Telling my flaked oats from flaked barley

[jacksonbrown]

I managed to put the bags right next to each other. And although they're marked, I worry I screwed up. Is there any good way to tell which is which for sure before I end up tossing 1.5 lb of flaked barley in to my nut brown?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Have you tried tasting them?

 

[jacksonbrown]

Yea, they taste different, but it's hard for to tell. I still think they're marked correctly. I guess I'm wondering if there's a visual way to tell. One bag is slightly darker than the other.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I would think the barley would be the darker but only can't say with certainty. If you have some Quaker Oats in the house taste those and compare.

 

[david_42]

Oats tend to be larger than barley, but color will depend on the processor.

 

[jacksonbrown]

I'm at work now, but from recollection they were the same size. I'll let the wife taste them and see what she thinks. She's an oat person, so you'd think she would know.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I like Oatmeal and can smell the diff when cooked...never tasted the flaked barley when I've brewed with it though. Maybe cook a tiny, tiny bit of each in the microwave and let the wife whiff.