Increasing OG with diastatic malts

[Grumpybumpy]

Noob here

I'm working on my second extract recipe. I'd like to bump up the OG a bit in hopes of increasing the ABV without compromising flavor while incorporating partial mashing.

My recipe so far is:
6.6 lbs pale LME (half at boil, half at 10 min till flameout)
0.5 lbs crystal 60L
0.5 lbs chocolate malt
0.5 lbs roasted

1 oz magnum (10%) (60 min)
0.75 oz willamette (4.8%) (40 min)
0.5 oz willamette (20 min)

Wyeast 1056

Can I add a pound or two of Munich, 2 row, or pale malt to the steep/mash to increase the amount of fermentable sugars from the low/non diastatic malts in the recipe? Is it smarter to just use diastatic powder? Do I need to add more hops to balance it? Or am I just way off in my thought process?

Off topic, but is this a stout or a porter?

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

Can I add a pound or two of Munich, 2 row, or pale malt to the steep/mash to increase the amount of fermentable sugars from the low/non diastatic malts in the recipe? Is it smarter to just use diastatic powder? Do I need to add more hops to balance it? Or am I just way off in my thought process?

Off topic, but is this a stout or a porter?

Thanks!

Well, yes, you can definitely add malt to increase the OG. But not for the reasons you suggest. Crystal malt has been processed differently than base malts, so they are "premashed" so to speak. You won't get more out of them by mashing them. But if you add some grain, you will get a bit of fermentable sugars out of the base grain, as well as flavor. One pound of grain in 5 gallons will increase the OG by about .004.

The roasted barley tends to make it a stout, except most dry stouts don't have those flavor and aroma hops.

 

[Grumpybumpy]

I was under the impression that malts with higher diastatic power (munich, 2-row, etc) will contribute alpha-amalase enzymes to help break down its own starches as well as the starches that the lower diastastic malts (roasted, chocolate) release during the mash. This will cause more simple sugars (maltose?) to be in the wort, resulting in a higher ABV beer, right?

Are you saying that just adding a pound of grain will not contribute significantly to the amount of fermentables?

Again, maybe I'm off base, but I'm trying to get a better idea of how this works. Cheers

 

[GlenF]

The specialty malts you listed don't require mashing and won't contribute much at all to fermentables. I'd just add another lb. or so of extract if you want higher OG.

With that much choco and roasted, it will probably be very dark and bitter, like a stout.