Blackberry Oatmeal Stout AG37 03/03/12

[CestrIan]

The plan is to brew a normal oatmeal stout and then add the fruit towards the end of fermentation. I've had about 7-8Kg of blackberrys in the freezer since the autumn which were collected from local hedgerows. I've been meaning to make this for a while. I will probably split the fruit over two brews

The hops are pacific jade and the yeast is WLP006 bedford ale yeast. I'm hoping that both will keep it fruity. Fermented at 21C.

This is my standard oatmeal stout recipe. I aimed for 1050 OG as I figured the fruit will add some fermentables which is difficult to measure as it's at the end of fermentation.

Pale Malt 3600 grams
Munich Malt 700 grams
Oat Flakes 400 grams
Amber Malt 300 grams
Crystal Malt, Dark 300 grams
Crystal Malt 250 grams
Roasted Barley 200 grams
Chocolate Malt 200 grams

42 IBU target
20g Pacific jade 60 min
20g Pacific jade 15 min

Yeast : WLP006 Repitch from last brew
Yeast pitched @ 21 C
1050 OG
1012 FG

I've finally got organised enough to bottle my previous brew while brewing the next one. I soak the bottles in bleach while the strike water warms up, rinse during the mash and bottle and cap during the sparge/boil and while the wort cools.

Mashed at 68C

washing bottles





The sparge



Sparge in to the boiler



Bottling my last brew; single hop motueka while the boil progresses





Run off from the boiler



After 24 hours this one got a bit lively



After 48 hours the SG has dropped from 1050 to 1020. The smell from the brew fridge is fruity and it tastes fantastic. It's got real potential.

I just need to work out when to add the fruit now... maybe tomorrow.

[WishboneBrewery]

Sounds nice

[Spud395]

I've been toying with/talking about a blackberry stout for a few years now.
Let us know how it works out and maybe this year will be the one

[CestrIan]

I added the fruit to my stout tonight. I found 6Kg of Blackberrys in the freezer.



I thought I had more than this and was gonna split them in to two batches, but 3Kg didn't seem like enough fruit so they all went in to the pot.


I heated them up for 45 minutes to bring them to the boil.


Left them to stand for 20 minutes


I wasn't sure whether to put the fruit straight in the fv or in a bag but decide that I don't want pips in the bottle. So I boiled up a nylon bag.


Poured the fruit in the bag and started to rack the stout off in to a new bucket.


After racking off the first couple of gallon I put the bag of fruit in with the juice trying to keep the splashing to a minimum, but even with the floor painted red it looked like I'd murdered someone in the garage.


I was left with a gallon of stout in the original FV so I'll probably bottle it up at the weekend. It'll be good to compare with and without the blackberry's.


I'm going to leave this on the fruit for a couple of weeks and see what FG it gets down to.

[leedsbrew]

nice work! be very interested to see the end result and how it tastes!

[CestrIan]

I finally bottled this brew last night. The SG was down to 1008 after 3 weeks from brew day and 19 days on the fruit.

First removed the blackberrys.



Then added what was left of the stout that wouldn't fit in the fv with the berrys.



Bottled one in a clear bottle and I am suprised at just how purple it is. The taste has got real potential. It's like blackberrys and chocolate.

[Spud395]

Weird colour, I wonder will it clear with time (:roll: clear to black)

Although I'd love a pint that colour with a big thick oatmeal head, it'd be mad.

[Cazamodo]

how did this turn out? I loved the blackberry porter from mauldons, although it wasnt as pink .
Id like to have a go at my own, but probably not for 6 months until I can get my hand on some fresh blackberries.

[monkeyboy]

wow. missed this one first time around. That is one mad-looking pint. If it stays that colour it'll make an interesting Halloween pint!