Just a random thought I had today. Maybe I’m being silly, but I was just wondering if anybody has ever tried using potatoes and, if so, how it turned out.
I know I’ve heard of some one using sweet potatoes. Maybe even regular potatoes. One thing I recall is that there’s a large amount of water in them that you have to account for. IIRC, they gelatinize at mash temps.
Ah…okay. Something to keep in mind next time I feel like experimenting. 
Thanks for the link. It is a bit much to take in at one time, but now I have somewhere to go when someone asks me a poser about potatoes.
The link is way helpful!
I have not yet brewed with potatoes, but I will. A rule of thumb I have picked up from experienced brewers is around 10% of the grain bill is potato.
I’ve brewed with both potatoes and sweet potatoes multiple times. In the right amount, they are easy to work with — just make mashed (whipped) potatoes and stir them into the mash. Both potatoes and sweet potatoes are about 80% water and the rest is mostly starch, so 5 lbs. of potatoes adds very roughly the same amount of carbohydrates as 1 lb. of base malt.
There’s a point (IIRC it was a bit above 30%, by dry weight) at which potatoes will cause your grain bed to set like a block of cement. For a 5-gallon batch, stay under 10 lbs. of potatoes and you should be fine.
Here’s my recipe for sweet potato ESB:
Chris Colby
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