Additions to an Oatmeal Stout kit?

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Coffee, Vanilla, Chocolate.... all good things to add to an oatmeal. Be careful and do a lot of research on all of them. Too much coffee and vanilla will leave you drinking a cup of alcoholic coffee or a vanilla shake. Chocolate is a tough ingredient to master in my opinion. I've used it for years, and my last oatmeal stout is the only time it's come out the way I had imagined.
 
I'm drinking an oatmeal stout right now. (Literally, at this very moment). I guess you could change it if you want. But why? I guess I just don't understand. The oatmeal stout is rich, flavorfull, creamy, and with a hint of bittersweet coffee notes from the chocolate malt. What do you want to add to it that isn't present already?

If you feel that vanilla would add a better flavor, I understand, but adding something just for the sake of adding it just doesn't make sense to me.
 
I agree with you Yooper... the style doesn't really need anything added to it. As far as vanilla goes though, I think in small quantities it actually helps accentuate the chocolate.
 
I would trying to make the kit primary, once you know how it taste it is easy to improve.
 
I brewed this kit last weekend and it's sitting in my primary right now. I snuck in a quick taste after a hydrometer reading and the flavors are already awesome.

I won't know until I taste the final product, but I'm wondering if the beer will be too light bodied and too light on the ABV. Only 6lb's of extract and a starting gravity of 1.042. Expecting a ABV of 4% or so. I'm a amateur at this, but I wonder if 8lb's of extract would lead to a "thicker" stout with a bit more punch. But, I'm probably way off base here.

Like I said, the flavors are nice.
 
I'm drinking an oatmeal stout right now. (Literally, at this very moment). I guess you could change it if you want. But why? I guess I just don't understand. The oatmeal stout is rich, flavorfull, creamy, and with a hint of bittersweet coffee notes from the chocolate malt. What do you want to add to it that isn't present already?

If you feel that vanilla would add a better flavor, I understand, but adding something just for the sake of adding it just doesn't make sense to me.

I agree with yooper, oatmeal stouts have a lot of what you're looking to add, but hell, its YOUR batch add to it if you'd like. Maybe do a half and half batch to see if it was worth it.

I brewed this kit last weekend and it's sitting in my primary right now. I snuck in a quick taste after a hydrometer reading and the flavors are already awesome.

I won't know until I taste the final product, but I'm wondering if the beer will be too light bodied and too light on the ABV. Only 6lb's of extract and a starting gravity of 1.042. Expecting a ABV of 4% or so. I'm a amateur at this, but I wonder if 8lb's of extract would lead to a "thicker" stout with a bit more punch. But, I'm probably way off base here.

Like I said, the flavors are nice.

It might be a hair light, both in ABV and thinkness, but that oatmeal should add additional mouth-feel and chewyness so you might be better off than you'd imagine. In the future, yes you could add 2 additional pounds on LME and you'd be towards the higher end of the BJCP style guidelines:

Vital Statistics:
OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.048 - 1.065/ 1.010 - 1.018/ 25 - 40/ 22 - 40+/ 4.2 - 5.9%
 
My stout is 4.3%. It's perfect! The body is there, and the oatmeal gives a silky mouthfeel. Higher alcohol really isn't that common in a stout. You're a little bit low, but not that much!

Here are the BJCP guidelines:

MIN OG: 1.048 MAX OG: 1.065
A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale with a complementary oatmeal flavor. An English seasonal variant of sweet stout that is usually less sweet than the original, and relies on oatmeal for body and complexity rather than lactose for body and sweetness.

Generally between sweet&dry stouts in sweetness.Variations from fairly sweet to quite dry.Level of bitterness varies,as does the oatmeal impression.Light use of oatmeal may give a certain silkiness of body&richness of flavor while heavy use of oatmeal can be fairly intense in flavor with an almost oily mouthfeel.When judging allow for differences in interpretation.

Pale, caramel and dark roasted malts and grains. Oatmeal (5-10%+) used to enhance fullness of body and complexity of flavor. Hops primarily for bittering. Ale yeast. Water source should have some carbonate hardness.

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, Young's Oatmeal Stout, McAuslan Oatmeal Stout, Maclay’s Oat Malt Stout, Broughton Kinmount Willie Oatmeal Stout,Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout,Tröegs Oatmeal Stout,New Holland The Poet,Goose Island Oatmeal Stout
 
appreciate the replies. what about irish moss? is this addition pretty much a good idea for any brew, just to help clarifying?
 
+1 to yoops response, I to think it is a perfect balance of mouthfeel, malt and just and overall great beer
 
I love this stout...but have made a few customizations to it, doubling the chocolate malt, and the latest time I added even more chocolate malt, more oatmeal and some flaked barley too...its in secondary at the moment but it smells fantastic!!

I've considered adding some coffee, but I have gotten so many compliments on the recipe as is...its tough to want to change it too much.
 
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