My LHS ran out of flaked oats. Could I just substitute rolled oats? What’s the difference?
I heard of folks using them interchangeably. Looking at them, I’ve never been able to see a difference between them.
Paul
Just make sure you get the “regular” rolled oats, not the quick-cook or instant ones. I’ve used regular rolled from the supermarket and flaked from various online brewstores and cannot tell the difference.
Aren’t the quick or instant versions just ‘pre-gelatinized’ ? I don’t use oats often, so I haven’t deciphered a difference with those versions and the regular oats.
I’ve always used the Quaker Oats from the store, just not the instant oats (no self-respecting Quaker would use instant oats 
)
Are you working-up an oatmeal stout?
Rolled (instant) and flaked are both gelatinized. The difference is that flaked oats are larger but I’m not sure that makes a huge difference. I’ve always used rolled oats and been happy with the results.
The only thing you don’t want to do is use the instant oats that contain sugar/fruit/etc.
all rolled and flaked grain is pre-gelatinized, they are steamed before rolling so the smash nice and flat. The instant oats are just cut smaller and rolled thinner. I have also seem ‘baby oats’ which appear to be maybe steel cut oats that were then rolled.
Instant and minute are more gelatinized than “old fashioned” if memory serves.
Yep. That’s what I go for when I use oats.
When I need oats, I just grab some out of my wife’s oatmeal stash. Regular old Quaker Old Fashioned Oats. I have never, to my recollection, used anything else with the exception perhaps of generic Old Fashioned Oats.
Quick Oats should work just fine, too. Steel cut you would need to cook.
Quick or Instant oats work just fine. Maybe even better than regular.
I use ‘instant’ all the time with great results.
And always the generic brand (they are no different than the name brands).
It’s ‘steel cut’ oats that you shouldn’t use for brewing (but it is the #1 best type for breakfast!)
Do you mean unless you do a cereal mash, or is there another reason to not use them?
They cost a lot more than rolled oats.
Thanks everyone. I’m using it for a pumpkin porter tomorrow. Glad I can just raid my kid’s breakfast stash.
The would need to be cooked before mashing - a cereal mash would work. Or just boil them according to directions and let them cool. They take about 30 minutes to cook.
I always use quaker oats. I use old-fashioned because that’s what I buy for breakfast. But quick or instant would work fine too. The biggest difference in the cooked product is texture (smaller oat pieces), but texture doesn’t matter for beer. You’re leaving the oat pieces behind in the mash. In theory, instant would be the easiest to convert and extract sugars from.