Oats? Differences and what to use?

[Canuck137]

I know this has been asked before with mixed answers... but in the interest of a simple answer lets try again.

My usual mode of operation for a home brew is a mini mash and then extract brewing. I want to add oats to the mini mash to give it that "full mouth feel" or "silky mouth feel" in saison, wheat beer, or porter.

So on to the question... can I use regular "quaker oats" in a mini mash? Or do I need to buy these special "flaked" oats from my home brew store. What will be the result or difference? Thanks in advance!

 

[Aristotelian]

What I have read is that "quick" or "rolled" oats are the same as flaked oats from the homebrew shop. They have been pre-cooked, then smashed and dried. The "old fashioned" oats from the grocery store would not work because they have not been pre-cooked.

 

[JohnnyBrewGood]

I am sure you will get a ton of conflicting answers so I will add what I have read, quick and rolled are the same, but "quick" has been "rolled" thinner.

 

[IslandLizard]

I am sure you will get a ton of conflicting answers so I will add what I have read, quick and rolled are the same, but "quick" has been "rolled" thinner.

This^
The "Quick" and even more so the "Instant" oats have been pre-gelatinized to a higher degree than old fashioned or rolled. The flaked oats from your LHBS are most likely similar to Old Fashioned, of whatever brand.

Do a search for oats and you'll see for yourself:

Google > site:homebrewtalk.com oats​

Palmer's How to Brew has good information about it too; there are different levels of pre-gelatinization.

I've used Old Fashioned style oats a lot. I do mill them on a fine gap to get smaller bits speeding up gelatinization. From now on I'm thinking of boiling them first, as I have the feeling I can eek a bit more out.

For more oaty flavor, a little toast in a 300 degree oven for 30-40 minutes with turning does wonders. Just don't burn them!

 

[Calder]

As far as I know ALL 'Rolled' oats are OK. The rolling process heats up the oats enough to gelatinize the starches to allow them to be extracted by the mashing process.

Many people on here insist, that only the quick or instant oats should be used. To avoid any problems, I have always used quick or instant oats, so cannot definitively say 'All rolled' oats are OK.

...... Yes, it is the same thing as you get from the HBS.

There is no need to grind them.

'Cut' oats will need to be cooked before mashing.

 

[MaxStout]

For more oaty flavor, a little toast in a 300 degree oven for 30-40 minutes with turning does wonders. Just don't burn them!

I'm definitely trying that for the next batch of oatmeal stout.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Do a search for oats and you'll see for yourself:

Google > site:homebrewtalk.com oats​

Google custom search is back in HBT! No more need to go out to Google to get decent search results. Yay!

 

[IslandLizard]

Google custom search is back in HBT! No more need to go out to Google to get decent search results. Yay!

It's back but still very limited. You get only 10 results per page, redundant returns, and no grouping... That doesn't work for me.

Google gives me a much easier to skim and navigate interface with 100 returns per page (my search default). :rockin:

 

[Canuck137]

Thanks for the answers... seems like some better and simpler answers than what I was looking at before. Cheers!