Oatmeal Stout

So I’m trying to plan ahead for the winter’s cold and I decided to try my hand at an oatmeal stout. Any hints/tips/advice to pull the style off properly?

make sure you toast your oatmeal in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

that feels way too long. I toast on the stove in a large skillet, stirring until barely golden, and do it a day or two ahead. I also mix half untoasted oats. and I use really good rolled oats from a crunchy grocery store.

Thanks for the info guys. Since I haven’t delved into this style before I think I will stick as close as my LBS can get me to Jamil’s version in Brewing Classic Styles.

i used the recipe called  McQuaker’s and toasted half the oats, then let the oats rest a few days (per Randy Mosher). except for finishing too high, this stout was very nice. wonderful mouthfeel and flavor. (I also added a cold extract of high-quality ground decaf.)

I just made this version and loved it (still loving it). I toasted in the oven longer than he recommended as I didn’t feel the oats were very toasted after his recommended time - probably 30 minutes. I also used floor malted maris otter.  It turned out great. My only mistake was not letting the oats cool before mashing them, that messed up my mash temp and I had to do some quick correction.

You can toast tor not, it’s not a “requirement” for an oatmeal stout.  I use 2 pounds of Quaker oats in the mash, per 5 gallons, untoasted and it makes a great beer.

This recipe is a modified version of one that I got from another forum:

9# American 2-row
1.5# Flaked oats
.75# Caramel 60L
.63# Chocolate Malt
.5# Roasted barley
.5# Victory malt
.13# Caramel 120L
3 oz Willamette (4.5%) - 60 min
White Labs #WLP004 Irish ale yeast

May not be 100% authentic (high IBUs), but it turned out to be an amazing beer.

Thanks for the info Kit. Maybe I’ll have to do a double batch just to see which is more my thing, lol

I brewed it for my annual fall fishing trip & one of  my buddies was hoping to have a coffee stout.
We never needed to add coffee.
It naturally has a coffee flavor that is just awesome.
Dang…I really oughta make that one this weekend.

If you enter competitions, it’s a requirement.  The judges told me they couldn’t taste a toasted oat flavor.  And they knocked off points because it didn’t taste like an oatmeal cookie.

Wanna know why I don’t enter competitions anymore?  :wink:

Because most beer judges are boneheads?

Was it an over the top coffee? I’m not a coffee guy, but I can handle hints of it.

Hmm…I don’t know of anything to compare it to.
It wasn’t like drinking a cup of strong coffe, but it was pretty bold.
I bet if you cut the roasted barley in half, it would be far more subdued.