Rye malt ceiling in a Rye Pale Ale?

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Meatbull

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I'm looking to make a rye pale ale and I'm wondering if anyone here has hit the ceiling in terms of the amount of rye you can use in a batch.

I'm all-grain and looking to go 50% rye, and the other 50% to mostly pale malt with a touch of wheat.

I'm looking for a strong rye character and I'm following Jamil's advice and using kolsch yeast to ferment.

Thanks for any experience and suggestions. Is 50% too much? What is the downside (stuck mash, etc.)?

Thanks in advance.
 
Stuck mash is the biggest downside to going high. I used 35% with no problems and great rye flavor. I don't personally see any need to go up to 50%, but its obviously your beer...

edit - RICE HULLS!
 
My Rabbit Run Rye Ale (styled after a German Roggenbier) is over 50% rye (between rye and rye chocolate malt). You have to sparge slowly and definitely don't skimp on adding rice hulls to your mash- or the rye will glue up. When I make that beer, my batch sparges can take 45 minutes easily.
 
+1 to the rice hulls. I've used 40% rye malt before and it was a slow sparge. Adding wheat into the mix you're just asking for a stuck sparge. Be generous with the rice hulls!

...Did anyone mention to use rice hulls? :D
 
Great responses. I think I'll dial it back to 40% rye and maybe skip the wheat completely. It is good to have people talk you off the cliff.

And yes, rice hulls will abound.
 
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