Hello,
I have a question regarding flaked oats for steeping in an extract recipe. I learned after the fact that I should always do a mini mash with a pale malt when using flaked oats. I assume I can just use a muslin bag - say 1 lb oats and 1 lb 2 row and steep at ~155 for 30-60 minutes? This will make it so the oats can be turned into fermentable sugars?
But I just brewed an extract batch and steeped .75 lbs of flaked oats at ~155 along with .5 carabrown malt and .25 Caramel 10, for 20 minutes (no mash). Is my only real issue going to be that the beer may be cloudy? Will the beer still have a “silky” mouth-feel that I was trying to achieve? FYI - I am planning on creating a pistachio tea using 2 lbs of roasted nuts, freezing it, scraping off the excess fat, and adding that to the primary after 2 weeks. for the 3rd and last week in the primary, I plan on adding a sliced up vanilla bean (prepped in a small amount of vodka for 2 days). I just thought I would include that info as it may be relevant.
I am still confused on why steeping specialty grain does not produce many fermentable sugars, yet still supposedly creates sugars. I will need to research but any info on this would be helpful also.
Thanks!
Rather than try to explain the little I know about the issue, I’m going to refer you to a book that will answer your questions far better and in less time. Read John Palmer’s free edition of “How to Brew” at: http://howtobrew.com/
There’s a more up-to-date version in print, but the on-line version will get you started quickly.
Yer the best old dawg, I enjoy yer simplicity! Sneezles61
The Malt book has some great info.
Hi - I get it - I some things to learn. I guess my main questions are in the middle paragraph above (and pasted below)…
I just brewed an extract batch and steeped .75 lbs of flaked oats at ~155 along with .5 carabrown malt and .25 Caramel 10, for 20 minutes (no mash). Is my only real issue going to be that the beer may be cloudy? Will the beer still have a “silky” mouth-feel that I was trying to achieve? FYI - I am planning on creating a pistachio tea using 2 lbs of roasted nuts, freezing it, scraping off the excess fat, and adding that to the primary after 2 weeks. for the 3rd and last week in the primary, I plan on adding a sliced up vanilla bean (prepped in a small amount of vodka for 2 days). I just thought I would include that info as it may be relevant.
Thanks Again.
The problem is that the “specialty” grains like cara… and caramel you used do not have enough diastatic power to convert starch to sugar. Your flaked oats will convert but need the help from malt that does, say 2 row. If you use a base malt like that and hold the temp at 155 you are really doing a mini mash and the oats will convert to sugar.
Haze wise you can try some kind of finings if it is cloudy or just forget the haze and enjoy the beer anyway. I’m not sure about the mouth feel without mashing the oats. Let us know how it comes out.
Thanks hd4mark! Ya, I am now aware that I needed to do a mini-mash. I will continue to research the details (water quantity, base malt quantity, etc) and will perform a mash for “diastolic challenged” grains in the future.
Will research fining (thanks, new term). I am hopeful that the worst case is that the beer is just hazy and doesn’t taste bad. I am also hopeful that the pistachio/vanilla I plan on adding will enhance the beer and minimize the affects of the proteins/starch in the beer.
Me do extract brew. Untill all my. Kits are gonne. And move to all grain. System. But on the extract brew. Do a mini mash. Keep the temp at. 155 for 45 to 50 min. In a small ice water cooler. Check temp here and there. If still ok. Otherwise do add more hot water. Add more grains as. Well. Use basemalt grains. Than add the grains wich came with the kit. Think my brew has beter taste this way. I do take a refrectometer reading as well. Before i add the wort to the boil kettle. On the end of the boil. The last 20 min i use. Irishmoss.
Even in the excitant wort you can steep… Sneezles61
