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A simpler wit question

Northern Brewer General
#1

Didn’t get to brew this last night, but come he11 or high water brewing it tonight. Honeydo’s be damned.

Getting some conflicting information from Doc and Jamil. Doc says you need to crush/powder oats and flaked wheat. Everywhere on the web and jamil says otherwise.

My grain bill

-5lbs flaked wheat
-5lbs continental pils
-.5lb 10L munich
-1lb oats

was planning on a 15 minute protein rest at 122, decocting 1/3 up to a sacc rest at 155 for 60 minutes, then another decoction to mash out.

I am brewing in a bag, so no rice hulls, which may have been a mistake.

Do I need to crush the oats/wheat? Do I need to do a cereal mash? My understanding is that I do not, as the Brewer’s Best flaked wheat (which I have) is pre-gelatinized. Plus I figured the two decoctions could only help.

#2

So I see that no one with greater experience has piped in yet, but here’s my input:
The 1/2 dozen or so times that I’ve used flaked oats, rye or wheat, I have not processed them any further, just added them to the mash. Conversion happened.

#3

I just got a whopping 95% brewhouse efficiency yesterday on my saison using non-quick oats – seriously, I expected 1.048 but ended up with 1.058. I had to dilute down with water as this was outside the specified OG range for the upcoming competition in my homebrew club. I did use a cereal mash since they were not “quick oats”, but other than that, no special milling or processing required. I usually use quick oats and I have never milled them, and it turns out fine. No milling required. Just be sure to use a cereal mash if you’re not sure if they’re gelatinized. But if they are, no worries at all.

#4

this is a really stupid question, but are the ‘quick’ oats the ones in the cylinder? I guess it probably says so on the container…

I was planning on using the ones in the cylinder thing. Put 1/2 cup in the microwave with 1 cup milk and they are done.

Never tried oats in a saison…just kegged and bottled my rye saison…mmmm…may have to try a spelt/oats/rye/6-row farmhouse mess this summer.

#5

The cylinders can have either kind inside. Look for how long they say to boil the oats. If it says 1 minute, then they are pre-gelatinized and are the “quick” oats, and you can put them straight into your mash. But if it says boil for 5 minutes, then they are NOT pre-gelatinized and really do need to be boiled that long to goo them up before you can mash with them.

#6

They were the quick oats, nice.

Did my double decoction schedule. Got between 76 and 78% efficiency.

FWIW, even if brewing in a bag, still use rice hulls with a wheat beer. I had to squeeze this thing to bejezzus bells to lauter. I feel like the hulls would have broken it up.

Used a zest ‘cocktail’ of tangelos (cross b/t grapefruit and tangerine), cara cara oranges, and red grapefruit. Mortar and pistil’d coriander (didn’t get the Indian, used Morraccan), and about .4 oz of dried chamomile at about 30 seconds, left in during chilling.

This beer smells like sunshine and happiness. Also used some fermcap to hopefully keep some of the ridiculously delicious aromatics in.

#7

Happy it went well for ya, but I don’t really think a double decoction qualifies for a “simpler wit”. :lol:

#8

No I meant my question was simpler. I had posted another long-winded bunch of nonsense looking for affirmation on this board, and hadn’t gotten any response.

#9

I figured that and I was just been a wiseacre :cheers:

I agree keeping questions/posts simpler helps facilitate a response. Seems counter intuitive to me tho.

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