Oatmeal and the mythical smooth, viscous and silky mouthfeel

[Yooper]

Here is the grain bill from my most recent stout, which I call an Irish dry oatmeal stout. This one was brewed to OG 1.047, 4.8% ABV. It has plenty of smoothness, especially if allowed to warm to a more traditional serving temperature.

UK pale 70%
Flaked barley 9%
Flaked oats 7%
Roasted barley 7.3%
Carafa II 2.7%
Crystal 80L 4%

Yooper has a good oatmeal stout recipe I've had good results using 3 or 4 times.

I think the key to this having a rich full body (without being 'thick') is the flaked barley.

Oats give a creaminess to the beer, but not body. What I really like for that rich mouthfeel (but not sweet or thick!) is using Wyeast 1450 (Denny's Favorite) as the yeast strain.

In my recipe, between the oats (for slickness), flaked oat (for body and a rocky head) and that yeast strain (rich mouthfeel), I think it's very drinkable but not too thick or heavy.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Interesting thread. I have an Oatmeal Stout that I have brewed many times. I do really enjoy it but have not been able to get the mouthfeel that I wanted. It is a 5 gal batch with 2 lbs of flaked oats and 1 lb of flaked wheat.

I have played around enough with mash temps to learn that it is not the easy switch that I once thought.

The one thing that I have found to have biggest impact on mouthfeel is ABV. Alcohol adds a lot of body/mouthfeel/sweetness to a beer. The problem is that I have jacked my recipe up to near 8% and I want to pull it back in to the 6.5% range.

I have not brewed this recipe since I started playing with water chemistry. I do believe that a water profile with a good amount of both Sulfate (~75 ppm) and Chloride (~100 ppm...maybe higher) will help.

I need to play around more with Flaked Barley (never used it before) and Carapils (I am not sure how much impact it really has) and other adjuncts (like Malted Wheat vs Flaked Wheat).

 

[MaxStout]

I think the key to this having a rich full body (without being 'thick') is the flaked barley.

Oats give a creaminess to the beer, but not body. What I really like for that rich mouthfeel (but not sweet or thick!) is using Wyeast 1450 (Denny's Favorite) as the yeast strain.

In my recipe, between the oats (for slickness), flaked oat (for body and a rocky head) and that yeast strain (rich mouthfeel), I think it's very drinkable but not too thick or heavy.

+1 on Denny's. That yeast really makes it.

 

[LittleRiver]

+1 on Denny's. That yeast really makes it.

Agreed.

It's also a great for many other styles. I've used it more than any other yeast.

 

[MaxStout]

Interesting thread. I have an Oatmeal Stout that I have brewed many times. I do really enjoy it but have not been able to get the mouthfeel that I wanted. It is a 5 gal batch with 2 lbs of flaked oats and 1 lb of flaked wheat.

I have played around enough with mash temps to learn that it is not the easy switch that I once thought.

The one thing that I have found to have biggest impact on mouthfeel is ABV. Alcohol adds a lot of body/mouthfeel/sweetness to a beer. The problem is that I have jacked my recipe up to near 8% and I want to pull it back in to the 6.5% range.

I have not brewed this recipe since I started playing with water chemistry. I do believe that a water profile with a good amount of both Sulfate (~75 ppm) and Chloride (~100 ppm...maybe higher) will help.

I need to play around more with Flaked Barley (never used it before) and Carapils (I am not sure how much impact it really has) and other adjuncts (like Malted Wheat vs Flaked Wheat).

Add 4 or 5% flaked barley in your next one and mash around 154-156F, that might help. You should be able to brew a rich, smooth OS without having to push the ABV into imperial stout territory. Try a Samuel Smith OS, it's rich and creamy at about 5%.

 

[dmtaylor]

I need to play around more with Flaked Barley (never used it before)

Good effect

and Carapils (I am not sure how much impact it really has)

Zero effect

and other adjuncts (like Malted Wheat vs Flaked Wheat).

Low to moderate effect.

Cheers.

 

[rhys333]

I’ve got a 100% rye fermenting now. It’s kind of got the consistency of thin pudding, despite a lengthy beta-glucan rest. Hoping it thins out!

Sounds... interesting. Like sipping from a spittoon!