Oats

[finna]

I'm interested in throwing some oats in my next brew batch. I've just read what John Palmer on the howtobrew.com website has to say, which seems to suggest that if I want to add instant oats (the kind of stuff you use to make 5 minute porridge for breaky) to my brew I should just boil them up with barley malt whose enzymes help the conversion of the oats; presumably, then, I just strain the whole mess and dump the liquid in the wort...have I got this right?

And, is it necessary to use grains which must be mashed (eg. base malts) to help convert the starch in the oats, or is it fine to just use caramel malts (which apparently only need to be steeped) to convert the starch?

Actually, while I'm here, I have another question: What do you guys use to strain your mashes? Just any old sterilised metal seive? or a teatowel?

Hope one you can help me out!!
Cheers,
fin

 

[GMK]

You need base light malts to provide the enzyme to convert the starch to fermentable sugars.

In my last batch IPA i used
200gms Franklin - base malt to provide enzyme
50 gms Rolled Oats
50gms of Light rye Malt
100gms of Xtal Malt

Mashed for 90 mins as follows
30 mins @35 Degrees C
30mins @50 Degrees C (Protein Rest)
30mins @65 - 67 Degrees C

If you boil the light grain - it will kill/stop the enzymes from working.

Note:
Oats can make the beer cloudy.