Shredded Wheat and Porridge Oats

[oneilldave]

Hi All,

Just a couple of quick questions:

1. I've run out of torrified wheat and wondered if I could use shredded wheat instead? I want to help build a head on the beer when I pour it and TW is, I believe, the best way to do this. So, with no TW can I use another form of wheat?

2. I have a tub of porridge oats in the cupboard. Can I add them to my next mash? If I do, what percentage can I get away with and what'll the effect be on my final brew.

I love brewing - the experimentation and trying of different ingredients is a constant source of pleasure, as is the brew at the end of it.

Best to you all,

Dave.

[Brewmeister]

Hi Dave,


I love how innovative you are with ingredients.

There was a program on the BBC a few weeks ago called Food Factory (used to be Jimmy's food factory) and they showed how to make shredded wheat. It is 100% wheat which is minced, reformed and dried. This would make me think that it is a perfectly suitable ingredient. I wonder though, whether it might come through your manifold with it being so 'pastey'.

We have never had to use porridge oats as a replacement because we buy flaked oats in 25kg bags so we rarely run out. But I have a friend who has and the result was good. He also told me that he has used corn flakes in the past!

Would be interesting to hear how you get on. Good luck!

[Spud395]

I've never used Shredded Wheat, but any for of Wheat I've used has helped with head retention, I'd give it a go.

Porridge oats on the other hand I've used a number of times with good results, it will bring a silky smoothness to the brew, works well in Stout.
I've used up to 10% with no worries, also toasted some once, that worked out well.

[timbo41]

interesting idea. The only similar thing i have done was a partial mash of some fine ground oatmeal which i then added to my first extract brew. Didnt know what to expect really and final brew was quite cloudy so i reckon my hot break and subsequent cold break didnt clear as well as i'd hoped. Tasted ok though

[Brotherton Lad]

Toasted porridge oats make for a creamy stout:

http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopi ... oats+stout

[darkonnis]

Just be careful how much you add, someone not long ago did this and used weetabix aswell i think, it absorbed all the mash water and after 60 minutes was like cement.
Not for a second saying it won't work, just avoid playing cement mixer if you can!

[Spud395]

Just be careful how much you add, someone not long ago did this and used weetabix aswell i think, it absorbed all the mash water and after 60 minutes was like cement.
Not for a second saying it won't work, just avoid playing cement mixer if you can!

Pick out the important word in this post

[jmc]

Hands up the Weetabix Fiasco was mine.


That was weetabix, Which I will never use again, but I've heard of others using shredded wheat with no problem. Only thing you may want to be aware of is salt in the shredded wheat.

[darkonnis]

Aha, problem solved then to be fair, that mash is like the beer gods telling you to rethink your life

[oneilldave]

Thanks guys!

Some great advise here. Okay, I'll avoid wheetabix (love the picture!) and I'll watch out for the salt in shredded wheat (didn't know there was any!). And the porridge oats I will use in my next brew at, say, just under 10%, as a first time experiment.

I think, to avoid the SW coming through the manifold, I will add it in at the end of the grain addition so it won't get down to the exit manifold.

Now, cornflakes ... what an interesting idea! One I will certainly use at some point. I wonder what would happen if I used Frosties? Would my beer be grrrrrreat?

Okay, next brew is this weekend (sat 18th August 2012) and my grain bill will be:

4.5K Maris Otter
0.4k crystal malt
0.2k shredded wheat
0.4k porridge oats (untoasted)

For a 23L run, with a 60min, 66 degree first mash. Then a 30 min second mash followed by a batch sparge, all at 66 degree as well (give or take)

I have various hops but think I'll use some East Kent Goldings and possibly some Nottingham ale yeast. How does that sound for a brew?

Thanks for the helpful comments, really appreciated.

Dave.

[oneilldave]

Toasted porridge oats make for a creamy stout:

http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopi ... oats+stout

Excellent thread, Brotherton Lad, read every post! Thanks. I will toast my oats tomorrow so that they have a couple of days to mature before Saturday's brew day.

Dave.

[oneilldave]

Hi All,

Okay, I'm starting the brew a day early as the kids are out with their mum until tomorrow.

Okay, slight recipe change:

4.5K MO
317g Roasted Porridge Oats
200G Bite Size Shredded Wheat
95g Crystal Malt
100g Black Malt

20g East Kent Goldings, 60 mins boil, AA 5.6%
20g at flame out.

The yeast will remain as Nottingham's.

So, let's see how it goes, eh? I just love this hobby!!

Dave.
Sorry about the odd amounts but using up what I had left. Also, I checked the salt content on the Shredded Wheat before buying and it's trace (thanks for the advice, JMC!).

[Fil]

an old brewbook of mine i think it was by the wine chap cj cherry, recommended health food shops for things like flaked wheat, rice flakes and other adjunct ingredients as they were much less likely to have added salt, being sold as wholefoods. just dont try the 1lb jars of malt extract for brewing..

[timbo41]

Hi All,

Okay, I'm starting the brew a day early as the kids are out with their mum until tomorrow.

Okay, slight recipe change:

4.5K MO
317g Roasted Porridge Oats
200G Bite Size Shredded Wheat
95g Crystal Malt
100g Black Malt

20g East Kent Goldings, 60 mins boil, AA 5.6%
20g at flame out.

The yeast will remain as Nottingham's.

So, let's see how it goes, eh? I just love this hobby!!

Dave.
Sorry about the odd amounts but using up what I had left. Also, I checked the salt content on the Shredded Wheat before buying and it's trace (thanks for the advice, JMC!).

Imagine giving this to your 5 y.o for brekkie!!! Oh the blessed peace and quiet!!

[oneilldave]

A quick update:

The beer is off like a rocket! The krausen head on it is like a dark whipped cream and is a good couple of inches thick. I'll give it a couple more days and do a gravity test to see where it's at. It started at 1050 at a 23L length so if it drops to 1010 I'll be happy.

While I'm here, I did another brew on the Saturday using up the rest of the oats (unroasted), the shredded wheat and some basmati rice, all sitting in a Bavarian Pilsner malt. The wort came out a pale gold colour to which I added Saaz, mandarin zest, coriander seeds and cardamon pods. I used a Munich yeast for this brew. The head on this while the yeast bubbled away was a like a cloud had fallen from the sky to hug my beer. Sigh, I'm getting all emotional about this. I'll keep you posted on this one, too!

Best,

Dave.