Too Much Oatmeal?

[rodwha]

My oatmeal coffee stout was brewed on 11-18 and bottled on 1-6. I've been setting a 12 pack in the fridge for a week and trying one, but none have turned out right at all. I allow them a week in the fridge. My partial mash went well so I'm inclined to think it's too much oatmeal, which was 2 1/4 lbs for a 6 gal batch.

My mash was a little over an hour and kept between 150-160*.

4 lbs golden light LME (FO)
2 1/2 lbs 2-row
1/2 lb C 60
1/2 lb C 120
1/2 lb chocolate 350
3/4 lb roasted barley
2 1/4 lbs oatmeal
6 oz carafa I special
3 oz carapils
0.2 lb wheat DME
1/2 lb rice hulls
US-05

I didn't know making a starter was bad when using dry yeast, and I stole some of this packet to make a small test batch, which is what the o.2 lb of wheat DME is (I toss it all in).

I was in the hospital while this was fermenting and SWMBO isn't on it like I am, and so the temps swung a bit, and eventually I found I had a stalled fermentation. I poured a little brown sugar and gave a gentle stir to get it working again.

I noted that my FG was much higher than it should have been despite what I tried (.007 points high).

It doesn't taste good and has no carbonation to speak of other than a little fizzle…

I've pulled this 12 pack and didn't replace it. I figure I'll give an additional week of conditioning.

 

[thadass]

That's about 17% oats, which many would call too much. I have found my happy spot with oatmeal stouts to be about 10%.

You do say though that it doesn't taste good, but how does it not taste good? Oily, sweet, something else?

 

[rodwha]

It was noted as overly sweet a week ago. Sickly sweet, which the FG numbers hint at. But this week it wasn't quite as overpoweringly over sweet, but just blah. After several swallows I poured it out...

 

[rodwha]

It's supposed to have a coffeeish taste. NOTHING like that though.

 

[rhys333]

If it didn't ferment out completely and bottle carbonation is also low, could it be that your yeast dropped out early? It might explain why both those things are happening.

 

[rodwha]

They did drop out, but I roused them up with some brown sugar, a stir, and room temp.

They didn't create bottle bombs. That would be enough to prove they were done right?

I kept them in boxes then!

 

[rodwha]

I suppose the yeast gave up after the sugar and swirl? That could explain the lower FG reading and lack of carbonation. But the taste? Just sweet and oatmealy?