Introduction
I've been experimenting with cold brewing and love the flavors that can be extracted from grains without heat. Recently, I decided to try cold brewing an oat milk stout. As someone who enjoys the smooth, creamy profile of oat milk and the roasted complexity of stout beers, I thought combining the two could result in a delicious iced beverage for summer.
In this article, I will walk through my process of cold brewing an oat milk stout, from choosing ingredients to brewing and flavoring. I'll share tips I learned along the way as well as ideas for customizing the beverage to suit different tastes. Whether you're an experienced homebrewer or simply stout-curious, read on for everything you need to know about crafting a refreshing iced oat milk-stout at home.
Choosing the Grains
When cold brewing a stout, a blend of grains is necessary to provide the characteristic roasty, coffee-like flavors. For this oat milk-stout, I chose a combination of pale malt, chocolate malt, black malt, and flaked oats.
- Pale malt provides the base malt that makes up most of the grain bill. This gives the beer its underlying sweetness.
- Chocolate malt lends notes of chocolate and cocoa, which are hallmarks of the stout style.
- Black malt contributes roasty, burnt sugar flavors that complement the chocolate malt.
- Flaked oats impart a velvety, creamy mouthfeel and also help enhance the oat milk flavor.
I used a ratio of 70% pale malt, 20% chocolate malt, 5% black malt, and 5% flaked oats. This provided a solid stout base with enough oats to make the oat milk pop. Feel free to tweak the percentages to suit your taste preferences. More chocolate malt will give you a more intense chocolate stout, while less black malt will create something more subtly roasty.
Choosing the Oat Milk
In addition to the grains, you'll need oat milk to turn the stout into an oat milk-stout. I chose to use Oatly Barista Edition oat milk because its consistency and fat content makes it steam and foam like dairy milk. This allows it to blend smoothly into the stout. Regular oat milk tends to be thinner, so the end result may not be as creamy. That said, any unsweetened oat milk will work!
The Cold Brew Process
With my ingredients assembled, it was time to start the cold brew. Here's an overview of the process:
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In a large mason jar or other cold brew vessel, combine the crushed grains. I used about 2 cups of grain total for a 1-quart batch.
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Add cool, filtered water until the grains are fully submerged. I filled my jar to about the 3 cup mark.
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Seal the jar and leave it to steep at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Longer steeping times result in stronger extraction. I did a 24 hour refrigerated steep.
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After steeping, filter out the grains through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the spent grains.
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Add your chosen oat milk to the strained cold brew. Start with about 1 cup of oat milk per 1 quart of concentrate, then adjust to taste.
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Transfer the oat milk-stout to a container and refrigerate until completely chilled before serving over ice.
And that's it - a simple cold brew process that infuses oat milk with rich, roasty stout flavor. No heating or brewing equipment required.
Flavoring Ideas
One fun thing about cold brewing is that you can easily customize flavors by infusing ingredients into the finished oat milk-stout concentrate. Here are some ideas to try:
- Vanilla - Add vanilla beans or extract for added depth.
- Coffee - Cold brew some coffee concentrate to mix in for a turbo coffee-stout.
- Cocoa nibs - Steep nibs in the milk-stout for chocolate intensity.
- Spices - Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom complement stout beautifully.
- Fruits - Consider cherries, raspberries, or other dark fruits to brighten things up.
The possibilities are endless! Flavor experiment until you find a combination you love.
Tips for Success
Through my trial and error, here are some tips I can offer for brewing great iced oat milk-stout:
- Use highly crush grains for better extraction.
- Stir/shake the mixture once a day while steeping.
- Taste the concentrate before adding oat milk so you can adjust strength.
- Chill completely before serving for best flavor and mouthfeel.
- Consider adding lactase if you want to break down residual oat milk sugars.
- Don't be afraid to add more oat milk to reach your desired creamy texture.
The Verdict
Overall, I'm thrilled with how my iced oat milk-stouts have been turning out. The creamy mouthfeel paired with roasty, chocolaty flavors makes for an indulgent but refreshing summer drink. I love sipping it slowly as the ice melts and dilutes the flavors. It's an awesome non-alcoholic alternative for times when I want the flavor of a stout without the booze.
I hope this guide gives you some inspiration to cold brew your own iced oat milk-stout creation. Let me know if you try it, and what unique flavors you infuse it with! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go brew up another batch before the summer heat arrives.
