Thoughts on Winter Beer Recipe

[torilen]

I posted this a few days ago...asking for ideas on a good winter beer to brew:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=589897


Here is what I have come up with so far...something fairly plain, but should give me a good start, I think.

1 Gallon water (1 gallon batch)
1.5lbs Dark LME

Steeping grains:
8oz flaked barley
8oz flaked oats
8oz Dark Munich

4oz brown sugar (to up the ABV a touch, and to add a bit holiday cheer)

Simcoe hops - I decided to use this hop because it is what is used in the Weyerbacher Quad - I know I like that beer, so I figured I couldn't go wrong using it. Not looking for a lot of hop flavor...so most likely just a pinch or two at the beginning of the boil, and a pinch in the last 10 minutes or so.

Perhaps, after racking to secondary, some oak chips soaked in something for a little bit before bottling.

 

[torilen]

Oh yes...an online calculator says I should get about 6.86%ABV without the brown sugar, and
7.98% with the brown sugar. I'd like it a little higher, but I can work with this for now.

 

[torilen]

2lbs dark lme
16oz flaked barley
8oz flaked oats (I meant to use rolled oats - I forgot)
8oz dark munich (I'll probably sub this for black patent next time, maybe)

I found out I didn't have brown sugar until after I started...so I substituted with this:
3 tablespoons cane sugar
1 tablespoon molasses

2 tablespoons honey

pinch of simcoe hops at start of boil
pinch of simcoe hops at last 10 minutes

 

[imasickboy]

Rolled oat are the same as flaked oats

The difference between regular oats and quick oats is only that quick oats are chopped finer.

Oat malt is different.

 

[JJack887]

Weyerbacher is great. Never had their quad, though. Hope it turns out well.

 

[torilen]

Imasickboy - I know. I meant to use rolled oats only so I didn't have to spend the extra money on flaked oats - since we regularly have rolled oats in the house for eating.

Jjack - so far...it's not turning out quite as dark as I had hoped. That's why I said I would sub for the black patent next time. I gave it a quick taste today (using a sterilized straw)...it's not bad. It definitely has more hops than I would like. But it will do for a first try at a beer.

For a very simple recipe - it's a keeper - a little tweaking here and there, and I think it could be a good beer.

 

[torilen]

So - This beer has actually turned out not too bad, for my first beer. It is quite a bit more hoppy than I was hoping for, but I know how to fix that for next time. But then again, it is not "horrible", so I might not fix it...we'll see.

I do have one question. There is a very thick layer of lighter colored liquid at the bottom of the fermenter. I wouldn't think this is all yeast...could this be unconverted starches from the barley and/or oats? I steeped them, with the dark munich grains, at the right temperature (around 150F) for about 30 minutes.

 

[torilen]

OH...I did up the sugar to 5 tablespoons, and the honey to 4 tablespoons.