There's also a quick soak method that works pretty well. Put them in a pot of water (about an inch of water above the beans), bring to a boil, and then turn off the heat and let sit for an hour (covered). Rinse and then add to the crockpock. It helps a lot with the gas and is easy. Good luck!

You should rinse them before cooking even if the recipe calls for them to be added dry.

If you soak the beans for 4-6 hours ahead of time and then cook, you can drain that water and rinse and get most of the gassy enzymes out.

I'd like to make a crock pot dish with dried black beans among the ingredients, but was concerned that it would give my family gas since I wouldn't be able to rinse the beans once they were cooked (since they'd be mixed in with other ingredients). Would doing this be a terrible idea, gas-wise?