Oops! High OG 1.072 on Oatmeal Stout.

[Wolfbayte]

Oopsies. I think I goofed. OG was 1.072 on Oatmeal Stout on Sunday. That sounds too high. Can we fix this? Got the recipe and grains from LBHS. (strike one?) Here's the info:

9.4 lbs. US 2 row
.5 lbs. Crystal 90
.5 lbs. Chocolate Malt
1 lb. Belgian Special B
.5 lbs. Roast Barley
1.5 lbs. Flaked Oats
1.0 oz. Chinook @ 60 mins
1.0 oz. Perle @ 30 mins
S-04
(you may recognize this as an LHBS variation on Brew Hut's Doc's Excellent Oatmeal Stout)

I Mashed 70 mins @ 154*. Batch Sparge @ 170* X 2. Got 6.5 gals Wort that boiled down to 5 gal after 60 mins. Chilled, pitched, and it's bubblin' away in a 63* freezer.

LHBS said OG 1.060, FG 1.015. I got OG of 1.072. It's too late now to add H20 to the fermentor. I emailed Brew Hut, but got no response.

After the fact (strike two?) I checked the recipe. Brew Calc on Brewer's Friend, gives an efficiency of 75%. Also says it will finish at 1.020. Plug in 6 gal, and the numbers read more like a 5% stout. Was this grain bill for a 6 gal batch? (strike three?) Should I dilute at bottling w/1 gal of boiled H20 poured carefully into bottling bucket?

Should I dump it? (just kidding) Will this be too high ABV (7%) for the yeast selected to finish their job? What's the best way to recover? Normally, I'd RDWHAHB, but I'm at work where they frown on that sort of thing. That, and 7% sounds like a hot stout that we won't enjoy as much by the time this thing finally bottle conditions.

As always, input is always appreciated. In the meantime, yeasties are doing their thing.

Thanks, Wolfy

 

[LLBeanJ]

I'd let it go. 5%, 6%, 7%, whatever. It's all good.

 

[Wolfbayte]

Thanks, but now I have that song stuck in my head.

 

[Transamguy77]

I'm with llbean here, let it go a nice 7% stout sounds good right about now

 

[Wolfbayte]

I'm with llbean here, let it go a nice 7% stout sounds good right about now

Thanks. We bottled it today (three weeks since brew day), after the FG stopped dropping. Tasted a sip of the green (brownish green) beer and have 0 concerns.

FG = 1.015 which is drier than I had planned. Probably due to the long mash time. I don't do a mash out b/c I batch sparge. Added 8 oz maltodextrin at bottling to help with the mouthfeel, and 2 cups of cold press coffee to half of the batch for variety.

Might take at least a month to carb up and mellow, but I will update.

Thanks and RDWHAHB.

 

[jimjohson]

Probably take it about 7 weeks to condition out. I made a spiced ale this year came out at .074 that's how long it took.

 

[Natdavis777]

My Milk Stout I brewed NYE came out at 1.072 opposed to the predicted 1.064, so I am going to have to let it condition for a bit longer before throwing it on tap. No worries though, just means I have to drink less to feel good :cross:

 

[Wolfbayte]

You are right. That means we can try it in March. Hope I don't get called out for serving oatmeal stout on St. Paddy's Day.

 

[Wolfbayte]

Following up, the taste is fantastic, but it is a bit strong in the alcohol department. Doesn't taste like it, though. As long as we pace ourselves and not overdo it, we will be fine.

Went really well with corned beef and cabbage, although it's obviously much sweeter than an Irish stout.

Next time I make an all grain, I will do more with the gravity reading than just write it down. Had we topped it off with 1/2 to 1 gal of water before pitching, it would have been better.

Lesson learned. Prost!

 

[RM-MN]

Following up, the taste is fantastic, but it is a bit strong in the alcohol department. Doesn't taste like it, though. As long as we pace ourselves and not overdo it, we will be fine.

Went really well with corned beef and cabbage, although it's obviously much sweeter than an Irish stout.

Next time I make an all grain, I will do more with the gravity reading than just write it down. Had we topped it off with 1/2 to 1 gal of water before pitching, it would have been better.

Lesson learned. Prost!

Maybe not. You would have diluted down the alcohol but you would also dilute down the flavors that you got from the rest of the grains. I think you just have to accept the higher alcohol.