Advice on my grain bill (1st attempt at Dry Stout)

[Jayhem]

I'm about to brew my first dry stout. This is for St. Patrick's Day!

I got a working recipe off one of the online recipe databases (can't remember which) and adjusted it to taste.

I just want to know if I'm overdoing any of the specialty malts or flaked adjuncts!

11 gal batch

13.5 lbs Pale 2-Row
2.0 lbs flaked barley
1.0 lbs roasted barley
1.0 lbs flaked oats (wanted a bit more creamy texture, not really sure if this is a good idea or not?)
0.5 lbs Midnight wheat
0.5 lbs Carafa III
2 oz chocolate malt (unnecessary?)

Hops (Nugget and Willamette @ 60 & 30 min) - 38.5 IBUs
BU:GU = 0.87 (dead on for a dry stout)

Yeast: US-05 dry (1 packet per 5.5 gallons)

OG 1.044, FG: 1.009, IBU 38.5, ABV 4.5%

 

[CatHead]

I am far from an expert but I play one on the internet. I am only partial mashing and still not good enough at grains to comment. I would however use S-04 yeast for a little bit of that sourness that comes with a stout.

 

[zachattack]

I'm no master of recipe formulation, but it's always best to look at every ingredient in your recipe and make sure you know why it's there.

A basic dry stout recipe is just pale ale malt, flaked barley, and roasted barley. If you have specific reasons for using the other malts (like you do for the oats), then put them in there.

Let me ask you, what are you hoping to get out of the midnight wheat, carafa and chocolate malt?

 

[rklinck]

I sought advice from folks on putting together a dry stout recipe recently. Ultimately the recipe I ended up with was 80% pale malt, 10% flaked barley, and 10% roasted barley (500-600L). I have not tasted it yet, though, so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[Channel66]

While I love midnight wheat it's not at home in a dry Irish stout.

 

[Jayhem]

Good advice. I didn't want to over do the roasted barley and to make 11 gallons black id need 3 pounds, thus the other bitterless dark malts. I don't think the chocolate malt is necessary but I want some malt smoothness not just black coffee burnt flavor.

 

[Jayhem]

Thanks for the advice.

I have modified the recipe a bit and I think it's pretty sound now for style AND my taste.

74% 2-row
11% flaked barley
8% roasted barley
5% flaked oats (for mouthfeel)
3% carafa III (for black color without too much roast)

OG: 1.045
FG: 1.010
IBUs: 38.5
SRM: 28