Hello, and need advice on stout recipe!

[jcn4]

Hello forum! I've been lurking for a while and now seems the right time to dive in!
I did a BIAB oatmeal stout in Aug that turned out, I thought, good for a first attempt. I don't do a traditional BIAB, I do a dunk sparge at the end as well as rinsing the grains to get my boil volume. In fact, I'm almost out is why I'm revisiting this recipe!
It was a little more bitter and overly coffee than I wanted! Also the head retention was rather weak and not quite what I wanted, even though I have read that stouts usually don't have great head retention!
This is what I'm doing this time around, either today (Wed), or Saturday.
I cut the barley in half, upped the Dingemans chocolate by .250 oz and added Carapils to help with the head retention! I also cut the oats by .5 lb.
I was thinking of adding some lactose for mouthfeel. Would this sweeten the recipe too much? And if I did use it what would be the appropriate amount for a 5 gallon batch?
BeerSmith 2 doesn't have it in the misc. ingredient file!
Also, is there a better yeast than S-04 to use in a stout? I was looking at White Labs WLP002 or WLP004.
I love stout and the weather is finally getting right for the style.
This is the modified recipe!

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Oatmeal Stout 2
Brewer: JohnEC
Asst Brewer:
Style: Oatmeal Stout
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.00 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.20 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.060 SG
Estimated Color: 42.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 27.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7 lbs Pale Ale Malt 2-Row (Briess) (3.5 SRM) Grain 1 59.6 %
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 8.5 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.5 %
12.0 oz Chocolate (Dingemans) (340.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.4 %
12.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 5 6.4 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.3 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.3 %
4.0 oz Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM) Grain 8 2.1 %
0.80 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 9 16.2 IBUs
0.70 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 10 7.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 11 3.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast 12 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs 12.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 14.69 qt of water at 168.2 F 156.0 F 75min

Sparge:
Notes:
------


Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[dcp27]

i'd ditch the carapils for flaked barley. carapils shouldnt be needed in something with this high of a mash temp.

I think 002 would be better in this, but i'm not a fan of S-04. make sure to use a starter if you go that route

 

[Jayhem]

12 oz of Dingmans Chocolate and 8 oz Chocolate malt is a lot of roasted flavor in a 5 gal batch. I use 8 oz Roasted Barley and 8 oz chocolate malt with 4 oz of Carafa III for a deeper black color and the balance is perfect if you prefer a less roasty stout that is still jet black and thick mouthfeel. I wouldn't even use carapils in a stout but if you do 8oz is plenty in 5 gallons.

 

[Pappers_]

. . . 12 oz of Dingmans Chocolate and 8 oz Chocolate malt is a lot of roasted flavor in a 5 gal batch . . .

Its always good to experiment and try different proportions, but 3/4 lb chocolate malt and 1/2 lb roasted barley isn't excessive for a stout, in my opinion. If you want less roast-y coffee-like flavor, you could also try brewing a robust porter recipe.

 

[jcn4]

Thanks for the replies! I'm cutting back to 8 oz of the Dingemans and 4 oz of the Chocolate as well as dropping the Carapils in favor of the flaked barley. Also, had to go with the S-04, LHBS was out of the 002! OR, Should I maybe dropped the roasted barley altogether and cut the proportions of the Dingemans to say 6 or 8 oz? Seems like they both do pretty much the same thing!

 

[wolfman_48442]

I'd add to the good ideas listed above and suggest that you add your dark grains (crystal 120, chocolate, roasted barley) at vourlouf rather than the full mash. They have no diastatic power anyway, and adding late will lessen the bitterness.

Also, a sweeter yeast would be nice, like an Irish, London III, or Ringwood. Wyeast has a nice page on Oatmeal Stout with yeast suggestions.