Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Stout

[bradyt88]

I'm looking for suggestions on a stout recipe I came up with. I know, I know... summer is coming. Why am I brewing a stout? I have had this itch to brew a really creamy, silky stout for a while now. I brewed one last year and it came out a little too thin for my liking. I figured I'd give it a whirl again.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/639082/bob-s-chocolate-peanut-butter-stout

I'm looking for suggestions on grist percentages, on the amount of oats, and on the amount of PB2 to add.

Cheers!

 

[Hogarthe]

I'd put some cocoa nibs in secondary. It'll give you some chocolate flavor. Probably 4-6 oz. When I did a similar beer I used 2 jars of pb powder but I don't remember how big the jars were.

 

[Nosybear]

You have a pound each of both Carafa II and Midnight Wheat. I'll make one rather bold prediction: You will not like the amount of roastiness you get in this. In fact, I'd predict it will come out tasting like an ash tray, particularly with the roasted barley. If I were trying this, I'd go with Hogarthe's recommendation for the chocolate flavor - neither of the roasted malts you mention taste much like chocolate. Cocoa nibs and a bit of vanilla equal chocolate flavor. Use enough of the black malts to get the color you want and no more. After a certain point the roasted malts do not taste good. I also don't understand both lactose and honey malt: Both will add "sweetness", the lactose will add body but with all the oats in there, body is the last thing you're missing. I'd lose the lactose, it seems like an unnecessary ingredient to me. And finally, I've never worked with it, do you really need that much peanut butter powder to get the flavor?

I'd give the recipe a little more thought but it looks like a good start! Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in a glass - maybe a bit much, I tend to subtlety, but it could be very good!

 

[bradyt88]

I'd put some cocoa nibs in secondary. It'll give you some chocolate flavor. Probably 4-6 oz. When I did a similar beer I used 2 jars of pb powder but I don't remember how big the jars were.

You have a pound each of both Carafa II and Midnight Wheat. I'll make one rather bold prediction: You will not like the amount of roastiness you get in this. In fact, I'd predict it will come out tasting like an ash tray, particularly with the roasted barley. If I were trying this, I'd go with Hogarthe's recommendation for the chocolate flavor - neither of the roasted malts you mention taste much like chocolate. Cocoa nibs and a bit of vanilla equal chocolate flavor. Use enough of the black malts to get the color you want and no more. After a certain point the roasted malts do not taste good. I also don't understand both lactose and honey malt: Both will add "sweetness", the lactose will add body but with all the oats in there, body is the last thing you're missing. I'd lose the lactose, it seems like an unnecessary ingredient to me. And finally, I've never worked with it, do you really need that much peanut butter powder to get the flavor?

I'd give the recipe a little more thought but it looks like a good start! Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in a glass - maybe a bit much, I tend to subtlety, but it could be very good!

I'll definitely lose the lactose (that was a last minute add) and cut down on the Carafa and Wheat, but what percentage is too much or what percentage of the grist is a good range?

The honey malt was a little twist I figured I would throw in there to give the grist a bit more of a sweeter honey-like characteristic. Thinking honey roasted peanut butter. Wanted to avoid adding honey to the boil because I felt the flavor of the honey would ferment out.

Probably add cocoa nibs and vanilla as you both mentioned. In regards to the PB2, I read several forums that said 2 6.5 oz jars were too little, so they used 4. However, others said 2 was good. I will cut down on the PB2 and add as needed.

Do you add the PB2 as a powder in the secondary? Should it be boiled in water and added as a liquid?

 

[GFHomebrew]

try a cold steep overnight before brew day on the dark malts itll keep back that acrid ashtray and still deliver the colour. steep sepperate in a 2lt or 1 gal of cool water filter out malt and pour in with mash on brew day. let me know what ya think. or add roasts malts to mash out...