Thoughts on Oatmeal in Extract brewing

[sigeprudy1901]

So, oatmeal can't be steeped and must be mashed (or so I've read...). I live in a small apartment and only brew 2.13 Gal batches (Mr. Beer Fermenter). My brew pot is a 2 gallon stock pot and I don't see BOAB or partial mash as an option. I want to make an Oatmeal stout but need help. Below is a recipe I have been playing with based on my current supply. Question is, how do I handle the oatmeal?

Options:
1. Steep and just hope for the best
2. Add oatmeal to the wort at end of boil (grain bag) at 5 min and steep while cooling
3. Add 1lb of DME to the steeping water in an attempt to (in theory) add the enzymes to break down the oats
4. Is there a way to mini mash the oats with some victory malt in the 2 gallon pot? I don't have any true base malt.

Here is the recipe I have been working on. The OG, FG and ABV are high for an oatmeal stout as I figure that I will not get much from the oats.

Original Gravity 1.066
Final Gravity 1.018
Color 26° SRM (Dark Brown to Black)
Bitterness 27.3 IBU
Alcohol 6.4% ABV

malt & fermentables
% LB OZ MALT OR FERMENTABLE (PPG °L)

50% 2lbs. 0oz. Northern Brewer Dark LME (36 24)
25% 1lbs. 0oz. Briess Pilsen Light DME (44 2)
13% 0lbs. 8oz. Quaker Quick Oats (33 2)
06% 0lbs. 4oz. Briess Carapils (34 1)
03% 0lbs. 2oz. Simpsons Extra Dark Crystal (34 160)
03% 0lbs. 2oz. Roasted Barley - 550L (34 550)

hops
USE TIME OZ VARIETY FORM AA

boil 60 mins 1.0oz. Willamette pellet (5.5% AA)

yeast

Safale US-05 Dry Yeast

 

[BigEd]

Steeping oatmeal just gets it wet. Boiling and/or adding extract to the oatmeal will not accomplish anything. Adding a similar amount of pale malt to the equation will add some enzymes and at least get some conversion going.

 

[Calder]

Add 8 ozs Victory. With 8 ozs Oatmeal, 4 ozs Carapils, 2 ozs Crystal, and 2 ozs Roasted Barley = 1.5 lbs.

Basically do a steep in 2 quarts of water. Start with water about 165 F. Adding the grains will drop the temperature to about 155 F. Maintain the temperature of the mix between 150 and 155F for 30 minutes or more. Stirring occasionally.

Strain out the grains (keep the liquid).

Pour hot water (ideally about 170 F) over the grains to extract more sugars and add that to the other wort. Don't worry if the water is a little too hot.

......... There; you have now mashed and sparged. The key to mashing is to restrict the amount of water so the enzymes do not get too diluted.

If you have a pound of Victory, I'd suggest using a pound (it's doesn't have an over-abundance of enzymes, so more is better). If you use a pound of Victory, increase the water to 2.5 quarts