Oatmeal Stout Yooper's Oatmeal Stout

[GrogNerd]

for this brew I had no choice but to rack into a secondary and get it off the cake due to the fact that it already fermented 4 points over

not following the reasoning here. no reason to slow it down, you want it to finish

For the second batch, I wanted to slow the fermentation down as much as possible since it Fermented 4 points over. (1.012 FG versus the 1.016 the recipe calls for). So secondary seemed like the way to go. (Someone please tell me if this was the right thing to do)

4 points UNDER what the recipe says is not a bad thing, the yeast just did a better job than expected.

you can secondary, but there is much debate whether they're necessary for a batch of normal-sized beer which is not having additional sugars added (a secondary fermentation, hence the name)

bottle when gravity does not change between successive readings over several days, not when one reading reaches the recipe's stated goal.

I bottled my Grodziskie to 3.5 volumes with no gushers or bottle bombs, don't be afraid to prime on the high side. you just have to make absolutely sure primary fermentation is done.

 

[mesooohoppy]

That hiss suggests that you have some CO2 in the headspace. But the beer is sort of flat? How long are you refrigerating the bottles before serving? Giving them a couple days in the fridge will allow more of that CO2 to dissolve in the beer.

Yep. There is a bit of a white 'haze' in the neck of the bottle prior to pouring. I am assuming this is co2.

I have had this batch sit in the fridge anywhere from 1 day to a week. I actually have one left in the fridge (it's been in there for about 2 weeks). I might crack it this weekend, although I know it's still going to be flat.

Glad that I have seemed to found the culprit here. I 'helped' someone brew an oktoberfest on his fancy system, he recommended that I keg it. Well I am not ready for kegging yet. It's currently lagering in bottle in the fridge. I will try and warm it up a couple of degrees and see if that does anything. If not, I may add some dry lager yeast and re cap.

Thanks for the help everyone. Love this forum!

 

[mesooohoppy]

not following the reasoning here. no reason to slow it down, you want it to finish



4 points UNDER what the recipe says is not a bad thing, the yeast just did a better job than expected.

you can secondary, but there is much debate whether they're necessary for a batch of normal-sized beer which is not having additional sugars added (a secondary fermentation, hence the name)

bottle when gravity does not change between successive readings over several days, not when one reading reaches the recipe's stated goal.

I bottled my Grodziskie to 3.5 volumes with no gushers or bottle bombs, don't be afraid to prime on the high side. you just have to make absolutely sure primary fermentation is done.

Correct me if I I am wrong, but if I ferment 4 points over that makes a dryer beer, correct? What if I don't want a dryer beer? What if I am trying to be consistent with the recipe? As a rookie, I am trying to get my numbers as close as possible to the recipe. Getting it off the cake seemed like the smart thing to do, since I wanted the bulk of fermentation to cease.

If that's a stupid idea, please tell me how I can get most of the fermentation to stop without secondarying.

 

[GrogNerd]

you don't want to stop fermentation, you want it to finish.

can you really tell how much drier one beer is over another that finished .004 gravity points higher? I'm sure some of the others on this board could, Yooper included, but I know I couldn't

consistency with a recipe is great, practice will help. but is it worth dumping your batches because you insist on consistency above all else? work on process first, consistency should follow

Check the accuracy of your thermometer, it might be off. Mash higher for lower attenuation

 

[TallDan]

Correct me if I I am wrong, but if I ferment 4 points over that makes a dryer beer, correct? What if I don't want a dryer beer? What if I am trying to be consistent with the recipe? As a rookie, I am trying to get my numbers as close as possible to the recipe. Getting it off the cake seemed like the smart thing to do, since I wanted the bulk of fermentation to cease.

If that's a stupid idea, please tell me how I can get most of the fermentation to stop without secondarying.

You do not control FG by stopping fermentation. You control FG by controlling mash temperature. Higher mash temp = less fermentable wort = higher FG.

Stopping fermentation is how you make overcarbonated beer, bottle bombs and gushers.

 

[Biscuits]

This thread has taken a turn, but I want to bring it back and comment on how awesome this recipe is. I kegged (for the first time ever) this recipe, Yooper's Oatmeal Stout, and since I am amongst the impatient on this forum, I have only had it force carb'ing for 24 hours @ 25 PSI / 40 degrees, which means, it is not yet carbonated..but I pulled a sample anyway and...well....MIND = BLOWN!

I am thinking a lot came together when I brewed this....water chemistry especially...but not to discount how well put together the grain bill / hop additions are. @Yooper, you nailed this one!

The aroma is roasty and sweet, the taste/mouthfeel is creamy, sweet, malty, and roasty..hints of chocolate, coffee, and caramel....BLISS.

Nothing else to say except that this will be a holiday (maybe more) tradition from now on.

 

[mesooohoppy]

you don't want to stop fermentation, you want it to finish.

can you really tell how much drier one beer is over another that finished .004 gravity points higher? I'm sure some of the others on this board could, Yooper included, but I know I couldn't

consistency with a recipe is great, practice will help. but is it worth dumping your batches because you insist on consistency above all else? work on process first, consistency should follow

Check the accuracy of your thermometer, it might be off. Mash higher for lower attenuation

Not trying to be an ass, I am looking for knowledge; why would I want to let it finish?

No, I cannot tell the difference, you are correct. But I am trying to improve my process and be more consistant. I don't have anyone locally who can help me on my system, so I really only have this forum and Google (which sometimes can be bad because I will read two different things). I dont care for the other forums. Thank you for your help.

 

[mesooohoppy]

You do not control FG by stopping fermentation. You control FG by controlling mash temperature. Higher mash temp = less fermentable wort = higher FG.

Stopping fermentation is how you make overcarbonated beer, bottle bombs and gushers.

Can you please elaborate on the overcabonated/bomb/gusher comment? If I 'secondary' and leave most of the yeast behind, I am curious how it could over carbonate in the bottle with the lack of yeast.

 

[TallDan]

Can you please elaborate on the overcabonated/bomb/gusher comment? If I 'secondary' and leave most of the yeast behind, I am curious how it could over carbonate in the bottle with the lack of yeast.

You need yeast to carbonate. Yeast carbonate the beer by fermenting sugars to produce alcohol and co2, just like they do during normal fermentation. If you try to stop fermentation early, you leave those fermentable sugars in the beer. So, later when the beer is carbonating in the bottle, there is more sugar available, which means more co2. Even if you secondary, you will still have some yeast in the beer, which is good since you need it to carbonate.

Since this really isn't related to this recipe at all, you might want to create a thread to discuss this over in the bottling or beginner forum instead.

 

[mesooohoppy]

Ah, that makes perfect sense. Thank you all.

Will take this knowledge and implement for next brew day.

 

[Yooper]

This thread has taken a turn, but I want to bring it back and comment on how awesome this recipe is. I kegged (for the first time ever) this recipe, Yooper's Oatmeal Stout, and since I am amongst the impatient on this forum, I have only had it force carb'ing for 24 hours @ 25 PSI / 40 degrees, which means, it is not yet carbonated..but I pulled a sample anyway and...well....MIND = BLOWN!

I am thinking a lot came together when I brewed this....water chemistry especially...but not to discount how well put together the grain bill / hop additions are. @Yooper, you nailed this one!

The aroma is roasty and sweet, the taste/mouthfeel is creamy, sweet, malty, and roasty..hints of chocolate, coffee, and caramel....BLISS.

Nothing else to say except that this will be a holiday (maybe more) tradition from now on.

Thank you for the kind words- we love it too and I'm really happy with this recipe.

Not trying to be an ass, I am looking for knowledge; why would I want to let it finish?

No, I cannot tell the difference, you are correct. But I am trying to improve my process and be more consistant. I don't have anyone locally who can help me on my system, so I really only have this forum and Google (which sometimes can be bad because I will read two different things). I dont care for the other forums. Thank you for your help.

I love that you are trying to improve your process- but this is the recipe database, which is a repository for proven recipes, not a class on basic or advanced brewing techniques.

The rest of the forum is broken down into appropriate categories for these questions and answers, and that is a great place for questions about bottling before FG is reached, and why not to do that; or for questions on yeast attenuation. Please feel free to ask any questions at all in the forum, as that is what it is there for. The recipes database and thread is for those good recipes, and specific questions about the recipe itself and not for brewing questions.

Thanks!

 

[Nightstrife]

One cannot sinply stop fermentation by any means other than boiling. If sugars are present yeast will reproduce and eat all the available sugars. If there is alot of sugar and you bottle it you will keep all the co2 and create overcarbed or possibly a bottle bomb.

The only way to control your final gravity is in the mash temp/mix/boil process.

Good luck sir!

 

[mblanks2]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Biscuits View Post
This thread has taken a turn, but I want to bring it back and comment on how awesome this recipe is. I kegged (for the first time ever) this recipe, Yooper's Oatmeal Stout, and since I am amongst the impatient on this forum, I have only had it force carb'ing for 24 hours @ 25 PSI / 40 degrees, which means, it is not yet carbonated..but I pulled a sample anyway and...well....MIND = BLOWN!

I am thinking a lot came together when I brewed this....water chemistry especially...but not to discount how well put together the grain bill / hop additions are. @Yooper, you nailed this one!

The aroma is roasty and sweet, the taste/mouthfeel is creamy, sweet, malty, and roasty..hints of chocolate, coffee, and caramel....BLISS.

Nothing else to say except that this will be a holiday (maybe more) tradition from now on.
Thank you for the kind words- we love it too and I'm really happy with this recipe.

I must say I wholeheartedly agree. I did a split batch of this. I bottled 5 gallons of this that had been in secondary with 1 vanilla bean and 4 ounces of cocoa nibs that hasnt been tasted yet then I kegged 5 gallons of this all two weeks ago and it is just great. Even my wife loves it. Everyone that has tried it loves it.
Thanks Yooper for a great recipe. This will be served in my house regularly.

 

[Biscuits]

Carbonation isn't where it needs to be yet...but for the first time, maybe ever, I don't mind drinking the uncarbonated beer.

 

[BrewinBromanite]

Is your bottle capper working properly?

I'm going to second this suggestion as a very possible culprit. I've always bottled with a standard wing capper with no issues at all. Had to get a new one for the last two batches, and they were both nearly totally flat (and both didn't get any more carbed after 2 weeks).

Last batch was a 5 gal hefe that I used 5 oz of corn sugar to prime. I was completely stumped. Then someone else mentioned the possible capper issue, and I noticed upon closer inspection that nearly every bottle had a ever-so-slightly not fully crimped edge (never experienced this with my old trust capper - which is waiting patiently in storage). It's the only thing that changed in my process (the new capper). I've also heard that over time they go bad, so it may just be time for a new capper.

I ended up getting a grand total of two bottles out of the hefe batch that got a better crimp, and both were well carbed and with a full body. Needless to say I'm throwing this new capper away.

 

[BrewinBromanite]

Sorry for the off topic for this thread! Need to give this recipe a try!! Love me some stout!

 

[mblanks2]

Sorry for the off topic for this thread! Need to give this recipe a try!! Love me some stout!

You won't regret it.

 

[UncleRusty]

Just brewed this and it's pretty good, I do notice that it's ever so slightly tart though and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that way or not. The only thing I deviated on the recipe was using Nottingham instead of the British Ale yeast. It may just be that I'm so used to drinking milk stouts though, but my closest comparison would be to pit this against a Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout which I don't recall having any hint of tartness at all.

 

[Biscuits]

Just brewed this and it's pretty good, I do notice that it's ever so slightly tart though and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that way or not. The only thing I deviated on the recipe was using Nottingham instead of the British Ale yeast. It may just be that I'm so used to drinking milk stouts though, but my closest comparison would be to pit this against a Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout which I don't recall having any hint of tartness at all.

The yeast most definitely plays a factor but how long did you ferment before bottling/kegging? Yooper recommends you let it sit at least 10 days after the 21 day fermentation so the flavors can meld.

 

[schematix]

This is a long thread and I've read a lot of it, but not all, so forgive me if this has been answered.

I am planning to make this recipe with as little modification as possible. One of my LHBS stocks nearly everything this recipe asks for exactly. However, I am having a difficult time locating a local source for Black Barley 500L. I've been able to find it online, but with shipping it's going to cost me $15 to get a lb of it. So i'm wondering about the suitability of the following as substitutions.

1. Briess Roasted Barley (300L)
2. Pauls Malt (UK) Roasted Barley (500-700L)

My experience with roasted malts is minimum. Looking for opinions on which route I should take.

 

[Firewalker11]

This is a long thread and I've read a lot of it, but not all, so forgive me if this has been answered.

I am planning to make this recipe with as little modification as possible. One of my LHBS stocks nearly everything this recipe asks for exactly. However, I am having a difficult time locating a local source for Black Barley 500L. I've been able to find it online, but with shipping it's going to cost me $15 to get a lb of it. So i'm wondering about the suitability of the following as substitutions.

1. Briess Roasted Barley (300L)
2. Pauls Malt (UK) Roasted Barley (500-700L)

My experience with roasted malts is minimum. Looking for opinions on which route I should take.

Use #2, it's really a colorant and not much of a flavor adjunct. PM me, if you are in the USA, I will first class a couple ounces of the black barley you need, on me.

 

[Firewalker11]

I just finished a 5 gallon batch of Yooper's Oatmeal Stout this evening as well as a partigyle using a pound of brown sugar to increase the gravity. Boiled gravity ended up being only 1.020. BrewSmith calls it 2.6 ABV if it finishes at 1.000.

Is this in line with other partigyle brews? It is gonna be a bear to clear, lots of particulates in there.

 

[Yooper]

Just brewed this and it's pretty good, I do notice that it's ever so slightly tart though and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that way or not. The only thing I deviated on the recipe was using Nottingham instead of the British Ale yeast. It may just be that I'm so used to drinking milk stouts though, but my closest comparison would be to pit this against a Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout which I don't recall having any hint of tartness at all.

This beer is not the least bit tart. If you have a tart finish, I suspect the nottingham, which is that way if it's fermented above about 65 degrees.

I just finished a 5 gallon batch of Yooper's Oatmeal Stout this evening as well as a partigyle using a pound of brown sugar to increase the gravity. Boiled gravity ended up being only 1.020. BrewSmith calls it 2.6 ABV if it finishes at 1.000.

Is this in line with other partigyle brews? It is gonna be a bear to clear, lots of particulates in there.

It will never finish at 1.000- it should finish at 1.014-1.018. I think you may have a non-alcoholic-ish beer there. The brown sugar would not be a welcome addition, in my opinion. I think brown sugar tastes pretty horrible after it's fermented out

 

[Firewalker11]

This beer is not the least bit tart. If you have a tart finish, I suspect the nottingham, which is that way if it's fermented above about 65 degrees.



It will never finish at 1.000- it should finish at 1.014-1.018. I think you may have a non-alcoholic-ish beer there. The brown sugar would not be a welcome addition, in my opinion. I think brown sugar tastes pretty horrible after it's fermented out

Well, that is just sad. Oh well, nothing spent but the brown sugar so I will give it a taste once it's done and I may use it as a backbone for another brew... Or not.

In any case, experiments are fun to do even if they don't turn out.

In other news: The Oatmeal Stout hit the OG in the dot and tastes wonderful!

 

[UncleRusty]

The yeast most definitely plays a factor but how long did you ferment before bottling/kegging? Yooper recommends you let it sit at least 10 days after the 21 day fermentation so the flavors can meld.

I actually did a quick 2-week fermentation for this beer, however now that it's kegged and tapped on Nitro it tastes great... I'm sure it will only get better with time.

 

[askchucky]

Going to try this recipe for the first time on new years day. Pretty excited to see how it turns out. I was thinking of taking two gallons and trying a brett yeast on top of the english ale. Anyone tried making this funky?

 

[Chris_Primavera]

Yes, I think it would be fine although I'd try to use a 1/2 cup of yeast from somewhere "cleanest" and try to avoid most of the hops debris in there.

OK, I was disappointed in the results.
After three weeks in the primary and two weeks bottle conditioning, I had a sweet, unbalanced mess with zero head retention. I was going to dump it to free up the bottles but decided to keep it for cooking.

Fast forward another month and I'm out of beer.
Desperate, I throw a couple of bottles in the fridge and low and behold, the beer gods have transformed this into an outstanding food-friendly stout.

Now if I could just get SWMBO to get over the color.

 

[Firewalker11]

My batch is happily bubbling away today and will make its way into the keg tomorrow to condition. So far, the sample I pulled to measure gravity tastes very nice as it is starting to lose its sweetness already.

 

[burninator]

Anyone get a light oily film in the carboy? Mine's been sitting for about a month, and I'm ready to bottle, but it looks a little odd. Could it be the oats?

 

[BrewMeister49]

Pics?