Oatmeal Chocolate Milk Stout (Brann's Breakfast Stout)

[BrannBrew]

Just a little update on how my latest batch of this beer went. After doing some experimental beers on my new setup I was hoping that this beer would turn out well, but I was hesitant it wasn't going to go well.
Apart from collecting too much wort and boiling for 100mins it was a successful brew day.
I had probably about 10-12l of it in a keg and now only have a few bottles left that I transferred from the keg.
Turned out exactly like the results from last year.
My dad drunk 4 pints of it in 1 sitting.
If it isn't broke don't fix it, this recipe will stay!

 

[HarryFlatters]

Hi BrannBrew

I take it that you don't use any Irish Moss or Protofloc tablets in this recipe?

 

[HarryFlatters]

Another question - would this recipe work without the lactose? If not, what can I substitute in its place?

 

[BrannBrew]

Hi BrannBrew

I take it that you don't use any Irish Moss or Protofloc tablets in this recipe?

No I don't filter it in anyway apart from straining the wort to help remove any cacao nibs that get through the kettle filter. I've tried Moss & tablets before on different brews & didn't see any real noticeable difference than not using them.

Another question - would this recipe work without the lactose? If not, what can I substitute in its place?

I would think it would work ok, maybe increase the Oat % abit to help with what you will lose in mouthfeel/body from not using the lactose

 

[HarryFlatters]

I might try two small batches, one with and one without but with extra oat and try them side-by-side.

Thanks @BrannBrew :hat:

 

[MyQul]

Another question - would this recipe work without the lactose? If not, what can I substitute in its place?

I think yes it would. I made up a reciepe for a dry stout then at the last moment decided to change it into a milk stout. All I did was add lactose and lower the IBU's. So you'd just need to omit the lactose and (probably) up the IBU's

 

[machin05]

If you're chucking ground coffee in, how do you then filter it out?

 

[HarryFlatters]

I'm assuming that it'll sink to the bottom rather than stay in suspension

 

[MartinF]

Another question - would this recipe work without the lactose? If not, what can I substitute in its place?

I'm just brewing this at the mo, now that the usual Christmas & New Year panic is over! Great recipe, BTW - thanks for sharing BrannBrew.

Without the lactose, it's not going to be as sweet. In place of the sweetness, I'd be thinking of mashing at a higher temp than proposed - say 68C or 69C. That'll leave more unfermentables in the wort, which will increase the body and give an impression of sweetness. You might also want to then add a little extra sugar to restore the alcohol level and thin out the body again, but I wouldn't recommend overdoing this. This is all theory, of course! I haven't tried it.

 

[HarryFlatters]

I've looked at other chocolate oatmeal stouts and have substituted a few bits and bobs, and am thinking about adding vanilla pods when the second batch of cacao nibs go in, which might give the impression of sweetness. However, good tip about upping the mash temps or maybe I could do a mash out at 75°c...

My plan/recipe is now this...

Title: Chocolate Vanilla Oatmeal Stout
Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Oatmeal Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 21 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 28.5 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.046
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)
STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.062
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV (standard): 6.27%
IBU (tinseth): 28.15
SRM (morey): 34.92
Mash pH: 5.45
FERMENTABLES:
3.8 kg - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (66.7%)
0.7 kg - Flaked Oats (12.3%)
0.3 kg - German - Chocolate Wheat (5.3%)
0.4 kg - German - Wheat Malt (7%)
0.3 kg - United Kingdom - Dark Crystal 80L (5.3%)
0.2 kg - German - Carafa II (3.5%)
HOPS:
12 g - Magnum, Type: Pellet, AA: 15, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 22.62
8 g - Sorachi Ace, Type: Pellet, AA: 11.1, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 5.54
MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Temperature, Temp: 64 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 23.5 L
2) Sparge, Temp: 75 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 5 L
YEAST:
Danstar Nottingham Beer Yeast
NOTES:
15 minute stand after flame out to infuse 60g cacao nibs & 15g ground espresso coffee.
A further 50g cacao nibs & 2 split vanilla pods soaked in vodka or bourbon for final 7 days of fermentation.

 

[BrannBrew]

If you're chucking ground coffee in, how do you then filter it out?

I'm assuming that it'll sink to the bottom rather than stay in suspension

Most of it did sink under the trub dam of my SS Brewtech kettle but some did pass through. I had another strainer over my keg (which I use to chill the wort overnight in the fridge). The strainer clips onto a set of legs that the feet nicely rest ontop, also is wide enough to secure around the top of my fermentor too. I have some tubing that runs from the keg/fermentor into the strainer so I can control the flow freely if the strainer gets abit too clogged.

When I 'dry hopped' with the cacao nibs I used the strainer again when transferring out of the fermentor as the nibs wouldn't desolve. I stopped using it for sometime but then realised it is a pretty useful 2nd strainer/filter that catches what the dip tube and trub dam doesn't stop.