Adding Oats to Primary

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Shunpike

Shunpike

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Brewed up a pseudo-RIS two days ago. I meant to add oats to build body and mouthfeel, but totally slipped my mind. I know it is not the correct way to do it, but what do you guys and girls think about this:

- doing a mini mash of a pound or so of oats on the stove top
- boiling for 15+ min to pasteurize
- cooling
- adding to the already active fermentation

What are your thoughts? Experiment or let it be? Anybody done this?

I would also be interested for application with other grains.

Thanks in advance!
 
Personally, I'd just let it go and remake it "correctly" next time around.

But I am still a green n00b, and really have no idea what I am talking about.

Hence, my signature.
 
do you have a base grain to mash the oats with? pretty sure they've gotta be mashed with a base.

+1 to leaving them out this go round and just brewing it again.

edit: also, what makes it a "pseudo ris"? lower og?
 
Last edited:
I think you might like it without the oats better!

+1 for letting it go and brewing it with oats the next time. This way you can compare and explore your tastes.
 
Shunpike said:
Brewed up a pseudo-RIS two days ago. I meant to add oats to build body and mouthfeel, but totally slipped my mind. I know it is not the correct way to do it, but what do you guys and girls think about this:

- doing a mini mash of a pound or so of oats on the stove top
- boiling for 15+ min to pasteurize
- cooling
- adding to the already active fermentation

What are your thoughts? Experiment or let it be? Anybody done this?

I would also be interested for application with other grains.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

This is not what I would describe as a good idea.

I would strongly advise against doing this.

Doing this will not benefit the beer, it will do harm.

Oats, assuming they are not malted oats have 0 diastatic power. This means they cannot be mashed on their own as there is no enzymes with which to convert starch to sugar . If this were not the case we could make our oatmeal sweet without adding sugar to it.

You will be adding porridge to your beer if you do this.

To each their own of course. Welcome to the forum.
 
I suppose I should mention, I have brewed this in the past and was adding the oatmeal to add some body.

antony - I do have some base grains, but I don't understand why they would be necessary, if not for enzymatic power. I don't need to do a protease rest (would be counterproductive since I want to add body/head) and I don't need to do a beta-glucan rest since I won't need to worry about a stuck mash. Enlighten me if I'm missing something.

And yes, it's a little bit lower OG, just barely below the range.
 
Thanks Gavin C

I guess I was thinking those starches would beef up the body, but maybe malto-dextrin would be a better approach.

What would you say to mashing with a handful of basemalt?
 
If you insist on going through with this with a mash, add at least some 6-row base malt to the tune of half the weight of the oats. It has enough diastatic power to convert other grains as well. I'd probably go with a 90-minute mash as well.

As always, I will admit to being a green n00b, and to take my signature into consideration, but I do read A LOT here on HBT.com.
 
Shunpike said:
Thanks Gavin C

I guess I was thinking those starches would beef up the body, but maybe malto-dextrin would be a better approach.

What would you say to mashing with a handful of basemalt?
Click to expand...


You seem set on it so go for it.

I believe it to be a terrible idea for a variety of reasons. It certainly will not be to the benefit of the beer in any way shape or form.

Starches don't add body. They add starch. Starchy beer. The various enzymes and rests for an all oat (unmalted) mash you mentioned in your earlier reply speak to some gaps in your knowledge and understanding of mash chemistry.

This site is a good place to learn though. Reducing these gaps is a laudable goal.

Similarly this addition of maltodextrin to the fermenting beer is not something I view as a good idea. Quite the opposite.
 
Gavin C said:
You seem set on it so go for it.

I believe it to be a terrible idea for a variety of reasons. It certainly will not be to the benefit of the beer in any way shape or form.

Starches don't add body. They add starch. Starchy beer. The various enzymes and rests for an all oat (unmalted) mash you mentioned in your earlier reply speak to some gaps in your knowledge and understanding of mash chemistry.

This site is a good place to learn though. Reducing these gaps is a laudable goal.

Similarly this addition of maltodextrin to the fermenting beer is not something I view as a good idea. Quite the opposite.
Click to expand...

I almost added MD to a past brew. Why not add it? Why not add some more fermentables if they are properly mashed (not adding starch)? Does it have something to do with the yeast already being done or partially done with their fermentation? I'm really curious.
 
Gavin C said:
You seem set on it so go for it.

I believe it to be a terrible idea for a variety of reasons. It certainly will not be to the benefit of the beer in any way shape or form.

Starches don't add body. They add starch. Starchy beer. The various enzymes and rests for an all oat (unmalted) mash you mentioned in your earlier reply speak to some gaps in your knowledge and understanding of mash chemistry.

This site is a good place to learn though. Reducing these gaps is a laudable goal.

Similarly this addition of maltodextrin to the fermenting beer is not something I view as a good idea. Quite the opposite.
Click to expand...

Agreed all around. I say, let him experiment - maybe he'll like it, maybe he won't. Either way, learning happened!
 
I'm not dead set on doing it, really just wanted to play devil's advocate and hear you guys out. I appreciate the input, really.

Mostly I'm just annoyed that I forgot to mash them in the first place. I have plenty of the un-oated version, just was hoping I could improve upon the recipe, despite my slip up.

Thanks for the info gang!
 
In general, I would say I agree with everyone in saying doing a basic mash isn't the best idea. I feel the amount of liquid you would be adding to the beer would really throw off your FG, body, and taste in addition to having the starch/conversion issues.

A potential (and I do mean "in realm of possibility, but still not advisable"), would be to get some instant oatmeal (more powder than whole flakes), and bring it up to mash temp and instead of adding base malt, use a bit of amylase enzyme (available at your LHBS). I know people who have had a lot of luck using grocery store bought oatmeal (no preservatives) in a number of beers. So, just food for thought.

Personally though, I would wait until your primary is over, take a sample, and if it is too thin, you can add some maltodextrine. If you are kegging, I have personally had good experience boiling a little DME (4-6oz) in about a cup of water and adding it at kegging. You don't have a lot of yeast to chew it up and they are at 4C which really inhibits metabolic activity. I found it added both body and sweetness. *disclaimer* this stunt was a last ditch effort to save a beer that was virtually undrinkable and would have been dumped if something wasn't done.
 
KyleWolf said:
In general, I would say I agree with everyone in saying doing a basic mash isn't the best idea. I feel the amount of liquid you would be adding to the beer would really throw off your FG, body, and taste in addition to having the starch/conversion issues.

A potential (and I do mean "in realm of possibility, but still not advisable"), would be to get some instant oatmeal (more powder than whole flakes), and bring it up to mash temp and instead of adding base malt, use a bit of amylase enzyme (available at your LHBS). I know people who have had a lot of luck using grocery store bought oatmeal (no preservatives) in a number of beers. So, just food for thought.

Personally though, I would wait until your primary is over, take a sample, and if it is too thin, you can add some maltodextrine. If you are kegging, I have personally had good experience boiling a little DME (4-6oz) in about a cup of water and adding it at kegging. You don't have a lot of yeast to chew it up and they are at 4C which really inhibits metabolic activity. I found it added both body and sweetness. *disclaimer* this stunt was a last ditch effort to save a beer that was virtually undrinkable and would have been dumped if something wasn't done.
Click to expand...

I second this motion. Best to let it ride and see what you get. Too thin, go the boiled/cooled malto-dextrin route.
 

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