Oats as a main ingredient?
- Thread starter HonestAbe
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You'd have to have something to convert the starches in the oats to fermentable sugars. Typical beer ingredients, like barley, have enzymes in them that when activated by water at a certain temperature break down the starches in the grain and turn it into sugars that yeast can ferment.
Oats don't contain those enzymes. Generally, oats are used in some beers to provide a slick mouthfeel, and in small amounts, and there is enough excess enzymes in the barley to convert those starches in the oats to sugar. A 100% oat beer wouldn't work, as it'd need something do do that process. It's probably possible that adding some enzymes to the mash could do it, but I don't know how and if it would actually work. I think not, or someone somewhere would be doing a 100% flaked oat beer.
Now, oat malt would be a different story. It should have enzymes in it but I've never heard of it being used in a very big quantity at all.
Oats don't contain those enzymes. Generally, oats are used in some beers to provide a slick mouthfeel, and in small amounts, and there is enough excess enzymes in the barley to convert those starches in the oats to sugar. A 100% oat beer wouldn't work, as it'd need something do do that process. It's probably possible that adding some enzymes to the mash could do it, but I don't know how and if it would actually work. I think not, or someone somewhere would be doing a 100% flaked oat beer.
Now, oat malt would be a different story. It should have enzymes in it but I've never heard of it being used in a very big quantity at all.
It would work if you added alph & beta amalase enzymes. And limited dextronase .You usually get these enzymes fro malted cereal. Glycoamlysidase is a good enzyme a swell. You would have difficulty preventing a stuck sparge and I'm not to sure what your defiance would be.
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You can actually buy malted oats and they have the proper enzymes to convert. You can even make 100% oat beers, although I would guess that a stuck mash would still be a problem. Quick oats however will not convert by themselves.
roastquake
Well-Known Member
use the BIAB method to avoid stuck mash, I've made a beer with 30% instant oats (store brand) turned out to be very good, but it has absolutely no head. I think that may be because oats are fairly oily
I think the other concern to factor in is whether you'd really want to drink it. I used 1 lb. flaked oats and 1 lb. Golden Naked Oats in my last oatmeal stout, and I feel it's too much. I don't like the oily quality. But that's all personal preference. A previous poster used 25% and liked the beer.
bwomp313
Well-Known Member
I actually made a whole oat beer. Used malted oats and a bit of flaked oats. Threw an asston of rice hulls in. Got pretty bad efficiency but the beer came out pretty well from what I recall. I also mashed for like 2 hours and I probably could've gone longer.
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