Imperial Oatmeal Coffee Stout

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I always get valuable feedback on here. Any critique/suggestion is appreciated. I've actually never brewed a stout all grain.....

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Java the Slut
Author: Shane

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Imperial Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.059
Efficiency: 60% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.081
Final Gravity: 1.019
ABV (standard): 8.07%
IBU (rager): 56.14
SRM (daniels): 40

FERMENTABLES:
11 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (55%)
2 lb - Flaked Oats (10%)
1 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 90L (5%)
1 lb - American - Chocolate (5%)
2 lb - American - Roasted Barley (10%)
1 lb - Corn Sugar - Dextrose (5%)
2 lb - United Kingdom - Amber (10%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Nugget, Type: Pellet, AA: 14, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 56.14

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 165 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 6 gal, Mash in for target mash temp of 152
2) Fly Sparge, Temp: 165 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 5 gal, Fly Sparge (about an hour with my equipment)
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.5 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
8 oz - Coffee Beans (Coarse Ground, Time: 10080 min, Type: Flavor, Use: Secondary

YEAST:
White Labs - American Ale Yeast Blend WLP060
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 76%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 68 - 72 F
Additional Yeast: WLP060

NOTES:
Last two days of secondary should be "cold crashed" in refrigerator.

Strain with paint strainer bag prior to kegging.
 
Is this your own recipe, or did you find it somewhere?

I popped those values into the BF Windows app and the IBU came out to 32, not 56... :confused:
 
The reason I asked if this is your recipe is because it's good to know specifically why each ingredient is there. What do you expect to get from each included item?

This certainly looks like a fine stout recipe, but the question is: will it create the stout you want? If you can explain your vision for this batch, and how each part is intended to help achieve that vision, we can help you determine whether or not there may be better ways to get where you're going. That's been my approach when posting a recipe for review, and the feedback I've gotten has been wonderfully helpful!
 
This is my recipe. The grain bill is trying to get a roasty, coffee-like feel before I even rack the beer onto the coffee beans. I want the beans to turn it into a cup of Joe. I want some complexity, but not mud. The oats are for mouthfeel. I usually use one pound of oats in my ipas for a little mouthfeel so I thought I'd step them up in the stout. Sugar is to get the abv up to 8 percent. Tried to keep the hops on the lower ibus because I'm thinking the addition of coffee beans will add some additional bitterness. It's set for Rager ibus measurements, i think it would be lower if set to tensith. Thanks for the response.....
 
Maybe some lactose for residual sweetness I'm no stout man as such but you probably have sugar with your coffee maybe not but there ya go;)

What's the Dex there for? To boost alcohol % or thin her out?

Do you need to paint strain if cold crash? Try some gelatin I'm sure it will drop the solids out. Don't want to increase risk of infection or oxidation into keg:rolleyes:.
 
Last edited:
This is my recipe. The grain bill is trying to get a roasty, coffee-like feel before I even rack the beer onto the coffee beans. I want the beans to turn it into a cup of Joe. I want some complexity, but not mud. The oats are for mouthfeel. I usually use one pound of oats in my ipas for a little mouthfeel so I thought I'd step them up in the stout. Sugar is to get the abv up to 8 percent. Tried to keep the hops on the lower ibus because I'm thinking the addition of coffee beans will add some additional bitterness. It's set for Rager ibus measurements, i think it would be lower if set to tensith. Thanks for the response.....

Looks pretty good... Changing to Rager cleared up the IBU issue. Question is do you want a dry stout or something with more body? If the latter, you might want to raise the mash temp to 155-156 and be sure the pH is 5.4 or higher. Then, with more maltiness, maybe a little more bitterness for balance?

If you're looking for dry I'd say leave it as is. In any case it looks like a tasty (and toothy) brew! Best of luck :D
 
Maybe some lactose for residual sweetness I'm no stout man as such but you probably have sugar with your coffee maybe not but there ya go;)

What's the Dex there for? To boost alcohol % or thin her out?

Do you need to paint strain if cold crash? Try some gelatin I'm sure it will drop the solids out. Don't want to increase risk of infection or oxidation into keg:rolleyes:.

I considered lactose, but I do t typically like stouts that are overly sweet. I'll keep pondering the addition.

Dex is for ABV, and to dry it out a bit (see sweet comment above)

I have the pickiest down tube in my kegs (I like to pretend mine are particularly annoying) and always get clogs if I don't strain beers that have added things during secondary. (I actually have a black IPA in the fridge with a clogged leg right now and it makes me so frustrated. But you make a good point, and I should be able to filter out any coffee with a hop sack over my syphon... my IPAs have got me paranoid (or maybe just annoyed)....
 
Well sounds like you have it almost nailed down. Yep the lactose would be working against you on this one;).
Cold crashing and addition of gelatin should clear all solids out of your brew. I've not done a big charge of dry hops before so I can't comment on IPAs and how they do or,don't clear using this method.
 
Concentrated boils like you and i are doing add extra headaches , tinseth calcs are more accurate IMHO as they take boil gravity into account
mental maths has your boil gravity way past the point where you'll get decent hop utilisation , could almost double you hop charge to get where you want
 
Looks pretty good... Changing to Rager cleared up the IBU issue. Question is do you want a dry stout or something with more body? If the latter, you might want to raise the mash temp to 155-156 and be sure the pH is 5.4 or higher. Then, with more maltiness, maybe a little more bitterness for balance?

If you're looking for dry I'd say leave it as is. In any case it looks like a tasty (and toothy) brew! Best of luck :D

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to look into the mash temp. i have black cold brewed iced coffee in my head and I can't wrap my head around whether the beer should be more dry or more malty... thoughts?
 
Concentrated boils like you and i are doing add extra headaches , tinseth calcs are more accurate IMHO as they take boil gravity into account
mental maths has your boil gravity way past the point where you'll get decent hop utilisation , could almost double you hop charge to get where you want

Even given that, if I'm racking onto a half pound of coffee, do you think I should up the IBUs with hops?
 
Anyone who's worked with coffee beans before, do you think my approach and quantity of coffee will work for what I'm looking for? Any other suggestions/considerations?

ThAnks as always for the helpful feedback...
 
Well sounds like you have it almost nailed down. Yep the lactose would be working against you on this one;).
Cold crashing and addition of gelatin should clear all solids out of your brew. I've not done a big charge of dry hops before so I can't comment on IPAs and how they do or,don't clear using this method.


I've never used gelatin, maybe I'll give t a go on this batch....
 
With that much roast barley and chocolate malt (and the 90) it will have a hint of coffee flavor already. Half a pound just seams a little overboard but it depends on the coffee too. You have the amber for some caramel so it should border on dry without getting to tart. Should be good if you can balance out the coffee.
 
With that much roast barley and chocolate malt (and the 90) it will have a hint of coffee flavor already. Half a pound just seams a little overboard but it depends on the coffee too. You have the amber for some caramel so it should border on dry without getting to tart. Should be good if you can balance out the coffee.


Thanks.... Have you "dry-hopped" with coffee before? I am completely lost as to how much and for how long to steep the coffee (I'm thinking like a sumatra so it's raosty but not too bitter). 1/2 pound was a starting point - a guess.....

Thanks!
 
Thanks.... Have you "dry-hopped" with coffee before? I am completely lost as to how much and for how long to steep the coffee (I'm thinking like a sumatra so it's raosty but not too bitter). 1/2 pound was a starting point - a guess.....

Thanks!
I have never added coffee to a stout but if you just google it there is lots of information out there. Good Brewing!
 

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