[dilluh98]

Looking for some feedback on an oatmeal stout I have planned next week. Three things:

(1) I'm interested in lightly toasting the oats before mashing with it. Anybody done this and if so, what was your procedure? Maybe first off, is it worth the effort?

(2) The last time I brewed oatmeal stout I did not have access to a pH meter and just went with what Bru'nWater said. Now I have a well calibrated pH meter and I'd like to hear opinions on the appropriate pH for an oatmeal stout. I think the first one I made I had set for 5.4 based on salts added. I've heard others claim you get a better stout with a slightly higher mash pH (5.6?).

(3) Salt levels and or favorite Bru'nWater default setting for this style?

[HoosierBrew]

Looking for some feedback on an oatmeal stout I have planned next week. Three things:

(1) I'm interested in lightly toasting the oats before mashing with it. Anybody done this and if so, what was your procedure? Maybe first off, is it worth the effort?

(2) The last time I brewed oatmeal stout I did not have access to a pH meter and just went with what Bru'nWater said. Now I have a well calibrated pH meter and I'd like to hear opinions on the appropriate pH for an oatmeal stout. I think the first one I made I had set for 5.4 based on salts added. I've heard others claim you get a better stout with a slightly higher mash pH (5.6?).

(3) Salt levels and or favorite Bru'nWater default setting for this style?

1/   I think it brings a subtle toastiness.  350F, single layer, turn the oats every few minutes and remove after maybe 15 minutes. You only want a slight color change. Place into a paper bag for a couple days to offgas.

2/  5.6 pH makes for a softer ,more rounded roastiness IMO.

3/ Black balanced or malty for me.

[kramerog]

Looking for some feedback on an oatmeal stout I have planned next week. Three things:

(1) I'm interested in lightly toasting the oats before mashing with it. Anybody done this and if so, what was your procedure? Maybe first off, is it worth the effort?

(2) The last time I brewed oatmeal stout I did not have access to a pH meter and just went with what Bru'nWater said. Now I have a well calibrated pH meter and I'd like to hear opinions on the appropriate pH for an oatmeal stout. I think the first one I made I had set for 5.4 based on salts added. I've heard others claim you get a better stout with a slightly higher mash pH (5.6?).

(3) Salt levels and or favorite Bru'nWater default setting for this style?

What he said.  I'm told that toasting the oats gives the beer an oatmeal cookie flavor.  Since I had a deprived childhood (due to lack of oatmeal cookies), I don't recognize oatmeal cookies in dark beers but those who were not deprived like me recognize it.  Make sure you have ventilation going while toasting the oatmeal.

[dilluh98]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll give toasting the oats a try.

[Al Hounos]

For my palette it's a very subtle flavor contribution. I couldn't pick it out in the oatmeal stout I did, but I thought I could pick up a faint toastiness when I used it in an amber. Might have been placebo, or the maris otter I used though.

Try it out, everybody's palette is different. For me it's not really worth it.

As for the salts, get your chloride up to around 150 or so.

[dilluh98]

For my palette it's a very subtle flavor contribution. I couldn't pick it out in the oatmeal stout I did, but I thought I could pick up a faint toastiness when I used it in an amber. Might have been placebo, or the maris otter I used though.

Try it out, everybody's palette is different. For me it's not really worth it.

As for the salts, get your chloride up to around 150 or so.

Any particular reason for the high Cl^-? I understand it leads to a "fuller" feel to the beer but I've never seen a suggestion of 150 ppm.

[blatz]

For my palette it's a very subtle flavor contribution. I couldn't pick it out in the oatmeal stout I did, but I thought I could pick up a faint toastiness when I used it in an amber. Might have been placebo, or the maris otter I used though.

Try it out, everybody's palette is different. For me it's not really worth it.

Wow I was going to say nearly the exact same thing, except a brown ale rather than an amber.

[dilluh98]

Thanks for all the advice. The toasted oatmeal stout turned out to be probably one of the best beers I've brewed which is funny because I'm really not much of a stout lover - I just like to have a little around when the weather starts to cool and my general recipe is tried and true. Unfortunately it was a small batch (2 gallons) and is not going to last long with my wife and I putting it down at the current rate. I'll be making a 5 gallon batch next weekend. A few notes:

(1) I cannot discern the influence of toasting the oats. As others have said, this technique might work better in a less roasty beer.

(2) I cannot state enough how much getting the pH into the higher range (5.6-5.7) makes a stout like this go from good to great in a damn hurry. Really complements the roast well and rounds the whole beer out.

[Iliff Ave]

Thanks for all the advice. The toasted oatmeal stout turned out to be probably one of the best beers I've brewed which is funny because I'm really not much of a stout lover - I just like to have a little around when the weather starts to cool and my general recipe is tried and true. Unfortunately it was a small batch (2 gallons) and is not going to last long with my wife and I putting it down at the current rate. I'll be making a 5 gallon batch next weekend. A few notes:

(1) I cannot discern the influence of toasting the oats. As others have said, this technique might work better in a less roasty beer.

(2) I cannot state enough how much getting the pH into the higher range (5.6-5.7) makes a stout like this go from good to great in a damn hurry. Really complements the roast well and rounds the whole beer out.

I just brewed a brown ale and added toasted flaked oats for the first time. I am hoping to be able to notice the flavor but I have never brewed the recipe before so I don't have anything to compare it to.

I agree 100% on higher mash pH for darker beers. It has really helped to smooth mine out.

[ynotbrusum]

I have toasted oats and malts for various beers and I perceive a silkiness in the mouthfeel as well as a nuttiness that is enhanced, more so than directly translating to oatmeal cookie flavor, but I may be finicky on my oatmeal cookies!

[brewsumore]

I have toasted oats and malts for various beers and I perceive a silkiness in the mouthfeel as well as a nuttiness that is enhanced, more so than directly translating to oatmeal cookie flavor, but I may be finicky on my oatmeal cookies!

+1. I toast oats for every batch of oatmeal stout, and as a matter of coincidence have been strongly thinking of making my next batch an oatmeal stout (or foreign extra stout).

[ajk]

I have to toast oats for a good 45 minutes before I get appreciable flavor contribution that carries through to the finished beer. Hold back some raw oats so you can observe the color change. Toasting oats creates a lot of airborne dust; I can only do it when the family is out of the house.