Oatmeal Bread Stout Mini-Batch 8/23/11

I had the day off and wanted to brew, but our local homebrew shop is closed on Tuesdays. So I decided to try brewing the way I cook—with whatever is at hand. We had some old hops in the freezer, the dry malt extract we buy in bulk, some rolled oats, and a couple of ounces of leftover chocolate wheat from the dunkelweizen. I brewed a one gallon batch, and used some bread yeast that Erika brought to ferment it. I didn't have any base malt, so I didn't attempt a mash and just steeped the oats with the chocolate wheat, and as a result there will probably be some quantity of starch in the beer. (Effects of starch in beer include haziness, poor attenuation, and increased chance of brettanomyces infection.) I also did a 30 minute boil, rather than the usual 60.

Batch Size: 0.8 gal

Boil Volume: 1.5 gal

Calculated OG: 1.060

Measured FG: 1.009

Estimated ABV: 6.7

Calculated IBUs (Tinseth): 27

Pitching Temperature: 70F

Yeast: Unknown Bread Yeast (saison and bread yeast added after primary fermentation)

Starter: none

Fermentation vessel: Gallon Jug

Malts Mashed		Amount	%
Choc. Wheat		0.25	13%
Oatmeal		0.13	7%

Other Fermentables		Amount	%
DME		1.5	80%

Hops/Additions		Amount	Time	AA%
Hallertau		0.4	30	3.9%

8/30/11: Gravity is at 1.017. Pleasant, mild aroma taste, mostly roasted grains. Some esters. Tastes unexciting, but no noticeable off-flavors.

Added dregs from The Bruery's Saison de Lente (contains brettanomyces).

11/11/11: Gravity down to 1.011. A lumpy white pellicle has formed. The smell is intoxicating. Funky, citrusy, geuze-y notes, presumably from the brettanomyces, dominate the nose, with a hint of spice from the saison yeast. Taste follows, with the addition of some roasted grains and malty sweetness. Time and infection has definitely improved this beer (though I do feel a bit strange drinking what looks like mold).

6/20/12: 10 months later... Final gravity 1.009. Pellicle still present on the surface. Funky citrus in the nose, finishes with roasted grains, malt, and soy sauce (autolysis?). Bottled to approx. 2.7 volumes. A truly unique beer.