[JJeffers09]

Whole? Steel Cut? Flaked? From the Store?  From the Homebrew Store? 

Someone talk to me about oats...  I am going to get an oatmeal cream stout going soon.  Rather than googling it I would rather talk to my beer-geeks on here

[Iliff Ave]

I have used oat malt, golden naked oats (crystal oat malt), and flaked oats all from the LHBS. When using oats again, I will only be using flaked oats. In my experience, oat malt is very earthy and golden naked oats are said to have a 'berry-nut' flavor that I did not get.

For a while, I was trying to perfect an oat APA with all 3 forms and realized that I might just be barking up the wrong tree. If I try it again, oats will only be in flaked form. 

[JJeffers09]

I like the idea of putting time and effort in my beers for better product.  Not to go too far, but far enough that I don't see the problem with cooking oaks for 45mins to 2 hours for a smoother product.  I do know that any oats have to be cooked before mashed so they don't gum up a mash and turn it into porridge.

[Stevie]

You do not need to cooked ALL oats. I've used flaked, Quaker, and malted oats. Never have I cooked them. Flaked and rolled oats are good to go as is. Just toss them in.

http://howtobrew.com/book/section-2/what-is-malted-grain/other-grains-and-adjuncts

[ajk]

I use rolled oats (the Quaker kind, not quick oats), and if they're for a stout, I toast them in the oven for 45 minutes. I only do the toasting when no one's home because it releases a lot of dust that is unpleasant to breathe.

[jeffy]

If you do a short mash with a small percentage of the barley malt before boiling, then the oats don't get so gummy.

[JJeffers09]

Isnt Oat malt made from base malt?
  **Kindled with a mixture of base malt**  Which I don't think it is... now that I keep looking into it

[Iliff Ave]

Isnt Oat malt made from base malt?

Not sure what you mean. The oat malt I have used is a distinct grain type with a husk and I believe it is not highly modified like most modern base malts. I think you can use it as a base malt but it would require a multiple step mash. I could be wrong though. Most other forms of oats are huskless.

[narcout]

Flaked oats work well for an oatmeal stout.  You can just mash them along with the rest of the grains since they are pregelantinized.

I do like to toast them in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees to try to bring out more flavor though.

[JJeffers09]

So I thought that whole oats like steel cut oats had to be "cereal" Mashed and provided an even smoother product than rolled oats or flaked oats.  But I thought that the process that Oat malt had gone through had to be cut with more base malt so it doesn't gum up the mash with unconverted starches.  Same as Whole or steel cut.

as for the toasted oats, I have thought about that but then ran across golden oat malt, which MAY have a better toasted oat flavor that what I can produce at home.

[Stevie]

I think steel cut do need to be cooked first, but can't be certain.

[Rhoobarb]

Another vote for flaked (not quick oats), toasted.

[Iliff Ave]

So I thought that whole oats like steel cut oats had to be "cereal" Mashed and provided an even smoother product than rolled oats or flaked oats.  But I thought that the process that Oat malt had gone through had to be cut with more base malt so it doesn't gum up the mash with unconverted starches.  Same as Whole or steel cut.

as for the toasted oats, I have thought about that but then ran across golden oat malt, which MAY have a better toasted oat flavor that what I can produce at home.

Golden naked oats is huskless crystal oat malt (if that's what you are referring to)

[Joe Sr.]

I think steel cut do need to be cooked first, but can't be certain.

Yes.  You need to cook them to eat them, so I assume you need to cook them to mash them.  Flaked oats (or Quaker Old Fashioned Oats) can go right into the mash.  I've done it many many times.

[Slowbrew]

I think steel cut do need to be cooked first, but can't be certain.

Yes.  You need to cook them to eat them, so I assume you need to cook them to mash them.  Flaked oats (or Quaker Old Fashioned Oats) can go right into the mash.  I've done it many many times.

+1

Whole and/or steel cut oats are typically raw grain and need to go through a cereal mash.  Any oats that have been flaked or tortified (puffed) can be used as is. 

Steel cut grains are just dehusked and sliced up into little pieces to cook faster.  The steel is an industrial description of the machine used to do the cutting.

The flaking process starts with raw whole  grain that is soaked in water to soften the kernels and then run through a heated roller mill where the pressure causes enough heat to flatten and "cook" the grain in one step.  At least that's what my blurry-eyed pre-coffee brain is telling me this morning.

Paul