Rye Beer help

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badhabit

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I am trying to bring out more rye flavor in my Roggen. I am using 30% rye malt at this point but still not getting the flavor profile that I am after. I am a little concerned about using a lot more rye because I am concerned about a stuck sparge....rye is sticky stuff!!! Anybody got any great ideas? Would I be better off with a flaked rye? Maybe I just add a bunch of rice hulls for the sparge and double the malted rye?
 
What other grains are in your recipe? Can you post the recipe? There may be a grain that is covering-up the rye.

30% sounds like decent amount, though.
 
I've got one that's near 75% rye, and you taste it. Its a bit of a (happy) accident. You can go that high, your sparge will stick, and it will be the longest brew day ever. Your shoes will stick to things for a week after you overfill the MLT, and you may have the cops at your door because of the 'domestic dispute' from your cursing and crashing equipment, but it can make a very nice roggen.

I was actually foolish enough to try it a second time. It didn't go too much smoother, but I was more mentally equiped for the experience.
 
I'm convinced I won't go to the 75%level!!!
Here are the fementables
4 lb Pilsner
2 lb Munich light
4 lb Malted rye
1 lb CaraMunich
1/2 lb Caravienne
1/2 lb CaraPils
Hops as follows
2 oz Spalt at 60
1 oz Spalt at 10
1 oz Spalt at 2
Yeast
Wyeast 1056
I already tried using flaked rye for half of the rye and still was not happy. Maybe I just have too much German blood in me to be satisfgied with anything less than hard kick in the face from the rye????
 
Maybe I just have too much German blood in me to be satisfgied with anything less than hard kick in the face from the rye????
Click to expand...
Then to 75% you must go! Just kidding, but from BJCP:
Ingredients: Malted rye typically constitutes 50% or greater of the grist (some versions have 60-65% rye). Remainder of grist can include pale malt, Munich malt, wheat malt, crystal malt and/or small amounts of debittered dark malts for color adjustment. Weizen yeast provides distinctive banana esters and clove phenols. Light usage of noble hops in bitterness, flavor and aroma. Lower fermentation temperatures accentuate the clove character by suppressing ester formation. Decoction mash commonly used (as with weizenbiers
Click to expand...

So maybe get it up from the 33% mark you're at, a bit Try a decoction too, I triple decoct mine. Yes it will add even more frustration and the syrup will stick to everything and you'll pull large bunches of arm hair off when it hardens on you during the process, but it gives a nice little spicey bite. You'll probably scorch it too, and be prepared to throw away the pot afterward cause getting the creme brulee crust of carbon off the bottom ain't worth the effort on you tired arms after stirring 3 decoctions for several hours.

Man I wish that beer wasn't as good as it is, I hate brewing that basterd.
 
I think that I will go 50% and add sone rice hulls and see what happens. Unfortunatly I am in the same spot you are, I just like it too much to give up on it. I double D my Marzen and Maibock if the 50% doesnt work I guess I will end up with a third on that list. Thanks for the comments.
 
Just an FYI to any of you rye heads still out there, and for sure to those that helped with suggestions. After many attempts over the past years and two more trys after my original post, I ended up with a rye that I am happy with. I eventually used 70% rye malt and that did the trick. I added 3/4 lb of rice hulls and batch sparged without any problems at all. I also added 1 Tablespoon crushed (not ground) Caraway at 2 minutes in the boil and as noted above the result was great. Next step will be to make a batch without the Caraway and enter it into a sanctioned competition late next spring. Until then I will be enjoying the results with family and friends at home.:ban: Again thanks to all for suggestions and help!
 
badhabit said:
Just an FYI to any of you rye heads still out there, and for sure to those that helped with suggestions. After many attempts over the past years and two more trys after my original post, I ended up with a rye that I am happy with. I eventually used 70% rye malt and that did the trick. I added 3/4 lb of rice hulls and batch sparged without any problems at all. I also added 1 Tablespoon crushed (not ground) Caraway at 2 minutes in the boil and as noted above the result was great. Next step will be to make a batch without the Caraway and enter it into a sanctioned competition late next spring. Until then I will be enjoying the results with family and friends at home.:ban: Again thanks to all for suggestions and help!
Click to expand...

Did you get a Pumpenickle taste? I've thought about that for my next Rye beer.
 
Yes, that comes from the combination of the rye and caraway. I will add caraway again in the future because I like that taste. The only problem is that to enter in competition the style guidelines specificaly prohibit the caraway addition.
 
badhabit said:
Yes, that comes from the combination of the rye and caraway. I will add caraway again in the future because I like that taste. The only problem is that to enter in competition the style guidelines specificaly prohibit the caraway addition.
Click to expand...

Yea, I've read that. Think I might try some as I'm not into competition right now.
 
Again, I have found that if you Crush but not grind the Caraway, think about it the same way as milling malt, you get much better utlization and better flavor. Good luck!
 

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