hist-brewing: going to try something old but new for me

[PBLoomis at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/11/01 5:32:40 AM Central Standard Time, Charley at lcc.net 
writes:

> I have an old recipe that has equal parts wheat, barley and oats. Unless I
>  add rice hulls to the mash It turns to glue after I have finished
>  saccharification
>  Charley Atchley
>  
    Ah yes.
    You're probably using malted wheat and malted barley, but flaked oats.   
Although barley malt has enough extra amylase enzymes to cope with 
some amount of flaked oats, it cannot handle more than 1/3 of its *own* 
volume.
    In Period, oats were malted, like everything else, for brewing.  They 
may not have understood the biochemistry, but they knew what worked.
    Today there is still one malt house producing malted oats, J.D.Fawcett
and Sons in England.  The only importer of these oats into North America
is  North Country Malt Supply
    PO Box 665
    Rouses Point
    NY 12979
    518 / 297-2604
    They take telephone orders and you can pay by credit card.  The 
hook is that you have to buy an entire bag: 55 lbs.  It takes me almost
exactly two years to use that amount, and I've just bought my second 
bag.  I keep them in a bug-proof Malt Vault with a screw top (sold by
New England Serum, a veterinary supply house; they call it a Vittles 
Vault).
    Malted oats do not give you the mouthfeel that flaked oats do, 
but they produce a very smooth ale.  My gruit ale took a Masterwork
rating at the Interkingdom Brewing Competition at Pennsic this year.
    7#      pale 2-row
    3#      malted oats
    1oz     alehoof
    1/2oz   yarrow
    Wyeast Thames Valley

    Happy brewing (and quaffing),
    Scotti


    Knowledge is never wasted, nor is the time to acquire it.