Feedback on Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal Stout

[AU_Bob]

This is based on a Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout clone. Appreciate any and all feedback. This will be a full 6.5 gallon boil, final batch size 5 gal, extract brew.

Target OG - 1.052
Target GF - 1.014
IBU - 38.2
SRM 23.2

1/2 lb flaked oats (baked @ 325 for 75 minutes before steep)
1/2 lb Carmel 40l
1/2 lb Chocolate Malt
3 oz Roasted Barley
2 lb light DME
3.75lb late addition DME
1.5 oz East Kent Goldings @ 60 mins
2 oz Cocoa Powder @ end of boil
Wyeast 1083 Irish Ale
2 oz cocoa Powder in Secondary
49oz Oregon Raspberry Puree in Secondary

Not sure about cocoa amounts, just taking a stab.

Thanks for the feedback

 

[AU_Bob]

Should I consider chocolate nibs in the secondary?

 

[Mike_A]

Sounds tasty. I brewed two batches of chocolate/oatmeal/brown sugar stout recently and used 1 cup (don't know weight) on the first batch and decided to tune it down to 3/4 cup for the second batch. Also used more hops which gave it a pretty dry finish, especially once it conditioned for a couple of months.

Cocoa nibs in secondary sounds like a decent idea. So I think you'll be good with that recipe, let us know how it comes out. What yeast will you be using?

 

[AU_Bob]

Planning on yeast 1083 Irish ale yeast. Should I consider something else?

 

[Mike_A]

Sounds great, that's exactly what I used for both batches. Wish I'd saved / cultured the cake though.

 

[AU_Bob]

Great, thanks Mike. Plan on brewing it this weekend. One more question for ya. When did you add your 3/4 cup, during boil or in the primary?

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

For my Oatmeal Stout, I use 12oz of Oatmeal minimum for a 5.5gal batch. Last batch I think I used a full 20oz. I would think that 8oz would be very low for a 6.5gal batch being just over 1oz/gal. Make sure the oats are pre-gelatinized! If they are not, you can boil them for 5 minutes (I think?) to gelatinize them.

 

[AU_Bob]

I built the recipe with Beer Alchemy to come up with the original numbers above. So how do I compensate (or should I)? I just got a 40qt brew pot, normally do a 2 gal boil so this will be my first 6.5 gallon boil, planning to end up with 5 gallons after evaporation. Do I use a multiplier, say 30%? (5gal x 30% = 6.5 gal)??? I will up my flaked oats as Red recommended.

 

[AU_Bob]

Made a few mods based on feedback... fire away...

Target OG - 1.063
Target GF - 1.016
IBU - 39.1
SRM 37.98

1 lb flaked oats (baked @ 325 for 75 minutes before steep)
1 lb Carmel 40l
1 lb Chocolate Malt
8 oz Roasted Barley
1 lb Extra light DME
5 lb late addition Extra light DME
1.5 oz East Kent Goldings @ 60 mins
2 oz Cocoa Powder @ end of boil
Wyeast 1083 Irish Ale
4 oz Chocolate nibs in Secondary
49oz Oregon Raspberry Puree in Secondary

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Bob, yes you just scale up the recipe ingredients. If it calls for 5 gallons post boil, and you are aiming for 6.5, then you just scale by the percentage needed.

Also, Bob, you will need to figure out your evaporation rate of the new pot. I bought a 60qt pot with an 18" mouth vs. my 32qt pot with a 12" mouth, the evaporation rate is much much higher. On the order of nearly 1.5gal per hour vs just less than 1gal per hour.

 

[Mike_A]

Bob, for the cocoa, I mixed it with 8oz maltodextrine and boiled in a separate pot with about 16oz of water. I tossed that into the boil about 5 minutes before flameout if I recall correctly - don't have my recipe in front of me.

I second Red too, I put 1lb flaked oats into mine... I really wanted to get the body and flavor pronounced from the oats. But along with all of the other roasted/patent malts I used, the beer turned out PITCH black. I'm not lying when I say I could put it in a glass between my eyes and the sun and have zero light coming through.

 

[AU_Bob]

Bob, yes you just scale up the recipe ingredients. If it calls for 5 gallons post boil, and you are aiming for 6.5, then you just scale by the percentage needed.

Also, Bob, you will need to figure out your evaporation rate of the new pot. I bought a 60qt pot with an 18" mouth vs. my 32qt pot with a 12" mouth, the evaporation rate is much much higher. On the order of nearly 1.5gal per hour vs just less than 1gal per hour.

Red, thanks for the info. I'm counting on about. 1.5 gallon evap rate, leaving me with 5 gal at the end of the boil. I know I'll have to adjust as I go since I don't know the evap rate going into it. So with that said, do I scale up for a 6.5 gal boil hoping to end with 5 gals or do I just plan for the final batch size? Sorry for my confusion, just want to make sure I'm following along.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Bob, you plan for the final batch size, not pre-boil volume. Your IBU's would be way way too high if you used enough hops for a 6.5gal batch but were actually shooting for a 5gal batch. Also, most people shoot for 5.5gal post boil so that 5.5gal goes into the fermenter and 5gal comes out because of trub loss. Just a little tip to get you 6 more bottles out of a batch

 

[AU_Bob]

After doing some reading, it looks like I'll need to do a mini mash with the flaked oats in this recipe. I read something about having to add some base grains to the mash to make it work. What type of grain and how much do I need? Can it come out of my current grain bill? Going to my LHBS today to pick up my stuff for the weekend so thanks for the quick help.

 

[inkubuzz]

I like your recepie...

Im doing something slightly different and also heve some questions: check it out here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/minty-cocoamon-stout-wannabe-225575/

 

[inkubuzz]

on the amount of cocoa, i read on Randy Mosher's "Radical Brewing" that you should use "quite a bit" cocoa so you can taste the flavor. He does not specify how mucha that is. but theres a recepie in there where he uses 8 oz. so maybe you should puta a little more in there.. He uses it 20 mins before flame out.
If you want to dos some in the secondary i would use chocolate nibs and not cocoa