Will be brewing oatmeal stout soon

[Germanbrewgal]

I have the Brewers Best Oatmeal stout beer kit and want to get some feed back, some dos and donts. Any additions or comments would be appreciated but no kegging comments please thanks!

 

[CA_Mouse]

Don't use a secondary, let the yeast do their thing for at least 10 days (better at 14 days) and bottle conditioning will take closer to 3 weeks. I did that kit twice when I first started brewing. First time I followed the instructions to the line, tasted too cloyingly sweet and did not condition well. Second time I did what I suggested above and it came out nearly perfect!

 

[Germanbrewgal]

Thank you mouse! Appreciated

 

[RM-MN]

Control the temperature of the beer for at least 3 days as it starts fermenting. This is the period where the yeast likes to warm the beer by its activity and with that warmer temps come unwanted flavors. I usually stretch that cool period to a week, then let it warm to the low 70's where I leave it another 2 weeks to let the yeast have time to clean up intermediate products and settle out so I don't get so much sediment in my bottles. While the beer will be carbonated after about 3 weeks in the bottle, my stouts sit much longer before I drink them as they continue to improve. I expect the flavors to be getting really good after 6 months but I can afford to leave them that long because I have many beers already bottled to drink.

 

[FinchSCF]

One suggestion based on what I've done in the past: toast the oats a day in advance. Get them nice and golden brown in the oven and then cool them, pop them in a paper bag and let them sit for 24 hours. Tends to give beers I've done this with a nice toasty element.

 

[ZmannR2]

You doing AG, MM, or LME? I have this Samuel Smith clone mini mash in mind for my next one!

 

[Terek]

let it age. i pretty much have an oat stout on deck at all times. they are so much better after a couple months in the bottle. I think the golden zone is between 3-4 months in the bottle

 

[CA_Mouse]

You doing AG, MM, or LME? I have this Samuel Smith clone mini mash in mind for my next one!

This is a Brewer's Best Extract Kit.

 

[Germanbrewgal]

One suggestion based on what I've done in the past: toast the oats a day in advance. Get them nice and golden brown in the oven and then cool them, pop them in a paper bag and let them sit for 24 hours. Tends to give beers I've done this with a nice toasty element.

How long and at what temp are they to be toasted? Sounds good. I have been wondering to do this or not thanks

 

[FinchSCF]

How long and at what temp are they to be toasted? Sounds good. I have been wondering to do this or not thanks

I do 325f and eyball them until golden.

 

[weizenguy]

I just made the "Brewer's Best" Oatmeal Stout a couple of weeks ago. My first brew after a 20-odd year hiatus from this addictive hobby. I too followed the instructions pretty closely (as a newbie does), and it's currrently sitting in a secondary carboy in a coolish basement (after a week in a plastic fermenting bucket in a warmer part of the house).

So, at this moment I don't have any pearls of wisdom to dispense but I'll let you know if anything noteworthy happens (or doesn't) with this batch, or if I have any ideas as to what to do next time.

I am curious about the one poster's advice to skip the secondary. My brew shop guy said the same thing--just go from the primary into the bottles. I should have asked him "why?". In my case, I wanted to free up the fermenter for another batch (I did say "addictive," didn't I?). Plus, I wanted to see the beer through the glass and give it lots of time to clear before bottling--can't see why that should harm the final product.

 

[Germanbrewgal]

I'm now toasting the oats and will let them cool then place in brown paper and let sit for at least 24hrs then will bucket ferment for 2 wks then straight to bottles as the experienced guided thanks

 

[CA_Mouse]

I am curious about the one poster's advice to skip the secondary. My brew shop guy said the same thing--just go from the primary into the bottles. I should have asked him "why?". In my case, I wanted to free up the fermenter for another batch (I did say "addictive," didn't I?). Plus, I wanted to see the beer through the glass and give it lots of time to clear before bottling--can't see why that should harm the final product.

Unless you are racking your beer onto fruit, wood or additional sugars, there is no real benefit to a "secondary". Secondary fermentation only takes place when there are added sugars to be fermented. When you bottle, you are adding priming sugar and doing a secondary fermentation. If at all possible cold crash your primary fermenter in a refrigerator or an extremely cold water bath to clear your bear. Additionally, the fewer times that you are transferring your beer, the less likely any contamination can occur.

I *only* transfer my beer to a secondary vessel for my sours or for my barrel aged beers. Even my dry hopped beers stay in the primary fermenter. If your carboy is large enough to do your primary fermentation, that is great! Unfortunately most 'basic home brew kits' include a 5 gallon glass carboy that is not needed. This increases the cost for the kit and makes the supplier more money. I've always told new brewers that they want two fermenting buckets and a bottling bucket, this way they can have two beers fermenting at any time.

 

[Germanbrewgal]

CA_Mouse how long would I put the fermenter to chill in order to clear? Thanks for all your help!

 

[Germanbrewgal]

So would it be better to ferment in my 6.5 gal carboy till fermented then move into chill area?

 

[MVKTR2]

Yes GBG, simply move the primary fermenter into your fridge or cooler or other cooling device.

I'll not type out the full instructions due to time but search/look into a swamp cooler to aid in controlling fermentation temps and it can even be used to cold crash in a pinch and with lots of attention.

Also rather than bottling after 14 days, I'm guessing you pitched the BB kit yeast which iirc is a smaller amount and possibly produces a larger possibility of off flavors from stressed fermentation. Go a full 21 days in the primary, then bottle. By 21 days a lot of yeast will have dropped clear no matter the temp and you may not need to cold condition.

Finally for all new brewers I tell them they need very few things to consistently make quality beer:
1 - Sanitation, failure to clean and sanitize properly is the devil of brewing. The most important aspect of brewing, period!
2 - Patience, see notes above. An extra few days here and there make so much difference especially for novice brewers that don't 'know' their yeasts etc.
3 - Control fermentation temps, see note on a swamp cooler. Poor ferm. temp control = inconsistent mediocre beer.
4 - Pitch enough yeast. Pitching too few yeasts stresses the yeast causing them to produce a variety of off-flavors.
5 - Common sense. This one is optional but it helps.

Have fun, follow a few simple rules of being clean, pitching lots of yeast, controlling fermentation temps, & being patient. VOILA! You've made good beer by means other than accidental!

 

[Germanbrewgal]

I have read somewhere not sure where to let toasted oats sit in bag for 2 or so weeks after toasting does that seem right?

 

[CA_Mouse]

I have read somewhere not sure where to let toasted oats sit in bag for 2 or so weeks after toasting does that seem right?

I've never heard that before. I have toasted mine the night before I brew and haven't noticed any issues. Depending on how much you toast them, they will impart a taste anywhere from a light oatmeal cereal to a crisp oatmeal cookie.

 

[Germanbrewgal]

http://youtu.be/I8R8EK8FycY I thought I had scorched them a lil but just took them out of the bag they taste pretty good, I guess I was just a lil nervous here's a pic what do you guys think?

 

[CA_Mouse]

Looks nicely toasted and should add a little more depth to your Stout. Well done!

 

[weizenguy]

Well, I don't want to hijack your thread but I did promise/threaten an update on my own stout, using the same kit of course. It's been three weeks since brew day and it seems stuck at 1.024. The starting gravity was 1.068 (which may, in reality, be a bit lower since I had to add 1/2 gallon of water to fill up a 5 gallon secondary carboy). Still tastes a bit sweet too. Would like to get it down to 1.015 or so if possible.

Any ideas? I know there's lots of advice out there about unsticking fermentation. I've just moved the secondary carboy to a warmer location and hope, with the small amount of jostling that entailed, to get things moving again. Will wait another week or two before bottling. Really don't want to add more yeast at this point. And yes, I do think the small packet of yeast that came with the kit may not have been enough to do the job (thought the instructions just said throw it in--I've learned that a starter is generally a good idea on any higher gravity beer).

 

[CA_Mouse]

Well, I don't want to hijack your thread but I did promise/threaten an update on my own stout, using the same kit of course. It's been three weeks since brew day and it seems stuck at 1.024. The starting gravity was 1.068 (which may, in reality, be a bit lower since I had to add 1/2 gallon of water to fill up a 5 gallon secondary carboy). Still tastes a bit sweet too. Would like to get it down to 1.015 or so if possible.

Are you saying that you racked the beer from primary to a secondary vessel and then added more water? If so, your beer is done. Nothing you do at this point will restart fermentation. If you racked it off the trub/yeast and added more water, you have diluted it already.

Any ideas? I know there's lots of advice out there about unsticking fermentation. I've just moved the secondary carboy to a warmer location and hope, with the small amount of jostling that entailed, to get things moving again. Will wait another week or two before bottling. Really don't want to add more yeast at this point. And yes, I do think the small packet of yeast that came with the kit may not have been enough to do the job (thought the instructions just said throw it in--I've learned that a starter is generally a good idea on any higher gravity beer).

Usually warming it up a bit or pitching more yeast are the only ways to restart fermentation. The 'small packet' that came with the kit was a full pitch that would have been enough for the recipe. I have used that same yeast with a Stout that had a starting gravity of 1.072 and it finished at 1.012. Dry yeast does not need a starter, but rehydrating it is always advisable.

 

[weizenguy]

Mouse, yes I did rack from the primary to secondary after a week; then I added .5 gallons of water to bring it up to the 5 gallon mark. I can't see how this would stop the fermentation process though. It should have continued on in the secondary, should it not, if there were any yeast still alive. I'm quite surprised it didn't, especially as there seemed to be a certain amount of off-gassing happening through the airlock (not bubbles, just the inner cap forced up to the top).

I did shake it up well the other night and will wait 5 or 6 days before testing again. If the reading doesn't budge, I think I'll just bottle 'er up and call it "sweet oatmeal stout." Will use a starter yeast next time.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Mouse, yes I did rack from the primary to secondary after a week; then I added .5 gallons of water to bring it up to the 5 gallon mark. I can't see how this would stop the fermentation process though. It should have continued on in the secondary, should it not, if there were any yeast still alive. I'm quite surprised it didn't, especially as there seemed to be a certain amount of off-gassing happening through the airlock (not bubbles, just the inner cap forced up to the top).

I did shake it up well the other night and will wait 5 or 6 days before testing again. If the reading doesn't budge, I think I'll just bottle 'er up and call it "sweet oatmeal stout." Will use a starter yeast next time.

When you racked it out of primary and off the yeast cake, you effectively stopped fermentation. Adding water at that point diluted the beer (think about opening a bottle of beer drinking 2 ounces and adding 2 ounces of water - yes there is still beer in the bottle, but it is watered down and thin). The off gassing is just that, CO2 coming out of suspension. Shaking it will increase the likelihood of oxidizing your beer and *may* result in a slight cardboard-like taste.

Once you have oxygenated your wort and pitched your yeast, you do not want to introduce more oxygen. When racking to a secondary vessel or a bottling bucket, you don't want to splash the beer or introduce any oxygen (other than what will be present on the top of the beer from the air). When you go to bottle, I always suggest that anyone should boil their water and priming sugar, allow it to cool (covered) for 10 minutes or so, gently pour it into the bottling bucket and gently rack your clear beer in to the bucket. This will help finish cooling the water/sugar mixture and will help ensure that you get a fairly good mixture of the sugar into the beer. You can use a sanitized spoon to gently stir everything together, but try to avoid adding more air/oxygen.

 

[weizenguy]

Good advice, Mouse. Thank you for taking the time to explain things clearly to a relative newcomer like me. I'll be quiet here for awhile but will let you all know how my brew has turned out when I start opening bottles in a month or so (or a bit sooner if I can't stand the wait any longer).

Germanbrewgal, I'd like to hear how yours turns out as well.

 

[RM-MN]

Good advice, Mouse. Thank you for taking the time to explain things clearly to a relative newcomer like me. I'll be quiet here for awhile but will let you all know how my brew has turned out when I start opening bottles in a month or so (or a bit sooner if I can't stand the wait any longer).

Germanbrewgal, I'd like to hear how yours turns out as well.

I wouldn't wait that long. I'd try one (just one!!!) at a week, then another 2 weeks later, then another in a month so I can see how the beer flavor progresses. After you have tried this with one beer, you will have a better appreciation for how a stout matures and it will be much easier to wait on the next one. Meanwhile, brew some other beers. Lighter color and lower alcohol beers mature much sooner. That will give you something to keep you drinking while your stout gets good.

 

[CA_Mouse]

I agree with RM... Try one at 8 to 10 days to check the flavor and carbonation level, then another about 6 to 8 days later. This will give you a good sense of how the carbonation is progressing and how the flavor is developing.

As far as the suggestions I gave, you are very welcome. Most of them are things that I was never told and had to find out over the course of my first eight months of brewing. As my Great Grandmother used to tell me... "Never stop learning and *ALWAYS* teach what you have learned to others. Otherwise you wasted your time learning it!"

 

[MVKTR2]

As my Great Grandmother used to tell me... "Never stop learning and *ALWAYS* teach what you have learned to others. Otherwise you wasted your time learning it!"

Gotta give it up for grandmother quotes! I'm gonna go super old school with a great grandmother quote. My great grandmother Dooley Cooley, her actual name, used to say, 'a still tongue is a wise mind'.

 

[Germanbrewgal]

Started mine a little later to date than I intended on but started 2-14-16 having my first sample as I type just emptied the glass lol I wanted to check the gravity. The starting sg was1062 yea I know I'm pretty proud right now and the gravity as it stands today and still fermenting is at 1028. Taste smooth and rich nothing bitter or off flavored except big hops at the last drop - the expected backwash. Lol And Oh how velvety the texture! It has 2 weeks to ferment down to 1.016 -1.020 I'm hoping I didn't whammy myself with this bragging session...
Forgot to mention I used the yeast that came with the kit DANSTAR British-style beer yeast I made a starter. CA Mouse is there a particular yeast you would recommend for this kit? I can see brewing another one of these I'm really liking the mouthfeel! Thanks!

 

[RM-MN]

Started mine a little later to date than I intended on but started 2-14-16 having my first sample as I type just emptied the glass lol I wanted to check the gravity. The starting sg was1062 yea I know I'm pretty proud right now and the gravity as it stands today and still fermenting is at 1028. Taste smooth and rich nothing bitter or off flavored except big hops at the last drop - the expected backwash. Lol And Oh how velvety the texture! It has 2 weeks to ferment down to 1.016 -1.020 I'm hoping I didn't whammy myself with this bragging session...
Forgot to mention I used the yeast that came with the kit DANSTAR British-style beer yeast I made a starter. CA Mouse is there a particular yeast you would recommend for this kit? I can see brewing another one of these I'm really liking the mouthfeel! Thanks!

If you have been fermenting this beer cool (low 60's faherenheit) and haven't done so, this would be a good time to warm the beer up maybe 8 to 10 degrees as that helps the yeast finish up so you hit your expected FG.

If you used a dry yeast (does Danstar sell liquid yeast) you didn't need to do a starter and with dry yeast a starter may be counterproductive. When you mention British style yeast I would expect it to be Danstar Windsor. For the best ferment that only needs to be re-hydrated.

 

[Germanbrewgal]

If you have been fermenting this beer cool (low 60's faherenheit) and haven't done so, this would be a good time to warm the beer up maybe 8 to 10 degrees as that helps the yeast finish up so you hit your expected FG.

If you used a dry yeast (does Danstar sell liquid yeast) you didn't need to do a starter and with dry yeast a starter may be counterproductive. When you mention British style yeast I would expect it to be Danstar Windsor. For the best ferment that only needs to be re-hydrated.

I have been fermenting mid 60's just threw a towel over it to warm it up a bit. Still bubbling. Yes it was dry yeast. Tell me why making a starter can be counterproductive ?

 

[RM-MN]

I have been fermenting mid 60's just threw a towel over it to warm it up a bit. Still bubbling. Yes it was dry yeast. Tell me why making a starter can be counterproductive ?

Dry yeast is packaged with the nutrients necessary for its reproduction. When you make a starter the yeast use that up and you may end up with no more cells than you would have otherwise and possibly a few less according to at least one of the dry yeast makers.

The towel over the fermenter would have warmed up the beer when it was first fermenting because the yeast give off a bit of heat in the process of making alcohol from the sugar (same as you do when you are active). At this point the yeast have slowed way down and aren't producing the heat that they would have earlier so you might be better to move the beer to a warmer location.

The bubbling is not from the active ferment any more but is CO2 that was dissolved in the beer earlier coming out of suspension. At this point the yeast should not be giving off any CO2. Here's a better explanation on the phases the yeast go through. I find their timeline to be a bit shorter than what I see but the phases are always there for every fermentation.

http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html

 

[Germanbrewgal]

Dry yeast is packaged with the nutrients necessary for its reproduction. When you make a starter the yeast use that up and you may end up with no more cells than you would have otherwise and possibly a few less according to at least one of the dry yeast makers.

The towel over the fermenter would have warmed up the beer when it was first fermenting because the yeast give off a bit of heat in the process of making alcohol from the sugar (same as you do when you are active). At this point the yeast have slowed way down and aren't producing the heat that they would have earlier so you might be better to move the beer to a warmer location.

The bubbling is not from the active ferment any more but is CO2 that was dissolved in the beer earlier coming out of suspension. At this point the yeast should not be giving off any CO2. Here's a better explanation on the phases the yeast go through. I find their timeline to be a bit shorter than what I see but the phases are always there for every fermentation.

http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html[/
Didn't read it all the way through yet but book marked it for later reading but are you saying it won't ferment down anymore? I have an understanding of why not to make a yeast starter for dry now thank you!

 

[RM-MN]

Didn't read it all the way through yet but book marked it for later reading but are you saying it won't ferment down anymore? I have an understanding of why not to make a yeast starter for dry now thank you!

No, just that the easy sugars are gone and now the yeast have to work harder to convert the intermediate compounds that they produced during the time when there was lots of sugar. If you warm the beer a bit the yeast will work harder at that job instead of taking a long nap.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Started mine a little later to date than I intended on but started 2-14-16 having my first sample as I type just emptied the glass lol I wanted to check the gravity. The starting sg was1062 yea I know I'm pretty proud right now and the gravity as it stands today and still fermenting is at 1028. Taste smooth and rich nothing bitter or off flavored except big hops at the last drop - the expected backwash. Lol And Oh how velvety the texture! It has 2 weeks to ferment down to 1.016 -1.020 I'm hoping I didn't whammy myself with this bragging session...
Forgot to mention I used the yeast that came with the kit DANSTAR British-style beer yeast I made a starter. CA Mouse is there a particular yeast you would recommend for this kit? I can see brewing another one of these I'm really liking the mouthfeel! Thanks!

As already stated, dry yeast does not require a starter, but should be rehydrated prior to use.

As for the yeast, Windsor is the most common dry yeast for British Ales. I have used it a few times and it works really nicely. I do prefer liquid yeast though and those do need a starter *most* of the time. If you want a little drier finish, White Labs WLP007 is a great yeast. If you want a little more malt sweetness and fruitiness, then WLP002 is good too.

Taking your fermenter and placing it in a room temperature closet for two or three days will allow the yeast to become a little more active to finish off a few points of gravity and any off flavors that may exist.

Sounds like you have a really nice beer for your first one!

 

[Germanbrewgal]

It's went down 3 points. I just warmed it to 72 it was at 68. Still has signs of fermenting yet so that's good but I'm starting to worry a lil more about infection cuz it's taking longer than I intissipated. It still smells and tastes good and as long as the hydro is still heading down I guess it's ok? I have an inch to a inch and half of yeast cake on bottom of carboy. It has 5 more points to get to target sg

 

[CA_Mouse]

That may be as far as it is going to go. 5 points is reasonable, so I think you are probably good to go for bottling at this point. If you have a 1 liter soda bottle, I would sanitize that and use that as your test for carbonation. Think about how a soda feels with you first grab it, that is how you want your test bottle to feel. Once you get that plastic bottle nice and firm, you can chill your cases of bottles and start drinking your brew!

Congrats you now have a nice stout that you can tell people *YOU* made!

 

[Germanbrewgal]

Thank you CA_Mouse the sg was 1062 and is now 1025 that brings it to about 5% I'm content with that. Won't be able to bottle this wk end but I will bottle asap thank you again!

 

[FrankD9c]

I just bottled my BB Oatmeal Stout this morning. Went 3 weeks in the primary, no secondary. First 4 days of fermentation at @62 degrees, rest of the time @68-69 degrees.

OG was 1.062 and FG was 1.023. From what I've read about this kit it seems to finish in the low to mid 1.020s for many people.

Tasted great out of the hydrometer vial.

Enjoy your batch I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[weizenguy]

My OG with this kit was in the same ballpark: 1.063. My FG was 1.024, so that gives me an ABV of 5.1% which is ok. I had it in a primary for 1 week and a secondary for 3. The FG did not change all the time it was in the secondary in spite of my rocking the carboy, wrapping it in blankets, etc. So I figured it was as done as it was going to get.

In bottles now for 3 weeks: a little on the sweet side but very smooth and flavourful; nice brown head at the pour but it dissipates pretty quickly. Have been told that stouts like this improve with age, so we'll see. Not disappointed; it was a good start back into brewing for me.