"Strong" Oatmeal Stout

[DanOmite]

I made a thread earlier about a stout recipe, but I have now decided to go with a higher gravity oatmeal stout. Here is what I have:

Oatmeal Stout (3-gallon)

Ingredients

Malt
• 3.30 lb LME (44%)
• 1.60 lb DME (22%)

Specialty Grains
• 0.90 lb Flaked Oats (12%)
• 0.60 lb Chocolate (8%)
• 0.30 lb Crystal 90L (4%)
• 0.30 lb Dextrine / Cara-pils (4%)
• 0.30 lb Roasted Barley (4%)
• 0.15 lb Black Patent (2%)

Extra Stuff
• 1 tablespoon Irish Moss (15 minutes left in boil)

Hops
• 0.40 oz Warrior 16%AA (60 minutes)

Yeast
• White Labs English Ale

Beertools info:

OG:1.080
FG:1.019
ABV: 8.0%

I am wondering if the black patent is really needed, but then again, it adds a lot of color, even in small amounts. Also, I don't want the beer to have a strong alcohol taste, at least when it is chilled. I am not sure if the ABV is too much given my grain bill. I would like this to be a strong beer my friends and family will enjoy during the fall season. Not a beer that only my brewing buddies and imperial ale loving friends will like.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[GuldTuborg]

Consider using all light ME. I know some people like the darker MEs, but the problem is they already have some dark grains mixed in. That's not a problem if you use the stuff all the time, and have a good sense for the flavor, but if you don't know it well, you're adding an unknown amount of darker specialty grains in using it, which could possibly throw the recipe out of whack.

Pitching your yeast very cool, at 62-65F would help minimize the alcohol hotness of the finished product. Given how dark this is, the irish moss sure isn't required. I don't know if it will hurt things, necessarily, but I wouldn't think it'll help much, either. This looks like it will be a fairly malty stout with a light-medium roasty, dark flavor. That's my best guess, anyway. If that's what you're wanting, full speed ahead, I say.

 

[DanOmite]

Consider using all light ME. I know some people like the darker MEs, but the problem is they already have some dark grains mixed in. That's not a problem if you use the stuff all the time, and have a good sense for the flavor, but if you don't know it well, you're adding an unknown amount of darker specialty grains in using it, which could possibly throw the recipe out of whack.

Pitching your yeast very cool, at 62-65F would help minimize the alcohol hotness of the finished product. Given how dark this is, the irish moss sure isn't required. I don't know if it will hurt things, necessarily, but I wouldn't think it'll help much, either. This looks like it will be a fairly malty stout with a light-medium roasty, dark flavor. That's my best guess, anyway. If that's what you're wanting, full speed ahead, I say.

The D in DME stands for "dry". I do not plan on using any dark malt extract. Sorry for not being more clear.

Yeah, I am worried about it being too malty, but at the same time I think that many people will enjoy that. I usually make pretty hoppy stuff, so it will be change of pace.

Do you think the hops will be enough? According to "BeerTools" I will hit approximately 45 IBUs with that amount.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[GuldTuborg]

The D in DME stands for "dry".

My bad. I've been sick these past 2 days and my head's not on right. For some reason that just processed as dark.

With an BU:GU ratio of roughly 1:2, this will be solidly malty. Not that that's a bad thing; a lot of people like their stouts that way. If you plan to drink it young, and you want a maltier drink for the non-IIPA drinkers, it might be a good way to go. At even 6 months of age, the hops might just disappear and you'll have something hopped a bit like a dubbel - dark, strong, malty, very little hop presence. With a smallish amount of crystal malts, and similar types, you might not have a whole lot of sweetness, so I think the hopping rate is definitely tenable as is, but I'm sure the body of the beer could stand up to more. It'll be good any way you do it, I guess you just have to decide how you like it.