Raffle Stout

Alright, folks. I recently won an extract porter recipe's worth of ingredients at my homebrew club meeting. However, I don't want to brew an extract beer, and I don't want to brew a porter. Rather, I was considering an oatmeal stout, as I've never brewed one and Madame SWMBO goes ga-ga for such things. To begin, in addition to a bunch of dark DME, I won:

1# Vienna
1# CaraMunich
0.5# Chocolate (350L)
WLP005 British Ale

I received the grains milled and combined in a bag, so that's all or nothing. So, the current recipe looks like:

5.5# Maris Otter
1# Vienna
1# Chocolate (350L)
1.5# Flaked oats
0.75# Roasted barley
1 oz. Fuggle (whole - 4% AA) 60 min
0.5 oz Fuggle 15 min

Est. OG = 1.051 (75% eff); est FG = 1.015-16 (68-70% app. atten.)
Est. IBU = 17.2
Mash at 157

With the added sweetness of the Vienna and that clumpy, low attenuating yeast, I was considering bumping the roasted barley up to an even pound. SWMBO isn't much on stouts with too much coffee character, but she's all for something well balanced. I don't want this to get too sweet, and I have virtually no experience with the oatmeal beers (beyond drinking more than my fair share, of course). Young's Oatmeal Stout is the SWMBO's deserted island beer, but I want something even a bit richer and chocolatier than that, but without getting out of control on the OG.

What do y'all think about that, and what other ideas might you have to make this fun? I intend to do my shopping this evening, if that makes any difference.


TL

Personally I think that is enough roast (with the chocolate and roast barley). I have seen oatmeal stout recipes with a good portion of crystal malt so I don't think that much Vienna will end up being to sweet. I might recommend adding some type of toasty, biscuity malt...maybe victory, biscuit, or special roast.

Looks quite similar to the Oatmeal Stout in my signature. I'm really enjoying this beer. The roast flavors are restrained compared to the bigger stouts often found from American micros. That makes it a smoother and easier drinking beer. I'd keep my roasted barley at .75# maybe even decrease it some.
My stout also had a considerable amount of crystal and I did not find it too sweet. I don't think your Vienna will be a problem.
Craig

Having a full point of RB, plus a pound of chocolate, seems like a lot for a pretty low-gravity beer. Oatmeal stouts should be pretty smooth and drinkable, I think. I'd err on the side of "not enough roast" since it sounds like SWMBO might not like something that's too aggressively roasted (worst-case, you could call it an Oatmeal Brown).

Great thoughts, guys. I tend to get a little carried away with chocolate malt, as I just love the stuff. I might back off on it to 0.75#, and I might even back off the roasted barley to a half pound. I certainly don't want to get into the American Stout, but I want a bold, dark chocolate character.


TL