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Did a variation on Vossey's oatmeal stout today, in preparation for Christmas.

Pale Malt: 4kg
Crystal Malt: 0.25kg
Chocolate Malt: 0.25kg
Roasted Barley: 0.25kg
Toasted Oatmeal: 0.3kg

Ended up being a 100 minute mash (as we added some finings to AG#1 and drew off 2 bottles worth)

90 Mins:

Golding: 67g 4%a/a
Challenger: 10g 6%a/a

Irish Moss at 90 mins.

Brew Length: 23L
Total liquor: 33.4L
Mash liquor: 12.6L
33 IBUs
256EBC

Ended up with 21L so jugged in another 1L but still ended up with an OG way above the expected 1048 at 1060. Not sure how that's happened but that would suggest an efficiency approaching 90%. Anyone got any suggestions?

Revising the recipe to up the efficency to 90% puts it at OG 1058 with expected FG of 1017, beer coming out at 5.3%. It'll definitely be a strong one!

We pitched a started slurry from the last brew which has been in the fridge just over a week. There was plenty of activity in the starter but an hour after pitching there didn't seem to be much going on. If it's still not doing anything tomorrow we'll sling a sachet of US04 in.

No pctures I'm afraid but rest assured it was DARK.

Brief update:

The pitched slurry did fire up and this is it after 2 days.



Not all that thick really. I'm guessing that maybe we under-pitched?

Do different strains react differently with different beer types? This was a US05 which I'm aware is generally used more for pale ales, which is what it was recovered from.

Anyone got a view on the high SG and the yeast issues?

Mike8578 wrote:Anyone got a view on the high SG and the yeast issues?

For some reason i found that S 04 struggled with an oatmeal stout.

Maybe something like IRISH ale strain would be better? Have read a cople of things here saying that people have had a stuck ferment on oatmeal stouts.

Ah, right. That's interesting. Like I say the recovered US05 was incredibly active prior to pitching.

ANy idea on the high OG? I can't believe that a lagged plastic bucket with a batch sparge is getting 90% efficiency.

Update:

Having tweaked the recipe in GW's beer engine, to take account of the marginally reduced volume and what would appear to be an efficiency of 85% (still don't buy it) I should be expecting a FG of 1018 down from 1060. We're almost at 1018 now so I think we'll move to casking it next week.

Initial reports are much improved clarity over our 1st AG and that it tastes "bloody lovely".

As an aside I managed to get hold of a bottle of Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout yesterday so will keep for reference.

Racked off into cask this evening.

Obviously took a tasting sample. Good God! It's truly astonishing.

Looks like polished black marble, really shiny! Tastes incredibly chocolately, creamy and smoooth. I can only liken it to a cross between a strong Mackeson and Marble Brewery's Chocolate (stout), but way, way better.

We bottled two small 250ml bottles and the rest will sit in the cask for a couple of weeks before bottling. This stuff is going to last about 5 minutes at Christmas.

Here's a rubbish phone camera pic:

Well I'm suppin' a Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout at the mo, and it isn't a patch on the brew I tasted last night.

Ta-daaa!



Could, if I'm being really fussy, do with a little more fizz. But bloody hell it's gorgeous. Seriously one of the nicest souts I've ever tasted.

Turned out good then, nice one

On 2nd tasting, (last night for the purposes of this friday's works x-mas doo beer tasting) I actually think it's just fine on the fizz.

I'm in danger of necking it all before Christmas though!

Looks like a good brew, may try this myself.