Oatmeal Stout
2 lb. black malt- 1 lb. pale malt
- 6 oz. oatmeal
- 3 oz. hops
- 4 lb. demerara sugar
- small level teaspoonful salt
- ½ oz. citric acid - yeast - nutrient
Bring seven quarts water to 150°F and pour into polythene pail and add malts and oatmeal at once. Put in immersion heater, cover as directed with sheet polythene, and wrap vessel with blanket to conserve warmth. Switch on heater and maintain mash at 145°-150°F. for seven-eight hours. At this stage the starch test may be carried out if you want to.
Strain the mash into boiler and add salt and two ounces hops. Boil rapidly for one minute and then simmer gently for forty minutes. Add remaining hops and simmer for a further ten minutes. Put sugar and citric acid in the fermenting vessel and strain the mash on to this, stirring to make sure all sugar is dissolved. Then make up to four gallons with boiling water. Allow to cool to 65°-70°F and then add yeast and nutrient. Cover as directed and leave in a warm place for six-eight days.
If using hydrometer, take readings at six days until 1.005 is recorded and then bottle as directed. If hydrometer is not being used, allow stout to ferment on until it goes ‘flat’ and then prime - add sugar to restart fermentation - and then bottle.
If a draught beer of this sort is required, merely allow fermentation to go on until beer goes ‘flat’ and then bottle.
Sweeten as required with lactose. Keep for at least two weeks in bottles before drinking.