Oatmeal Stout

[robcoombs]

I'm nearly finished a recipe for a chocolate espresso oatmeal stout and I was wondering if there's a consensus on whether or not to bake the flaked oats prior to the mash? I don't mind doing the extra work but I'm not sure it will even make a difference in a beer with this much roasted grain.

[jamie_savoie]

fyi
http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter20-4.html

The malt should be stored in a paper bag for 2 weeks prior to use. This will allow time for the harsher aromatics to escape. Commercial toasted malts are often aged for 6 weeks before sale. This aging is more important for the highly toasted malts, toasted for more than a half hour (dry) or 1 hour (wet)

[robcoombs]

So this is consistent for flaked oats as well? I guess I had just never thought of them as malt.

[DandyMason]

So this is consistent for flaked oats as well? I guess I had just never thought of them as malt.

Yeah I doubt this applies to oats. Heres a good video of Palmer making an Oaked mild... and he toasts rolled oats just prior to brewing.

http://brewingtv.com/episodes/2012/10/3/brewing-tv-episode-69-palmers-oaked-mild.html

[DandyMason]

Im not too sure you would detect the "toasted" oats in a big espresso oatmeal stout ... but cant hurt either! Maybe a bit more complexity

[Kyle]

I use Quaker's flaked oats, un-toasted, there is enough other things in a good stout to give toastiness. I use oats for a creamy, chewy mouthfeel.