Saturday, May 24, 2008

Partial mash ideas for Oatmeal Stout

I was thinking about how to best do a partial mash Oatmeal Stout recipe I've got planned in the future. Here's my idea (mainly for me to remember..):

The grain bill (excluding extract) includes:

1.5 lbs Maris Otter
1.0 lbs. Flaked Oats
.5 lbs. Roasted Barley
.5 lbs. Chocolate Malt
.5 lbs. Dark Crystal Malt
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4.0 lbs. Total to be mashed

I would normally just mash the Maris Otter and oats, but it is already combined, so I will mash it all together.

I am planning to using 1.25-1.5 quarts H20/lb. grain for a total of 5 - 6 quarts of water for the mash. I will sparge with an equal amount of water.

My plan for the partial mash:

1 - In the cephalon pot with strainer/false bottom heat up 1.25-1.5 gallons H20 (assuming the grain wont occupy more than the remaining 1/2 gallon capacity, adjust if necessary) to approximately 160-165 F. This is to account for the loss of heat when the cooler grains are added in. Then add all grains while stirring to prevent clumping and ensure all grains get moistened adequately.

2 - Cover with blankets/towels, put in cooler for 60 minutes.

3 - Pull strainer/false bottom up to allow grains to fully drain. Pour the drained wort into boil kettle.

4 - Put strainer/false bottom back in cephalon pot with grain still in it. Gently fill up with 1.25-1.5 gal of 170F water to sparge. Let sit for 10 minutes.

5 - Pull strainer/false bottom up to allow grains to fully drain again. Pour the drained wort into boil kettle.

6 - Top up to at least 2.5 gallons in boil kettle (depending upon how much the grain soaked up during mash).

7 - Proceed to add DME and LME and bring to boil as normal.

So hopefully that procedure will serve as an adequate partial mash to convert the oats and barley and make a tasty oatmeal stout. I made a very similar recipe to this with my previous one and it was one of my better beers.

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