Subbing rice for grain?

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Nike_Eayrs

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Can anyone explain the process for using rice in the mash to lighten the body of beer? Is there a ratio to sub? Is the gravity reading the same for rice as it would be for grain? I'm just looking to lighten the body up a bit. Thanks for the help. Cheers!
 
Please post your recipe and process. There are multiple ways to lighten the body of a beer without resorting to adjuncts. Unless you are trying to make Budweiser, then there may be something more appropriate. For example, I'm assuming you are doing an all grain recipe as rice for a substitute would be bizarre in just about any other circumstance. But one way to lighten the body is to decrease the mash temp to make the wort more fermentable. If you are currently mashing this recipe at 154, reduce the mash temp to 148. This will make the wort more fermentable and the increased attenuation will make the body lighter.

Just subbing out rice for two row, you can sub 1 for 1, but understand that rice must be mashed with a base grain. Plus, you should not use more than 2 lbs of rice in a 5 gallon batch.
 
Please post your recipe and process. There are multiple ways to lighten the body of a beer without resorting to adjuncts. Unless you are trying to make Budweiser, then there may be something more appropriate. For example, I'm assuming you are doing an all grain recipe as rice for a substitute would be bizarre in just about any other circumstance. But one way to lighten the body is to decrease the mash temp to make the wort more fermentable. If you are currently mashing this recipe at 154, reduce the mash temp to 148. This will make the wort more fermentable and the increased attenuation will make the body lighter.

Just subbing out rice for two row, you can sub 1 for 1, but understand that rice must be mashed with a base grain. Plus, you should not use more than 2 lbs of rice in a 5 gallon batch.

I don't really have a recipe piked out yet, just looking for advice in general. The brews I have made in the past seem much heavier than brews that I would normally drink. IPA's are my fav, and I'm just looking for a way to make them less "motor oil" haha! Thanks!
 
Rice and Corn are used in the BMC beers to lighten the body. You are basically keeping enough fermentables to create a beer, but taking out the maltiness and replacing it with a more neutral flavor.

BMC clone lagers have 40-50% rice/corn in the grain bill.

If you just want to lighten the body of your beer, but don't want to take the "beer" our of the beer, you can do so just by watering it down, using less grain, or changing your mash temp instead of using rice/corn.

I personally wouldn't cut your brew with rice unless you are literally interested in making one of the traditional adjuct beers, like a light American lager.
 
Can anyone explain the process for using rice in the mash to lighten the body of beer? Is there a ratio to sub? Is the gravity reading the same for rice as it would be for grain? I'm just looking to lighten the body up a bit. Thanks for the help. Cheers!

Last time I looked rice was a grain. If you mean subbing for malt you can do it at whatever percentage you like, up to a point. If you want to make Budweiser that's maybe 45% rice and 55% malt. For something along the lines of a CAP type recipe try using 10-20%.
 
I don't really have a recipe piked out yet, just looking for advice in general. The brews I have made in the past seem much heavier than brews that I would normally drink. IPA's are my fav, and I'm just looking for a way to make them less "motor oil" haha! Thanks!

No problem. When you pick out a recipe you want to make and its in the recipe database, just ask in that thread how to lighten the body. People will respond that it is already really light or they'll give some ideas based on that recipe. If it is another recipe, just post it in this thread and we'll help you out. Good luck and happy brewing! IMHO experimentation makes for some fun brewing so keep at it! :mug:
 
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