Brewing Master

Question:

I am brewing 2nd batch soon, first was Cooper Bitter from kit. The 2nd I wanted to be more like a Youngs Oatmeal Stout, I purchased another Kit Mountmellick Products "Famous Irish Stout".  I planned on adding 2cups of oatmeal at the final 10 min of the boil then strain the wort.  Is this a good idea or am I not getting much flavor? Help is greatly appreciated. Paul

Response:

Depending on the size batch… I use 1 1/2 lbs of oatmeal for a 5 gallon batch, but I don’t add it in at the end of the boil.  I steep and hold at 150 160 degrees for 30 minutes like I do with any specialty grain.  So far it has turned out great.  Oatmeal make a gelatinous mess, so I use a big grain bag.

Response:

Depending on the size batch… I use 1 1/2 lbs of oatmeal for a 5 gallon batch, but I don’t add it in at the end of the boil.  I steep and hold at 150 160 degrees for 30 minutes like I do with any specialty grain.  So far it has turned out great.  Oatmeal make a gelatinous mess, so I use a big grain bag.

If you added perhaps three quarters of a pound of crushed two row or six row, mixed well with that oatmeal, i suspect you’d get even better results, and less of the gelatinous mess. The enzymes in the malted barley will help convert the starches in the oatmeal.   My first all grain oatmeal stout had a serious problem in the mash:  i added the oatmeal (about 5 lbs) loose on top of the grain after the protein rest.  When i added boiling water to raise to mash temp, it went straight onto the oatmeal, whcih then did the oatmeal thing–PUFF! My 48 quart cooler couldn’t hold the expanded grain; it filled it to the top, and then a 24 qt as well . . . sparging was an adventure. Anyway, the point is that i suspect you’ll get more from your oatmeal if you give it what it needs to mash.  I have a mash extract porter that uses about 4 lbs of grain that is almost indistinguishable from an all grain.   good luck Rick — R E HAWKINS

Response:

I am brewing 2nd batch soon, first was Cooper Bitter from kit. The 2nd I wanted to be more like a Youngs Oatmeal Stout, I purchased another Kit Mountmellick Products "Famous Irish Stout".  I planned on adding 2cups of oatmeal at the final 10 min of the boil then strain the wort.  Is this a good idea or am I not getting much flavor? Help is greatly appreciated. Paul

I just bottled my first oatmeal stout,Iused a partial mash,1#pale,2# flaked oats,1/2# black barley,mashed 40 mins.used 7# dark ext. Looks and smells pretty wicked,will let you know how it turns out!!

Response:

I am brewing 2nd batch soon, first was Cooper Bitter from kit. The 2nd I wanted to be more like a Youngs Oatmeal Stout, I purchased another Kit Mountmellick Products "Famous Irish Stout".  I planned on adding 2cups of oatmeal at the final 10 min of the boil then strain the wort.  Is this a good idea or am I not getting much flavor? Help is greatly appreciated.

If you do that, you will end up with a starchy beer. Oatmeal needs enzymes from other grains to allow conversion, and such can only be done in a partial or complete mash. JP

Response: