Oatmeal in an IPA recipe?

[Kealia]

Reading a comment from another thread where a stout was being discussed, "Instead of rye you might want to think about oatmeal. Oatmeal stouts are rather common. It is supposed to give the stout a nice creamy mouthfeel.", it made me think:

Does anybody use oatmeal in their IPA recipe? Any reason to not have a creamy mouthfeel in an IPA? I've had hoppy wheats that were really good, and a few IPAs served on Nitro for a creamy feel that were pretty good.

Any pros or cons here? Just tossing this out for discussion and input. I have no plans to brew again anytime soon, and when I do it will likely not be an IPA but I'm interested in this.

[Inkleg]

No oatmeal, but I did add wheat in my last two IPAs after running across this. Used it instead of Carapils. Did it make a difference, yeah I think it might have. At least enough for me to keep using it instead of Cara for body and head retention.

[Beer-lord]

New Belgium has one and I recently saw it in the store and went right past it. But, I don't see why it can't be used.

[philm00x]

I've heard about the New England/North East IPAs using oats/oatmeal in higher ratios than usual which provides the haze but also a richer mouthfeel.


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[bpgreen]

I routinely use raw wheat in IPAs, but mostly because I get it dirt cheap at Costco, not because I think it adds anything to the style. I honestly don't detect much of a difference when I use it or when I don't (but I also don't use much).

I think experimentation is fine. Try it and see what you think. It's not likely to be horrible, but it might be less than stellar. And you may really like it and decide to add it every time.

[BigPapaG]

Flying Bison locally uses Oats in their Oatmeal Pale Ale... Very good...

There are several other nearby breweries using oats and or wheat in Pales and IPA's...

All, very good.

I have a couple of recipies that I designed that use Flaked Oats or Flaked Wheat to add a creamy mouthfeel.

Try it!

Maybe it is an Upper East Coast thing... Don't know...

[Rayyankee]

I havent made one but i had the New Belgium oatmeal IPA and thought it was very good will probably try to make one this fall.

[FedoraDave]

Interesting concept, and I wonder if it's going to give rise to a new style as per BJCP, the way Cascadian Dark Ales have done. I don't know if I would make one myself, as I kind like my IPAs to be thinner and more about the hops with a good malt backbone to support it. But it may catch on.

I do put rye in most of my IPAs and APAs, though, just to spice them up a bit.

[philm00x]

Maybe it's just because I haven't brewed anything that requires having a really rich, chewy body that I've never tried using oats. Personally, I have used flaked wheat with great success to increase body and head retention with several styles of beer, just not using it in crazy high ratios.

I might try it one day, but I'm pretty set on learning to clarify beers well right now as opposed to making them more cloudy.


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[Jon]

I sometimes do, especially if I'm going for a session IPA.

That reminds me, need to pick up some oatmeal next time I'm at Costco!

[SomeGuyBrewing]

https://lagunitas.com/beers/equinox-pale-oat-ale#

Lagunitas does something similar to this. Although billed as a Oat Pale Ale as opposed to an IPA, it still has a nice bitter bite in it, just a bit muted than what you'd get from an IPA.

Its good stuff, I pick up a bottle every now and then (had one last weekend while watching The Battle of The Bastards). I'd recommend you pick one up if you get the chance.