How much base malt do I need?

[oze152]

If I am going to do a partial mash with 1lb of flaked oats how much 2 row would I need. I will also be using 1lb of chocolate malt, 1lb crystal malt 60L, and 1/4lb of roasted barley. Is 1 or 2 lbs of 2row sufficient?

 

[Double-R]

Amount of 2-row needed,is based on your OG/SG..

Go here ,add all the grains said above. Then add 2-row till you get what you like.

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/recipe.html

 

[oze152]

My OG is 1.050, but I plan to use just enough 2row to provide enough enzymes for the flaked oats and use DME for the rest. I think that based on the calculations I did, if I used 2lbs or 2row I would need to add 3lbs of DME to reach my OG. I am just wondering if 2lbs is enough 2row for 1lb of flaked oats though.....

 

[sweetcell]

only the oats need converting, a pound should do ya (corrected - see beersmith link below)

i would suggest mashing just the oats and 2-row, alone, for an hour (with just enough water for those 2 ingredients) then adding the rest of the grain and water. those other grains won't need to soak very long to get their sugars into solution. adding them from the outset could dilute the 2-row's enzymes too much.

 

[oze152]

Great thanks! Is there a formula or something where I can determine how much 2row or 6row I need to convert a given amount of adjunct grain such as oats, etc... which don't have their own enzymes?

 

[sweetcell]

(edited - see beersmith link below)

and in all cases, it won't hurt you to go with more - in fact, your beer will only be better with more malt and less extract. IMO.

 

[cockybitz]

You're gonna need more than 2 lbs. The oats, crystal, chocolate, and roasted barley all have no diastatic power. Just quick math says you'll need about 5.5 lbs of 2-row.

 

[sweetcell]

You're gonna need more than 2 lbs. The oats, crystal, chocolate, and roasted barley all have no diastatic power. Just quick math says you'll need about 5.5 lbs of 2-row.

Your math is right, but your logic is wrong. only the oats need conversion. The crystal, chocolate and roast barley are already converted. They don't need to be mashed, they can simply be steeped: soaked in warm/hot water to extract their already-converted sugars. They have no enzymes, and need no enzymes. As long as pre-converted grains make up a relatively small percentage of the bill, you can throw them into the mash and not worry. In the OP's case over half the bill is pre-converted, hence my suggestion that he convert the oats first then add the pre-converted later.

 

[zeno27]

Read this:
http://beersmith.com/blog/2010/01/04/diastatic-power-and-mashing-your-beer/

If you're mashing just the 2-row and oats, a 50:50 mix should be fine.

 

[sweetcell]

Read this:
http://beersmith.com/blog/2010/01/04/diastatic-power-and-mashing-your-beer/

If you're mashing just the 2-row and oats, a 50:50 mix should be fine.

you are absolutely right. 1:1 was my initial thunk but i got mixed up with something else. off to edit my previous posts. that beersmith article answers the question quite nicely.

 

[oze152]

Thank you everyone for your input and help! I will do the 1:1 mash with 2Row and Oats, and steep the specialty grains seperately.

 

[sweetcell]

You could steep them separately, or in the same pot- just do it after the oats have had time to convert. No need to dirty a second pot.