8bit Blackout: A Roasted Oatmeal Coffee Stout

8bit Blackout Oatmeal Stout

This is my version of Modern Times Black House Stout.

Recipe Specs

  • Style: Oatmeal Coffee Stout
  • Batch Size: 19 liters
  • Original Gravity: 1.060 SG
  • Final Gravity: 1.018 SG
  • ABV: 5.5%
  • IBU: 26.4
  • Color: 67.7 EBC
  • Efficiency: 75%
  • Boil Time: 75 minutes

Grain Bill

  • 3.50 kg Crisp Finest Maris Otter Ale Malt (69.0%) can be hard to find
  • 0.45 kg Flaked Oats (8.9%)
  • 0.34 kg Victory Malt (6.7%)
  • 0.30 kg Roasted Barley (5.9%)
  • 0.30 kg Chocolate Malt (5.9%)
  • 0.18 kg Great Western Crystal 75 Malt (3.6%)

Hops

  • 42.5g East Kent Goldings (4.5% AA) at 75 min

Water Treatment

Tap water where I live is good for IPAs, but that’s about it. For this recipe, I used a 50/50 mix of garage tap water and reverse osmosis water, then added:

  • 2.65g Calcium Chloride
  • 2.26g Baking Soda
  • 0.80g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)

Yeast

  • White Labs WLP002 English Ale Yeast

Coffee Addition

The signature element of this stout is the coffee addition:

  • 2.00 oz Illy Medium Roast crushed, added to primary fermentation for 24 hours

I chose Illy Medium Roast for its balanced flavor profile.

Brewing Process

I brewed this on my 20-liter Braumeister system:

  1. Mash at 67°C (153°F) for 60 minutes
  2. Sparge to collect 24.4 liters of wort
  3. Boil for 75 minutes, adding hops at the beginning
  4. Chill to 18°C (64°F) and pitch yeast
  5. Ferment at 19°C (66°F) for 10 days
  6. Add coffee for the final 24 hours of fermentation
  7. Force carbonate for 3 days

Tasting Notes

This beer pours deep black. The aroma features coffee prominently, backed by dark chocolate, and roasted grain.

On the palate, the oats provide a silky mouthfeel that carries flavors of espresso, bittersweet chocolate, and roasted malt. The finish is moderately dry with lingering coffee notes and a hint of caramel sweetness.

At 5.5% ABV, you can drink more than one.