I brewed Midwest Supplies' Oatmeal Stout Extract Kit a little while ago. I did a full volume boil and ended up with about 5.25gal in the fermentor when I was done. The OG seemed a couple points low (1.039) compared to what the instructions were saying (1.042 - 1.046). It finished right where the instructions said it should, however (1.012). I bottled it last week, and although I know it's too early, I tried one after only 7 days in the bottles. I found the it to be too light in colour and in body for a stout. It didn't have the thick mouthfeel that I would associate with a good oatmeal stout. I brewed Midwest Supplies' Autumn Amber Ale Extract Kit previously and I would say this Oatmeal Stout is similar to the Autumn Amber Ale, only a little darker, and with a hint of coffee.
My question...
1) Can I expect it to darken/thicken with more bottle conditioning time?
2) If not, would you think that the colour and body could have been improved if I had used a smaller boil volume or boiled it down until a higher OG was reached?
My question...
1) Can I expect it to darken/thicken with more bottle conditioning time?
2) If not, would you think that the colour and body could have been improved if I had used a smaller boil volume or boiled it down until a higher OG was reached?