diff --git a/lib/rackstash/adapters/callable.rb b/lib/rackstash/adapters/callable.rb
index ceb3db2..935e4d5 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/adapters/callable.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/adapters/callable.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
 
 require 'rackstash/adapters/adapter'
-require 'rackstash/encoders/raw'
+require 'rackstash/encoders/hash'
 
 module Rackstash
   module Adapters
@@ -46,15 +46,15 @@ module Rackstash
         end
       end
 
-      # By default, we use an {Rackstash::Encoders::Raw} to encode the events.
-      # This ensures that the raw event is passed through to to the callable by
-      # default.
+      # By default, we use an {Rackstash::Encoders::Hash} to encode the events.
+      # This ensures that all of the data in the logged event is passed through
+      # to the callable by default.
       #
       # You can define a custom encoder in the responsible {Flow}.
       #
-      # @return [Rackstash::Encoders::Raw] a new Raw encoder
+      # @return [Rackstash::Encoders::Hash] a new Hash encoder
       def default_encoder
-        Rackstash::Encoders::Raw.new
+        Rackstash::Encoders::Hash.new
       end
 
       # Write a single log line by calling the defined `callable` given in
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/encoders.rb b/lib/rackstash/encoders.rb
index 03286a5..485a8f6 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/encoders.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/encoders.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 # This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
 # of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
 
+require 'rackstash/encoders/hash'
 require 'rackstash/encoders/json'
 require 'rackstash/encoders/lograge'
 require 'rackstash/encoders/logstash'
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/encoders/hash.rb b/lib/rackstash/encoders/hash.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5811228
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rackstash/encoders/hash.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+#
+# Copyright 2017 Holger Just
+#
+# This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
+# of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
+
+require 'rackstash/encoders/helpers/message'
+require 'rackstash/encoders/helpers/timestamp'
+
+module Rackstash
+  module Encoders
+    # The Hash encoder formats the log event as a raw `Hash` containing all data
+    # exposed by the buffer. This can be used by special log targets which are
+    # designed to handle hashes as opposed to formatted strings.
+    class Hash
+      include Rackstash::Encoders::Helpers::Message
+      include Rackstash::Encoders::Helpers::Timestamp
+
+      # @param event [Hash] a log event as produced by the {Flow}
+      # @return [Hash] the normalized event
+      def encode(event)
+        normalize_message(event)
+        normalize_timestamp(event)
+
+        event
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/encoders/lograge.rb b/lib/rackstash/encoders/lograge.rb
index 54bf8fc..47f77da 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/encoders/lograge.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/encoders/lograge.rb
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ module Rackstash
         case value
         when nil
           return
-        when Hash
+        when ::Hash
           return if value.empty?
           return serialize_hash(value, prefix: key)
-        when Array
+        when ::Array
           return if value.empty?
           return serialize_array(value, prefix: key)
         when Float
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/encoders/message.rb b/lib/rackstash/encoders/message.rb
index 5802976..ef9a127 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/encoders/message.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/encoders/message.rb
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ module Rackstash
         case value
         when nil
           nil
-        when Array
+        when ::Array
           "[#{value.map(&:to_s).join(',')}] "
         else
           "[#{value}] "
diff --git a/lib/rackstash/encoders/raw.rb b/lib/rackstash/encoders/raw.rb
index dd0a332..2f53188 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/encoders/raw.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/encoders/raw.rb
@@ -7,9 +7,12 @@
 
 module Rackstash
   module Encoders
-    # The Raw encoder formats the log event as a raw `Hash` containing all data
-    # exposed by the buffer. This can be used by special log targets which are
-    # designed to handle hashes as opposed to formatted strings.
+    # The Raw encoder passes along the raw unformatted event hash. It still
+    # contains an `Array` of {Message} objects in the `"message"` key and a
+    # `Time` object in the `"@timestamp"` key.
+    #
+    # When expecting a Hash in an adapter, usually it's more useful to use the
+    # {Rackstash::Encoders::Hash} encoder instead.
     class Raw
       # @param event [Hash] a log event as produced by the {Flow}
       # @return [Hash] the passed `event`
diff --git a/spec/rackstash/adapters/callable_spec.rb b/spec/rackstash/adapters/callable_spec.rb
index 87ed82b..40b8886 100644
--- a/spec/rackstash/adapters/callable_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rackstash/adapters/callable_spec.rb
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ describe Rackstash::Adapters::Callable do
   end
 
   describe '.default_encoder' do
-    it 'returns a Raw encoder' do
-      expect(adapter.default_encoder).to be_instance_of Rackstash::Encoders::Raw
+    it 'returns a Hash encoder' do
+      expect(adapter.default_encoder).to be_instance_of Rackstash::Encoders::Hash
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/rackstash/encoders/hash_spec.rb b/spec/rackstash/encoders/hash_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec2fbaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/rackstash/encoders/hash_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+#
+# Copyright 2017 Holger Just
+#
+# This software may be modified and distributed under the terms
+# of the MIT license. See the LICENSE.txt file for details.
+
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+require 'rackstash/encoders/hash'
+
+describe Rackstash::Encoders::Hash do
+  let(:encoder) { described_class.new }
+
+  describe '#encode' do
+    it 'normalized the message' do
+      event = { 'message' => ["hello\n", "world\n", "foo", "bar"] }
+      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql 'message' => "hello\nworld\nfoobar"
+    end
+
+    it 'normalizes the timestamp' do
+      time = Time.now
+      event = { 'message' => ['foo', 'bar'], '@timestamp' => time }
+
+      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql 'message' => 'foobar', '@timestamp' => time.getutc.iso8601(6)
+    end
+
+    it 'passes the normalized event hash through' do
+      event = { 'foo' => 'bar', 'baz' => :boing }
+      expect(encoder.encode(event)).to eql 'foo' => 'bar', 'baz' => :boing, 'message' => ''
+    end
+  end
+end