A couple questions about FLAKED OATS

[seanppp]

Not sure why I capitalized flaked oats.

1. One might add flaked oats to thicken the mouthfeel. How is adding maltodextrin powder different? What are the different aspects of the two (other than more haze with the oats)?

2. If you're adding oats, does this mean you want to avoid using a clarifier like whirfloc or Irish moss, since you might be dropping out proteins that you added with the oats?

Thanks!

 

[seanppp]

Fifty views and nobody has anything to say???? Come on people!

 

[Jayslay]

I will shoot, as it seems the pro's are out drinking. Most likely someone can chime in if Im getting it wrong.

1. Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate, unfermentable, that adds body to your beer, enhancing mouthfeel. It can combat dryness. Oats adds proteins, which also are unfermentable and add to the body, and deliver a silky mouthfeel. Oats proteins dont flocculate out very easily and affect a haze in your beer. Both can help with head retention. Maltodextrin does not require mashing and I beleive can be added any time, oats you should mash if you want them to convert instead of just providing haze proteins, but can just steep for the haze.

2. I think generally the beers you add oats to are darker or cloudy anyway, like Stouts or Belgian Wits. If you want a clear beer you would not want to add extra proteins. Use maltodextrin or a dextrin malt like Carapils in that instance.

Sorry this is where my knowledge needs a bit of a refresher.

 

[MaxStout]

2. If you're adding oats, does this mean you want to avoid using a clarifier like whirfloc or Irish moss, since you might be dropping out proteins that you added with the oats?

That's an excellent question, and I thought about that a few days ago when I was putting together an oatmeal stout recipe in BeerSmith. I left out the Whirlfloc, thinking it would undo the advantage of the oatmeal. It seemed silly to me to add oatmeal to give protein for better mouthfeel, then use a clarifier and precipitate it out.

Maybe a more knowledgeable person will jump in here to confirm or dispel this?

 

[drchris83]

Not a more knowledgeable person, but I can report that I have made several light, crystal clear beers with significant amounts of oatmeal and no clarifier added. I did, however, do most of these as decoctions, and the rest as classic American adjunct mashes, so this might be why they were all clear. Mouthfeel was full and silky-smooth on all of them, but them again, I am a fan of mashing high.
Re-reading my post I'm no longer sure it contains any useful information, but there it is anyway.