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I'm experimenting with doing extract brews with as little effort as possible, but have run into a problem when it comes to adding oats to a brew.

As oats themselves doesn't contain the necessary enzymes, I know that you need to steep them together with some malts in order to extract the sugars we're after.

My question though, is if it would be possible to steep the flaked oats with Diastatic Malt Powder (such as this) instead?

Preferably I'd like to use oat extracts directly, but the only product I've found is one made by a Finnish company called Senson, and it doesn't seem to be sold anywhere...

Thanks! :-)

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Sounds like you want to use oats for fermentables. So I'll focus on the how's for that.

Quick answer: adding oats and enzymes as a steep in a full boil for the above purpose won't work well. Mainly because the enzymes would be too diluted.

Solution is to mini mash the grains in a smaller volume of wort or water with brewers enzymes. The enzymes are usually a blend of alpha and beta amylase. 149°F does well for full conversion. However it's just easier to make 50% off this grist with 6-Row for the enzymes. Since it needs a mash anyways.

Things to keep in mind. Most flaked oats are already gelatinized to some extent ready to be mashed. The recommended cook time is the indicator, "instant" etc. The shorter the more they are gelatinized. Anything other than instant oats will benifiet from or need a cereal mash to make the starches available for enzymes to convert to sugars.

Beta-glucanase rest. This will help thin out the oats. Hold between 104-122°F for 30 min after cereal mash but before the mini mash.

Oats for haze and body and flavor if you're not looking for the fermentables of the oats, you can steep the flaked oats. This will give the beer starch haze, body, flavor etc.

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  • Wow, thank you very much for the thorough answer! :-) Two follow-up questions then: 1) If I do a mini mash, that would require me to use malted barley grains, right? I couldn't cheat and mash the oat flakes in water mixed with diastatic malt powder? 2) I became uncertain if I want to use the oats for fermentables.. If I'm after the smoother mouth feel, would that require me to extract the fermentables from the oats?
    – Henrik
    Commented Mar 27, 2018 at 16:04
  • 1) no, you can add enzymes to a mini mash it Wil work just as well. 6-row is just easier imo. 2) a lot of that smooth mouth feel is from beta-glutenase, starch and proteins. Which can be added with just a steep.
    – Evil Zymurgist
    Commented Mar 27, 2018 at 16:08
  • Would the same principles be applied to flaked rye, or is that a completely different beast? :-)
    – Henrik
    Commented Mar 27, 2018 at 16:15
  • @Henrik anything flaked or rolled will not have diastatic power. So they are treated the same as described here for oats
    – Evil Zymurgist
    Commented Mar 27, 2018 at 16:33

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