Do I need to mash flaked barley for a stout?

[wushurichard]

or can I steep it?

Thanks

[Spikesdad]

Hi wushu, it needs mashing.
Silly Q, maybe, but why would you want to steep it?

[wushurichard]

Hi wushu, it needs mashing.
Silly Q, maybe, but why would you want to steep it?

My mistake i posted this in the wrong place.

It is for making an extract stout, is their a suitable alternative as i have no mashing equipment

[CestrIan]

Mashing equipment doesn't have to be that complicated. We all started out with pots and pans on the stove. Have a look at the brew in a bag section. Mashing is very similar to steeping. You could steep/mash 400g of flaked barley with the same amount of pale malt in a bag in a pan on the stove for an hour at 64C-68C, maybe thow in 400g of roasted malt for the last half hour, strain off, boil the wort with your hops and then add your spray malt for the last 20 mins.

[RichardG]

If it helps, this is exactly what I did; 'steep' the grains with an equal amount of pale malt for a period of time (which I can't remember now, but was probably an hour or so), the drains and rinse with hot water. Of course, I ended up going AG in the end, but it doesa give you the option of using grains that you couldn't otherwise use due to the need to mash them.

[wushurichard]

Your kidding me!! its that simple? so I just have to have the equivalent weight of pale malt to the flaked barley? or the equivalent to the weight including speciality malts that get added later?

[RichardG]

Well, pretty much... yeah. Now, in my experience you will get better results with AG; but if that isn't the way you want to/can go, then it does give you access to grains you couldn't ordinarily use with extract brewing.