Beer Forum

Usually I just screw around on the forum and make fun of JP, but I actually have a question today.

My next batch is going to be an oatmeal stout, and the recipe I used in the past called for roasting the oats in the oven for an hour or so prior to steeping/mini mash/mashing. I'm looking for ways to speed up my actual brew day, because it's difficult to devote an entire day to brewing during the holidays (we're visiting someone every freakin weekend). My question, which has broader implications than just this one batch, is this:

What are the potential problems if I did a mini mash, or grain steeping one day, then saved the "wort" run-off to brew with a day or two later? I'm trying to keep the brewing to an hour or two each day.

Will I end up with something nasty? Is there any special storage techniques (i.e. refrigerate) I should follow? It probably won't be more than a day or two between the mini mash and the boiling. Would there be a difference if I was steeping or mini mashing?

Thanks guys!!

especially without boiling you are likely to get a sour wort... perhaps worse.
BUB

If you leave it over night without boiling you will get a classic sour mash. There is a lot of lactobacillus in grain and if you leave a mash over night you will get a lot of lactic acid in your oatmeal stout which is not a good trait to have in a oatmeal stout

The place to save some time on this recipe is in toasting the oats. You should do that at least a week before you plan to use them. Once cool just dump them into a brown paper bag and let them sit and outgas for a minimum of 4-5 days. You will get some harsh flavors from the oats if you don't let them sit. I do this for most of my stouts. In fact I plan on toasting some this afternoon for a stout I'm doing in about 2 weeks.

The mini mash/steeped grains process only takes about half an hour so I would make sure I do that on brew day to avoid the risk of a sour mash.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Thanks guys- You had me at lactobacilus.
I as soon as you said lactobacilus I remembered that grain is covered in that stuff. Boiling the next day will kill the buggers, but won't undo the sour damage.

And Bub- you're alright, no matter what I might say about you in the off topic thread...