Did your instructions include the extra page from brewers best about the partial mash? I reached the proper final gravity though it took over a month in primary. Kegged it yesterday and will give it a week or two before first tastings.
Yes my instructions did. What yeast did you use? One other poster from Chicago got better results from their home brew shop giving them an alternative yeast.
I've been drinking on this for a couple weeks, and taste-wise, it is a success! A rich, milk chocolate head on a well carbed nice stout. It had some RIS characteristics to start that have faded down and mellowed (to my chagrin and my wife's pleasure). A very good beer I am happy with being one of my first brews.
millhouse46
Active Member
I started this beer 2 nights ago and started reading this today. It is in the fermentor and fermenting. My OG was 1056. I have an electric range and a small thermometer and had a hard time keeping the temp consistent. It did go to 170 on a few occasions and I didn't regulate the temp on final boil with the hops I just let it simmer for an hour, which is to say I didn't keep an eye on temp throughout boil.
I do have one question still after all the discussion though, if fermentation stalling is typical/likely with this recipe how will I know when to put it to secondary? Or maybe a different question is at what gravity should I put it in secondary? And for how long?
I do have one question still after all the discussion though, if fermentation stalling is typical/likely with this recipe how will I know when to put it to secondary? Or maybe a different question is at what gravity should I put it in secondary? And for how long?
First off, I never did a secondary. I left it in my primary for 3 to 4 weeks. Once you hold steady with the same gravity for a week or two, it isn't going any farther. Then you should be fine to secondary or bottle.
PHillBrewCo
Well-Known Member
I'm about to brew this one.. I've read through this entire thread and it was informative. I'm only going to change one thing: steep at 150. And I might try to steep in the oven if my smaller pot will fit and hanlde the volume...
slicksmix
Well-Known Member
Cool. Keep us updated. Just so u know every batch tasted great. Even if it didn't go as planned. Im sure it will be fine
After five batches, this is still everyone's favorite I have made.
PHillBrewCo
Well-Known Member
I brewed this on Wednesday. Everything went as smooth as could be..except...I forgot to take a gravity reading before I sealed the lid and put the air lock in. haha. No biggie. I steeped the grains between 150-160. This thing bubbled away within 24 hours but it also halted within 24 hours of starting. No sweat. I think I'll leave it in primary until 8/17. And then rack to secondary and let it sit for 3-4 more weeks and then bottle condition and break them out for my birthday in the beginning of November. Also thinking of going the breakfast route by adding some nice cold brewed coffee at bottling. Still thinking out the particulars on that...
Its been about 15 batches since I did this one. Those who like stouts enjoyed it but I thought it was funky from the yeast. That being said if I were to do it again I'd rack to secondary this time. I've since went all grain however and will likely only do partial mashes when its far below freezing in the garage this winter.
PHillBrewCo
Well-Known Member
Did you hydrate your yeast? Was it Windsor?
Brewed this on Sunday and its now 2013!
Brewers Best didn't change this recipe at all. Just found this thread, dammit.
OG 1.064
After three days its 1.028 and a little thin, but its super early.
I used two packets of Notty cuz that's how I roll.
Brewers Best didn't change this recipe at all. Just found this thread, dammit.
OG 1.064
After three days its 1.028 and a little thin, but its super early.
I used two packets of Notty cuz that's how I roll.
Not to worry themack. I popped open the last bottle of my brew of this from just shy of a year ago. This is by far my favorite of the LME kit beers I have done and I am kind of sad that the last of them is gone. Not one complaint on the beer from anyone.
BigB
Well-Known Member
Exactly. No real need to change the recipe. Afterall, like Drunkle stated, there have been no real complaints flavor wise. About the only thing I think they should do is to adjust their estimated FG to reflect the appropriate range.
That seems to be the range that everyone gets stuck at. It is still a tasty beer though. It is as done as it is getting and since the last one that I finished the other day which had been sitting in a bottle for a year didn't overcarb or blow I believe it is done. They should correct the recipe, but its still a good beer.
My first beer made, and in my brother's mind, the best beer I have made. It has been two years since making it. I got my brother the kit for Christmas and we made it this week. Haven't made an extract kit in over a year, I hope I didn't forget how to do something!
Only thing is, I don't remember the first kit coming with Windsor.
Only thing is, I don't remember the first kit coming with Windsor.
RockyTop11
Member
Just brewed this on Monday AM myself. Got an OG Reading of 1.064. Started bubbling 3-4 hours later, Bubbled almost out of the 6.5 gallon carboy and by tuesday afternoon Krausen was down completely. Weird only 24 hours. My Shining Star Pale Ale I brewed the same day I had to put a blow off tube on this morning cause started filling my airlock (Got lucky I caught it).
RockyTop11
Member
I also did a 800ml yeast starter with golden light DME and mine came with windsor dry yeast as well. Then I read not to do a starter with dry yeast. I just got excited to use my stir starter (from christmas) that I never checked on that. We will see how it turns out.
BigB
Well-Known Member
It won't hurt anything doing a starter from dry yeast. It's just generally not needed as the amount amount of viable yeast in a 11 gram dry yeast packet is nearly double that of a vial/smack pack of liquid. Doing the starter with the dry will get its metabolism going, so its actually a good thing - albeit probablly unnecessary. One thing you should always do with dry yeast is to properly rehydrate it in warm water as the experiments done by Chris White establish that you will get more viable and healthier yeast over just sprinkling it in wort or rehydrating in wort.
Jonnyray85
New Member
Hah, I brewed a similar batch yesterday and was thinking the same thing. I just stood over the pot for 45 minutes with the hand on the temp knob...
RockyTop11
Member
well after reading this thread, and airlock stopped after 2-3 short days, I have already purchased another windsor yeast and amylase enzyme just in case needing to drop it down. Haven't checked the h reading yet (my OG was 1.064) but seems like I am going to need it. The other beer I did the same day is still bubbling 5 days later!
This kit was my first batch ever and is still in the primary after two weeks. I did not take an OG reading but the behavior seemed similar to what everyone is reporting, fast fermentation in the first 2 days and then quickly tapering off.
My kit included the Windsor yeast instead of the Nottingham. I figure I'll take a couple readings over the next week. If no change in gravity I'll keg it and hope for the best!
My kit included the Windsor yeast instead of the Nottingham. I figure I'll take a couple readings over the next week. If no change in gravity I'll keg it and hope for the best!
RockyTop11
Member
Let us know what you find, i will do the same. I am going to take a reading tonight, 8 days after brewing and 4 days after no bubbles in airlock
I took two readings over two days with no gravity change. FG came out to be 1.021. I think the instructions estimate an OG of around 1.060 so that leaves me with a 5.1% ABV. Not great but I'll take it. The beer tastes pretty good and is carbing in the keg now. It could be a bit dryer but I'm not complaining as it's my first homebrew.
RockyTop11
Member
mine was already down to 1.025 8 days in, plan on checking again this weekend to make sure it reaches that 1.020ish mark
I am a noob, bought the brewers best oatmeal stout kit on Saturday as my first brew and had it in primary by Sunday afternoon. I didn't find this thread till monday and started to worry I had picked the wrong kit to try first. But much to my surprise just took an sg of 1.018 and og was 1.055. Not to mention hydro sample tested excellent although flat ha. I will give it another two weeks in primary, then bottle it up! Excited to sit back and enjoy my first brew, love this obsession!
As a noob I picked this kit up from the LHBS as my first brew. I got nervous when I found this thread after already having the wort in primary for a day. Much to my surprise my SG today is 1.018 and OG was 1.055. Going to leave it in primary for another two weeks and bottle! Can't wait to enjoy this homebrew! Ps the hydro sample tasted great even though fairly flat.
DrunkleJon said:
How do we change this recipe? I am drinking the final product and its the best beer I've made...very tasty, but kinda sweet. I can only imagine how good this would be if it went down to the fg it was supposed to be!
