Getting more out of my stout

Just tried my new stout after a week in the bottle. Despite the expected flatness it has turned out quite tasty. The recipe is pretty straightforward 2-row/roasted malt combo. One thing I've noticed is that the mouth is a little thin for a strong stout -- possibly due to the lack of carbonation -- but it lacks that creamy, chewy mouth of an imperial. Also, the rims are red, rather than the pitch black I'm used to. Is this a matter of beefing up the total grain, beefing up the roasted-to-2-row ratio, or other adjuncts (e.g., oatmeal?) I guess what I want is a thicker feel without affecting the flavor profile too much. Any thoughts?

 

Adding +/- a pound of flaked oats will go a long way towards mouthfeel. I toast mine in the oven first. Also, try mashing at a little higher of a temp. say around 155-156.

 

Flaked Barley would an option as well, for more mouthfeel.

Can you post the recipe? you'll get better feedback that way.

 

3G batch:

8# 2-row
1# roasted barley
.5# carapils

It's my first stout (and experience with roasted barley) so I tried to make it as simple as possible.

 

The oatmeal would definitely help with mouthfeel, but then you are creeping towards a different beer. I'd stick with the flaked barley if you want just the straight imperial stout. What's your FG? sometimes high fermentation temperatures lead to more attenuation, thus a thinner beer. good luck!

 

Didn't check the FG but I did mash for attenuation (~151). I did not know this would affect the body, just the balance of sweetness.

 

mashing for attenuation TOTALLY affects the body. I learned this the hard way. It's a trade-off: attenuation/dryness/ABV on the one hand, vs. body/mouthfeel/sweetness on the other.

 

You're off to a good start, I think you just need a little tweaking. I would add about a Pound of Flaked Barley, and maybe even a half a pound of Caramel 120 or Special B, then adjust your Two Row to hit your desired Gravity. I would definitely mash on the High side as well, 154* or 155*.