Oat Wine - feedback please

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Well, I haven't done anything yet. I decided to wait a couple days and see if the gravity changed at all. If it doesn't, I'll probably rouse the yeast a bit when I add some sugar. And I'm thinking I'll just boil some table sugar to get it dissolved and sanitized, then stir it up a little like you suggested.

Like you said, it's a big enough beer that 1.028 might not be that bad. It's just a little higher than I was hoping. Plus a little sugar will push it closer to the originally intended ABV.

 

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So, here's the current update.

I did end up adding 8 oz. of sugar. But then, there was no activity and the gravity didn't drop. I think the yeast ate up the added sugar, but that didn't help get it going enough to take it any further than it had gone before. So, I decided to pitch a different yeast to help it out. I had a packet of BRY-97 that had been sitting around a while, and decided to throw it in.

My thought was that I already got all the flavor from the 1882 Thames Valley II, so the fresh yeast could help get a little more attenuation without doing much to change the flavor. The BRY-97 was slow to get going, as it normally is, but then my SWMBO commented on smelling some fermentation activity (yeah, she's putting up with having a fermenter in the bedroom, because it's better than having it in the living room). So, I thought I was golden and the next day I was going to take a gravity reading...

...and I broke my hydrometer.

Luckily, it didn't break in a beer or anything that tragic. It was just in my bucket of sanitizer. That hydrometer was the one from my initial homebrew starter equipment kit, so it lasted a good 4 years before giving up the ghost. But anyway, I ordered a new hydrometer and took that as a chance to order some other stuff as well ( ), because if I'm going to pay for shipping, then I may as well make it worth it. And if I'm going to order some extra stuff, I may as well order enough to get free shipping from love2brew.com, so now I'm getting ingredients for a batch of a Biere de Mars (from Northern Brewer's recipe, but cheaper with the free shipping from L2B), a new bottling bucket so my old one can be just for sours, and I'm restocking the fridge with yeast for bottling aged beers and some standard back ups.

Anyway, my order should get here on Wednesday, so I'll have a more substantive update later this week.

I'm still waffling on a decision about the apples/cinnamon/nutmeg. Maybe a taste when I take the gravity reading will help clear that up.

 

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Woot!

My new hydrometer came yesterday, so I was able to take a gravity reading today. It is sitting at 1.025 after adding sugar and the extra yeast. The added sugar would have bumped up the OG to 1.098, so the ABV is 9.7% at this point.

I'm happy with all of those numbers. Now I just have to decide if I want to go with the spices and apples, or the oak. Or both?

I measured the gravity right in the bucket and I didn't grab my thief from my brewing gear, so I didn't take a taste sample yet. I might do that this weekend to help me decide what to do next.

 

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Alright. Update time.

I haven't taken another gravity reading, but I've made a couple other additions and decisions.

I added a piece of oak for just a couple days (it spent a day in a best bitter, then 3 days in this oat wine, then moved on to an old ale). It was a piece of the Black Swan honey comb barrel alternative. I realize 3 days probably didn't add a lot, but I just wanted a subtle hint of oak, so it should be good. It was mostly for the purpose of softening the oak for successive beers.

That was a few days ago. Just now, I added some spices. A good amount of cinnamon sticks, a small chunk of smashed nutmeg, and a few small pieces of star anise equal to less than one whole star. I'll monitor it closely and probably remove that pouch of spices in a couple days, or go ahead and rack it into a bottling bucket and bottle it up. I'll let it age a fair amount in the bottle, as I typically do with high gravity beers.

So, that's where I'm at. I decided not to bother with the caramelized apples, because that seemed less of a sure thing in terms of the resulting flavor.

 

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Just transferred it to secondary to get it off of the spices. Checked the gravity again and I'd say it's at 1.024, but I'm not sure it's really changed since that last reading I took. I think it was just a matter of error in reading the hydrometer. Regardless, I'm not bottling it for at least another few weeks, so I'll take another reading then and see if it seems to still be dropping gravity points. I doubt it is, though.

I took a sample to taste and it is velvety smooth, rich, and the spices are just at the level I wanted - mostly an undertone, but definitely present. The star anise really pops in this. It's not super pronounced, but it complements the malt flavors really well. There aren't any off-flavors that I can pick out at this point. It isn't hot at all. Just malty and rich, with a smooth mouth feel.

I think a little bit of carbonation can really make this beer come alive. At this point, I'm thinking I'll bottle it up in the next month or so (when I can find the time). Then I'll probably let it sit in the basement through the summer and break into it in the fall. This isn't exactly a refreshing summer beer.

Of course, I'll probably crack into a bottle or two sooner than that, but I'll want to save as much as I can for cooler weather.

 

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So, I finally ended up bottling this beer at the end of the summer and have recently cracked into a few bottles.

Short story: it is delicious.

Self-indulgent details: Malty and a bit caramelly. Rich, smooth texture and full body, but not overly sweet. The spices are subtle, but present (just the way I wanted them). The tiny bit of oak adds some complexity without being obvious. Besides the ultra-creaminess, the 5 lbs. of oats added a nuttiness that verges on an umami type flavor. It essentially turned out like a beer version of a nice, warm bowl of oatmeal on a cold morning when you are snowed in and can't leave the house.

Basically, for imagining this beer without any real world reference point, I think I pretty much nailed exactly what I was going for. As much of a pain in the ass as the mash was, I think I would totally brew this again. And I can't think of any part of the recipe I would purposely change. I might swap out hops, depending on what I have in the freezer. Besides that possibility, I think this is a keeper.

It's pretty much exactly what I like about winter warmers without the parts that annoy me.

Also, writing this made me want to pour one. I think I'll go do that.

 

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This batch has almost run dry. I've tried to savor it and keep some around to let it age a bit, but it was just too good and I've drunk up most of it.

Might be time to re-brew it. :rockin: