Rice Hulls

I'm getting ready to do an AG Blue Paw Wheat Ale clone. The recipie recommends adding 4 ozs. of rice hulls to the bottom of the mash tun prior to adding grains and water. Will they stay on the bottom after adding the water and grain or float up when the water is added? Will they mix with the grain while stiring? Should the hulls be placed under the false bottom? Obviously, the purpose of the rice hulls is to prevent a stuck run off.

If you've done a reasonable crush on your grains, and are using less than maybe 60% wheat you probably won't need rice hulls.

If you do use them, you have to avoid mixing them into the mash when you stir.

I don't bother with my wheat beers and have never had a stuck mash (yet)

go ahead and mix them in with the mash. Even at 60% wheat you may be fine without the rice hulls, but then again why not play it safe?

I'm thinking you would want to mix them into the mash as well.
I recently heard a podcast interview with Charlie Papazian and in it he says he has started using rice hulls in a lot of beers and is impressed with the results. I say go for it.

glibbidy said:

go ahead and mix them in with the mash. Even at 60% wheat ou may be fine without the rice hulls, but then again why not play it safe?

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Ive always mixed them into my mash. The stuck sparge happens in the grain bed itself, not right above the false bottom. This last brew I did, the dunkel.....well I kind of spaced the hulls. The grain bed felt like a solid chunk of concrete on the surface. I stuck twice....no biggie, just remix, recirc, and continue.

Doing a german hefe this weekend, and you better be damn sure I remembered the hulls this time.

You could always just stir the mash if it sticks.

Rice hulls are added to the mash to act like malt hulls. You can add them at the beginning of the mash or about 10 minutes or so before lautering. They need time to wet and hydrate. I would not add them to the lauter tun. They will not distribute well and settle like they should. And no, they do not go below the false bottom.

Dr Malt