Odd mash schedule

Question

I found a recipe for a porter that has the following mash schedule.

4 lb (1.8 kg) Munich malt

3 lb (1.4 kg) Lager malt (US 6-row if possible)

2 lb (.9 kg) Flaked wheat (unmalted soft red wheat flakes if possible)

1 lb (.45 kg) Flaked oats

.75 lb (340 g) Cara Munich malt

.5 lb (227 g) Black Patent malt

.25 lb (113 g) Special B malt

.25 lb (113 g) Rice hulls (added to the mash)

Mix the flaked oats and flaked wheat with 1 lb of lager malt and mash in for 15 minutes at 150° F (65.5° C), then raise to a boil and maintain for 10 minutes. Have the other grains at protein rest, and raise to mash at 154° F (68° C) when you add the boiling unmalted grain to the main mash. Continue for 30-40 minutes, then mash out at 170° F (77° F), and maintain at least 165° F (74° C) during spargeing to keep the starch liquefied.

The directions seem clear, but I don't understand the purpose. What is going on here?

Answer 1

There really is no point to boiling the flaked grains. Really only needed for unmalted whole grains, to gelatinize the starches.

Some rolled / flaked can benifiet from a boil but usually the hot rolling process it enough to have them ready for mashing.

To me It looks to have been an adapted from a decoction mash schedule where the boiled flaked grains was added to raise mash temp as a step. But somehow got lost as to the why in revisions.

Also it says to "keep starch liquefied"... At 154 for 30-40 minutes, those starches would easily convert so there wouldn't be starches. If residual starch is the goal should be added as much higher temp, or simply steeped in the boil.

Edit: After reading the recipe link. Looks like they are going for malliard reaction of the Flaked grains, getting a mini mash with DP grains then boiled. Malliard notes are usually just gained from specialty grains, but decoction mashes often get malliard notes.