Batch 19: Oatmeal Stout

This beer is adapted from the entry for Groves Oatmeal Stout from the Brewers Quay in the Real Ale Almanac. I liked the rather gutsy grain bill (25% oatmeal and a fair amount of black malt, too). This recipe differs from the Almanac version in the following ways:

I used equal parts Brown and Amber malts instead of all Amber because I was low on Amber malt.
The gravity is a bit low. The Real Ale Almanac gives grain bills in percentages (sometimes), so I kept the total grain bill at 10 pounds to make the math simpler.
The original recipe is bittered with Fuggles and dry-hopped with Goldings. I only had Goldings pellets on hand, so I bittered with these and used them for aroma hops in the kettle (dry-hopping with pellets is cumbersome and messy).
The IBUs may be a bit high. Or a bit low. I have little clue how bitter the original beer is.

Recipe

Grain Bill

5 lbs, 12 oz Crisp Maris-Otter
8 oz Crisp Amber Malt
8 oz Crisp Brown Malt
12 oz Black Patent Malt (unknown origin and age, second-hand leftovers)
2 lbs, 8 oz Flaked Oats (mostly organic quick-cook, plus some Quaker)

Hops

2 oz East Kent Goldings (5.7% AA) @60 minutes
0.5 oz East Kend Goldings @0 minutes

Yeast

WLP022 Essex Ale yeast top-cropped from previous batch, about 3 oz packed yeast.

Mash

Single infusion mash, 90 minutes at 150F.

Vitals

OG: 1.048
FG: 1.014
Calculated IBUs: 48 (probably less, since hops have been in freezer since last September)
Carbonation: 1/3c corn sugar in keg, sealed with 10psi.

Timeline

Brew day: May 18, 2003

12:30 pm: Mash-in at 150F. Used about 4.5 gallons to get temperature right, very thin mash. Let it convert for longer.
2:00 pm: Begin first runoff.
2:20 pm: Add 4 gallons sparge water @165F.
2:30 pm: Begin second runoff.
2:38 pm: Finish second runoff. 6.5 gallons collected, plus about a half gallon dumped. Put kettle on to boil.
3:44 pm: Boil starts.
4:09 pm: Add bittering hops.
4:30 pm: Add chiller and moss.
5:09 pm: Add aroma hops, kill burner, start chilling.
5:29 pm: Chilled to 73F, whirlpool.
6:00 pm: Rack and pitch. Racked onto yeast. Wort was quite clear.
6:20 pm: Measured OG 1.048 @73F.

Visible fermentation (no airlock, just krausen) apparent around 9-10pm. Moved fermenter to mid-60s basement at 11:00 pm. Basement dropped to low 60s the next evening.

Transferred to secondary May 24. S.G. 1.014.

Kegged June 7, S.G. 1.014. Primed with 1/3c corn sugar.

Refrigerated keg July 22.

Tasting notes

07/23/2003

Very clear and deep red in color, dark enough to appear black unless held up to a very bright light. Moderate, cask-ale level carbonation kicks up a thin head.

Aroma of coffee, with dark fruit and bright orange-citrus notes. Flavor is nutty and smooth, with a roasty chocolate/coffee edge and a lingering dry coffee/grain finish. Very full-flavored, with probably the richest roasted-grain profile of any stout I've tasted. Oats are quite evident in the texture. Overall impression: a rich, full-flavored, full-bodied, but still eminently drinkable stout, at 4.5% abv.

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