First Stout

[DanOmite]

I am getting ready to make my first stout and I would like to know what adjustments should be made to the following recipe.

0.60 lbs. Roasted Barley info
0.60 lbs. American Chocolate Malt
0.30 lbs. American Black Patent
4.20 lbs. Liquid Light Extract
0.90 lbs. Barley Flaked
0.40 oz. Warrior (Pellets, 16.00 %AA) boiled 60 min
Yeast : White Labs WLP002 English Ale

I am going for a higher gravity stout that is smooth and creamy. I am not going for a very intense imperial stout, however. I want it to be more of a dry stout that friends and family will enjoy without skimping on bold flavor.

Any advice would be great.

Note: this is for a 3-gallon batch.

Thanks

 

[boostsr20]

Flaked barley needs to be mashed so unless you want to add some malt and step up to a partial mash then I'd suggest skipping it and using Carapils or carafoam. If you do decide to mash, I personally prefer flaked oats to flaked barley, but thats just me. Looks like a solid 5.5 % beer depending on yeast. If you want it drier use something like wlp001.

 

[DanOmite]

Flaked barley needs to be mashed so unless you want to add some malt and step up to a partial mash then I'd suggest skipping it and using Carapils or carafoam. If you do decide to mash, I personally prefer flaked oats to flaked barley, but thats just me. Looks like a solid 5.5 % beer depending on yeast. If you want it drier use something like wlp001.

So, if I used flaked barley or oats I will have to mash? I couldn't just put the flaked oats in the grain bag with the rest of the grain and let it sit for 45 minutes at about 154F? Everything I am doing is pretty small scale. For the steeping, I just pour 170F water over the grain bag.

I read flaked oats add a nice creamy / smooth texture to the beer and that sounds great to me.

Thanks for the advice.

Do you think any crystal is needed? I was thinking about maybe adding some crystal 60-90L, but I don't know how much to use. I was thinking the crytal malts might add a little sweetness in an otherwise very toasty and roasty beer.

 

[boostsr20]

I like some crystal in my stouts so yeah, go ahead. Oats/Barley are a must mash grain. All you'll need to do is be more precise with your temps (150 for 60 min), add some malt, and make sure your using 1.25qts of water per lb of grain.

 

[DanOmite]

So, maybe something like this will be better?

0.60 lbs. Crystal 90L
0.60 lbs. American Chocolate Malt
0.30 lbs. Roasted Barley info
0.30 lbs. American Black Patent

4.20 lbs. Liquid Light Extract

0.60 lbs. OatsFlaked

0.40 oz. Warrior (Pellets, 16.00 %AA) boiled 60 min

Yeast : White Labs WLP002 English Ale

Is that a good amount of flaked oats? I read that you should use 1 to 1.5 pounds for a five gallon batch which converts to 0.6 to 0.9 pounds for a 3 gallon batch. I am not sure if I should use more. Will the flaked oats impart a lot of flavor or just a nice texture?

Also, do you think that amount of crystal will be enough to impart a little bit of sweetness? I am not looking to make a sweet stout, but at the same time, I don't want it to be chalky.