Oatmeal? How to use as adjunct?

I am working on a recipe for a Robust Porter that calls for 12 oz of Flaked Oats in recipe for 5.0 gallons. I believe it will help body and mouthfeel.

I read somewhere that oats can be cooked and then added to the mash. Is this the best way to use them? Do they really need pre-cooked or can I just add dry flaked oats to my 60 min mash?

I'll be doing a partial mash of 6.5 lbs of grain, 12 oz of oats and 3 lbs of DME.

Brewing oats are already pre-gelatinized, so they can be added straight to the mash. Instant oatmeal from grocery stores works the same way.

Jayhem said:

can I just add dry flaked oats to my 60 min mash?

Click to expand...

Yes.

bja said:

Yes.

Click to expand...

Only if you're using INSTANT oats. Old fashioned oats need to be pre-cooked.

MC

Good to know. I was planning on just using instant oats I have in my pantry.

Misplaced_Canuck said:

Only if you're using INSTANT oats. Old fashioned oats need to be pre-cooked.

MC

Click to expand...

He said he's using flaked oats.

bja said:

He said he's using flaked oats.

Click to expand...

"Old Fashioned" oats (Quaker) need to be cooked first, as do steel cut oats. Quaker Quick Oats, and instant oats, do not. The flaked oats you buy at the homebrew store do not.

bja said:

He said he's using flaked oats.

Click to expand...

The Quaker oats are ALL flakes.

Brewing flaked oats are precooked, yes.

MC

I looked on the Quaker Oats site. The Quick Oats and Instant Oats are not precooked. Will this matter?

Is there any reason not to just use the 1-minute (or 3-minute, I forget which) generic store-brand oatmeal instead of flaked oats from the LHBS?

smyrnaquince said:

I looked on the Quaker Oats site. The Quick Oats and Instant Oats are not precooked. Will this matter?

Is there any reason not to just use the 1-minute (or 3-minute, I forget which) generic store-brand oatmeal instead of flaked oats from the LHBS?

Click to expand...

Quick Oats and Instant Oats do not need to be cooked first. Just mash it with the grains.

smyrnaquince said:

Is there any reason not to just use the 1-minute (or 3-minute, I forget which) generic store-brand oatmeal instead of flaked oats from the LHBS?

Click to expand...

LHBS carries brewing-grade cereals; grocery store carries food-grade stuff. Will the grocery stuff work? Yes. Will the LHBS product work better? Yes. Is the difference big enough to notice on the homebrew scale? Probably not.

Oats is oats, LHBS flaked oats are the same as rolled oats (Quaker or store brand) from the grocery store, they just cost more. There's a good article from BYO, 10/97. Here's an excerpt.
http://***********/stories/beer-styles/article/indices/11-beer-styles/1194-oatmeal-stout-style

From BYO

There are a few different kinds of oats available to the homebrewer. With flaked oats, also called rolled oats, the gelatinization is done by the manufacturer. This is done by softening the oats with steam and then passing them through heated pressure rollers into flakes. The grain husks are removed when the oats are rolled, and in this process the flake thickness can be controlled. The heat and pressure gelatinize the starches, and these grains can be added to the mash directly. The brewer does not need to cook these prior to mashing.

Rolled oats are available in the supermarket. It is best to buy the "quick cook" or "one minute" oats. These are identical to the traditional breakfast oats (which require longer cooking time), but the "quick oats" are cut into finer pieces. The resulting increased surface area allows the starches to dissolve more readily into the water. Special flaked oats, similar to the supermarket "quick cook" oats, are available in homebrew supply stores.

^ Good info, thanks!

Paul07293 said:

Rolled oats are available in the supermarket. It is best to buy the "quick cook" or "one minute" oats. These are identical to the traditional breakfast oats (which require longer cooking time), but the "quick oats" are cut into finer pieces. The resulting increased surface area allows the starches to dissolve more readily into the water.

Click to expand...

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread.... I have some Quaker Old Fashioned Oats (rolled oats) that I'd like to use in a Blue Moon clone this week. It seems like the only difference between this and "quick oats" is that the quick oats have been cut into smaller pieces. Couldn't I just pulse my old fashioned oats in a food processor and accomplish the same thing? Or would a longer (i.e., 90 min.) mash work? Or should I just leave the old fashioned oats for cookies and buy some quick oats for brewing? Thanks!

jwalker1140 said:

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread.... I have some Quaker Old Fashioned Oats (rolled oats) that I'd like to use in a Blue Moon clone this week. It seems like the only difference between this and "quick oats" is that the quick oats have been cut into smaller pieces. Couldn't I just pulse my old fashioned oats in a food processor and accomplish the same thing? Or would a longer (i.e., 90 min.) mash work? Or should I just leave the old fashioned oats for cookies and buy some quick oats for brewing? Thanks!

Click to expand...

Rolled oats can be added directly to the mash.

Jayhem said:

Rolled oats can be added directly to the mash.

Click to expand...

If they're not "quick oats", I believe they'll need to be cooked first.

I'd just spend a couple dollars and buy quick oats.