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Caolan95

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Hi im trying my first move into using grain instead of extract/steep and am planing to make a smoked stout using a partial mash/ extract method and am wondering thoughts on the recipe. It is a 5 gallon batch using a partial boil. The recipe is:
1 kg Extra light DME (23.3%)
1kg light DME (23.3%)
0.5kg Wheat DME (11.6%)

0.3kg biscuit malt (6.8%)
0.3kg Flaked oats (6.8%)
0.4kg Flaked barley (9.1%)
0.1Kg Peated malt (2.3%)
0.4kg Roasted barley (6.8%)
0.3kg Chocolate malt (6.8%)
0.2kg Crystal rye (6.8%)

Using brewers friend this gives a predcited abv of ~5% i would like to make it a little stronger just incase of poor conversion so it ends up around 5-5.5% and am not sure what other malts to consider or what ones to increase. May not use peated malt if its not available but i would swap for another smoked malt, is this percentage too high. Probably use an english ale yeast but am open to suggestions. Hop wise i havent decided but will probably use a neutral aroma bittering hop with a high alpha acid content. Again im quite new to this so any suggestions are welcome. Also is there any benifits using both flaked oats and barley or should i just stick to one of them.
 
Seems awfully complicated for your first go. I'd drop the wheat dme, biscuit, flaked oats, and chocolate rye. I've never used peated malt, but don't think the description sounds like something that I'd care for.
 
What is your setup for mini-mash? Going from extract to grain adds complexity even in a mini-mash.
Wheat DME wouldn't be noticed in a stout, same with EL-DME. Most extract and Mini-Mash just use pale/light DME since the flavor comes from your specialty grains.
Peated malt imparts a flavor that is used in Scottish ales, there are straight smoked malts available that would give a smoky flavor without the "Old Chub" flavor.
As for the flaked oats/barley. many stouts use flaked oats to add mouthfeel/head retention, but roasted barley instead of flaked
for example here is the grain bill for an All Grain Imperial mocha stout I wrote. (the pale malt being the base grain. ratios of flavoring grains would be different in a mini-mash)

for an extract version at ~8% ABV, the pale malt would be replaced by about 4.5kg pale DME. the specialty grains could just be steeped at that point, though I suppose if you would like to experiment with a mini-mash using the specialty grains it probably wont hurt anything except make your OG a bit more unpredictable.

7.25kg Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
.5kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
.5kg Coffee Malt (150.0 SRM)
.2kg Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)
.2kg Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
.2kg Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)
.2kg Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
 
I'll endorse the previous comments and add a few of my own. You may want to use a cherry smoked malt instead of peat for more of a traditional smoked flavor than the mustiness that peat gives. Also, if you want a truly smoked flavor, you'll need more smoked malt. I did a smoked stout with 10% cherry smoked malt and it was barely noticeable. You'll want more like 15-20% for a smokey flavor.
 
I don't think I have ever done a Partial Mash (just steeping grains and all grain). I don't think your grain mix has enough "Diastatic Power" for conversion...which means you would not get sugars out of your grains which seems like it would really just be a "extract/steep" batch with more grains being steeped. Most of your listed additions would provide flavor if steeped, but I would think Flaked Oats and Flaked Barley need to be mashed to provide any real value.

Diastatic Power is not something I worry about with an all grain batch because the ~80% base malt has plenty of Diastatic Power. The following is an article that came up in a search that talks about calculating Diastatic Power, and about issues with partial mashes: https://www.thespruceeats.com/all-about-diastatic-power-4029593
 
Hi, thanks for all the replies, ive changed the recipe a bit, due to what was available at my LHBS, in relation to the DME that im using, it was just what i had lying about, hence the light and extra light. In regards to the wheat, i was hoping it would just add a bit more creamyiness to the beer and aid in head retention rather than addding a noticable wheat flavour.

Ive dropped the flaked barley and am using crystal 55 instead of the crystal rye due to availablity. My thinking is to try and balence some of the more acrid notes of the roasted grains to prevent it being to ashy. I take your point about the potentially lack of diasatic power. Do you reckon if i add 1 kg of marris otter pale to the grain bill this will solve this. However in the intrest of making my life a little easier could i not use some more DME and then mash for longer/ incorprate a step mash to allow for the longer chain sugars to be broken down.

I could not get hold of any peat malt, instead i got some weyermans rauch malt. Im unsure of the % to use, im going for a subtle smoky flavour rather than in your face. I was advised that anything over 5% would be a prominent flavour, im curious on your thoughts.
One last thing is what are your thoughts of using biscuit malt in stout .

My set up is doing a partial boil of about 12 litres on my stove top and using a BIAB to mash my grains. Then after chilling diluting down in the fermentor until i reach my target OG.

The new recipe and once againb thanks for your help

1 kg Dry Malt Extract - Extra Light 18.7%
1 kg Dry Malt Extract - Light 18.7%
0.5 kg Dry Malt Extract - Wheat 9.3%
1kg Marris otter 18.7%
0.5 kg Flaked Oats 33 9.3%
0.2 kg Belgian - Biscuit 3.7%
0.35 kg Roasted Barley 6.5%
0.2 kg Chocolate 34 425 3.7%
0.2 kg Crystal 55L 34 55 3.7%
weyermans rauch malt
 
So many things to say...

First of all, yes, adding a pound or two of maris otter, or even better, Pale 2-row, will add a lot more diastatic power to the mix. If you're *really* worried, add a pound of American 6-row, as the diastatic power of that grain is off the charts. Should be more than enough to convert. Also, both of those will raise your OG, aiding in higher ABV, as you said. That said, DON'T drop the flaked barley, as that's what gives wicked head retention, not the wheat. Drop the wheat. Creaminess you'll get from the flaked oats, so leave those in. Crystal 55 a much, much better choice than the rye. Now, as far as smoke, yes, it's subtle stuff. A fine line between a whisper and a scream. I use Briess Cherry Smoked Malt myself, and yes, I'd go up to 20% to get a smoke flavor you can sense. Were it me, I'd drop the wheat and go for 1kg of the Rauch malt. I'd use a Wyeast London Ale yeast on this, and 1oz of Willamette at 60 min. to hop it up, maybe 0.5 oz. of East Kent Goldings at 5 min for a little more bite.
 
I have some torrified flaked barley I could use, how does this compare to normal flaked barley
 
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