Lawrence Brewers Guild

I did my main specialty grain purchases yesterday for the fall/winter brew session, which includes a stout recipe. The specific recipe I'm using calls for "steel cut oats," which neither local store carried and one clerk had "never heard of." I bought the oats they did have, but about 4 a.m. this morning (the hour when I do my most serious beer planning - apparently) it dawned on me that I can probably get steel cut at Brits.
So my question is, has anyone brewed with, or heard of brewing with, steel cut oats; and are there any advantages? I don't mind spending a few more bucks if it would result in a better stout.
Thanks,
-Sally

Steel cut oats is the grain that is just cut into pieces as the name implies (blades or burrs).

You will need to boil them about 30 minutes to get them to gelatinize (think cooking whole grain rice). After cooking the starches will be available for the barley enzymes to break down into sugar.

Quick Oats and Instant Oats are rolled flat through heated rollers. Due to the heat and pressure, the oats are gelatinized so they cook quicker for breakfast.

Oats are oats but you might get a little more taste and fragrance from the steel cut oats since more of the original volatiles would still be left in the less processed oats.

That's what I wondered. It's a bit more bother, but not nearly the bother that I'll be going to to make my wild rice English ale. Looks like I'll be stopping into Brits very soon!

-Sally

Through our grain buys, I have brewer's flaked oats. It's just oats that have been flaked. Mash it with any other grain. If you used more than 1-1.5 lbs, I'd use some rice hulls to add bulk to aid with lautering. If intersted, let me know how much you need and I'll give you a price.

Rob

Left out a piece that I do with cereal grains:

I mash about five ounces of malted barley for every pound of adjunct. Use about a quart and a half of treated mash water per pound of corn, oats and two quarts for rice. Rest at about 153°F for 20 minutes, then bring to a boil.

For rice/oats, about 30 minutes for the boil; for corn about 45 minutes for the boil. I like to use my pressure cooker for corn since I can walk away and not worry about it scorching. Rice/oats are cooked like you would for breakfast or supper (low fire with lid applied after the boil is achieved).

What the cereal mash does (pretreatment) before the boil is that it breaks down the starches so they are not a wad of sticky starch. The cereal will become runny and loose and will stay that way when the cereal is placed in the tun.


Make sense?

I've never used steel cut. I'd just run what you have through the mill, boil, cool to mash temps and throw it in the mash.

With wild rice (grass seed), I would follow my above posted procedure but would increase the cooking time to 1 hour. You could shorten the cooking time by presoaking the wild rice to swell the hull. You want the wild rice cooked all the way through so that it soft (not crunchy when tasting).

Rob,
I bought flaked oats yesterday, but I think I'll set those aside and go steel. It's a good reminder that the oats get sticky. I can't recall if this specific recipe called for rice hulls, but as soon as the grain buy goes through, I've got a significant quantity of hulls (50#) coming my way. It's a good thing to double check. Thank you for the oats offer, though!

Chris,
Thank you for the notes on cooking cereal. I'll print those out and include them with the recipes. The instructions I've found for brewing wild rice are very detailed. I can't recall the specifics off the top of my head, but I know the wild rice has to cook for a long time at specific temperatures - and separately from the main mash, although I'm to throw some grain in to help in handling. This is going to be an "all hands on deck" brew, using every pot I own, and multiple burners.
I'm not certain if I'm hoping for success on this, or perhaps failure would be a blessing!


-Sally

Quaker Quick Oats. No cereal mash.

Steel cut oats at the Merc, about 1.49-1.79 per lb (in the bulk section, don't pay more for McCann's). This is what I eat for breakfast every day. (Very good for u BTW)

Quick oats/Quaker oats gelatinize more quickly.

jim

JMcG wrote:Steel cut oats at the Merc, about 1.49-1.79 per lb

Love the Merc! If you're reading this thread Jeff, that's where I got the chamomile flowers. Bulk department with the tea.

-Sally

We have made a stout with steel cut oats and it was very good. I think the flavor of the oats comes through better than when we use flaked products. Cereal mash like everyone has mentioned is just a bit more effort, but I think it was worth it.
Joe