Stratified wort

[Todd820]

Experienced something unusual for me last night about 3 hours after pitching into an oatmeal stout. I went in to check on the batch and noted that the volume was stratified about 50/50. Lower half was noticeably lighter in color than the top half. Fermentation had not started yet, and this morning when I went back to check (13 hours post pitch) I had noticeable fermentation activity and the stratification was gone.

I have never brewed with oatmeal before and add to that, this recipe called for adding .5 lbs of steel cut oats with 15 minutes left in the boil. This sure added a sticky pile of goo to the batch that I am assuming is not fermentable.

Can anyone tell me if this is normal or expected? Everything to this point seems totally fine and I have vigorous fermentation activity.

 

[unionrdr]

The stratification is just trub, etc settling out before visible fermentation started. So when visible fermentation got going, the swirling action it creates naturally stirred it up again. Also seems rather odd to me to add the oats to the end of the boil, rather than in the mash?

 

[Sippin37]

Totally normal. Cold crash once fermentation is done and siphon from above all the turn. Beer will be great!

 

[Todd820]

Thanks. Certainly used to seeing the layer of gunk at the bottom, just not used to seeing a distinct layer at about 1/2 my total volume. Probably just looking at it earlier than normal.

This recipe had me mash 1 lb of quick rolled oats to the mash and then add .5 lbs of steel cut oats with 15 minutes left in the boil. Gonna be like breakfast in a glass!

 

[unionrdr]

Seems to me the oats added to the boil would add some starch haze?