Bulk Barn and Brewing

I was perusing my local Bulk Barn, and came across this:

Organic Wheat Flakes - Wheat flakes are made from steamed, dried and flattened wheat berries that have been rolled into simple flakes. In this form, wheat flakes can be used for a number of different culinary uses ranging from breakfast foods to sweets.

My first question...would these be good for brewing? Could you just chuck'em in to your mash the same way you would using wheat from your LHBS?

Also I'm curious if anyone else has found any great bargains at Bulk Barn related to brewing.

Thanks!

They work fine, I don't think I've ever bought flaked wheat from a home brew store. They are fine in the mash with no special treatment. There are also plenty of other grains (rye, buckwheat, corn, rice) that can be used, but anything that isn't flaked needs to be pre-boiled. Just last week a brewed a lambic with bulk raw wheat (non-flaked) in a lambic (with a turbid mash).

Thanks for the reply!

When you say other unflaked whole grains need to be boiled...do you just cook'em up as if you were preparing to eat them (like rice or wheat berries)?

Pretty much, just grind them and boil them for 20-30 minutes. I would use more water than you would just to make sure there is enough to pop all the starch granuals and prevent scorching.

Alternatively you could do a cereal mash (which involves mixing the raw grain with a bit of malted grain and giving it a brief Sacch rest before boiling), but I don't think it is necessary unless you are using a large amount.