Rice Hulls - Yea or Nay?

I am looking to brew a Rye IPA. I have read that Rye causes the sparge to get stuck. With the recipe below, do I need to add rice hulls? If so when do I add them? At dough in? Thanks for your guidance!

S'My Rye IPA
Amt
8 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
3 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)
1 lbs Rye Malt (4.7 SRM)
1 lbs Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM)
2.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)
2.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 oz Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
2.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days
1.00 oz Summit [17.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days

You have a total of 5lbs of grains that do not have a husk. So yes I would use rice hulls. Typically I use about a half pound for the total grains you have listed. Dump them in with the other grains at the start of the mash. I suggest also to pre-wet them. The hulls will absorb some water which can affect your first run-off. Typically while my strike water is heating I dump half pound of hulls in a large bowl and cover with warm tap water. When ready to start mash I dump the bowl of hulls into a strainer (fine mesh) to remove excess water then throw them into the mash.

Or you could just compensate by adding extra water to your mash. How much I have no idea. maybe an extra quart.

Better to be safe than sorry and rice hulls are cheap.

BigRedHopHead said:

You have a total of 5lbs of grains that do not have a husk. So yes I would use rice hulls. Typically I use about a half pound for the total grains you have listed. Dump them in with the other grains at the start of the mash. I suggest also to pre-wet them. The hulls will absorb some water which can affect your first run-off. Typically while my strike water is heating I dump half pound of hulls in a large bowl and cover with warm tap water. When ready to start mash I dump the bowl of hulls into a strainer (fine mesh) to remove excess water then throw them into the mash.

Or you could just compensate by adding extra water to your mash. How much I have no idea. maybe an extra quart.

Click to expand...

I always just included the rice hulls (by weight) in my grain absorption calculations. Do they absorb more water per pound than your typical crushed grains?

If you include them in your grain bill along with your mash water calculations
you will be fine.I use rice hulls often because I make alot of beer that include
wheat.I usually do as Hophead in above post does.I omit them from the grain
bill,soak them in hot water drain and add them to MLT before my grains.This
method does not throw off you mash water calculations.

Cheers

I just brewed a wheat beer with 50/50 white wheat and Maris Otter, no rice hulls, no stuck sparge. Just go very slow.

I always use rice hulls and toss them right in with the rest of the grain. I always measure my first runnings and adjust the sparge anyway, so I'm not worried about throwing off the calculations.

I rarely use them. I did in the one RyePA I made two years ago and didn't get a stuck (batch) sparge. My wheats, with a 42% white wheat, 17% flaked wheat bill doesn't get stuck. However, I do have to be very careful and watch the runnings like a hawk. Why don't I use hulls? I always forget to pick them up when I buy grain. You may as well throw some in the mash- or use the prewetting method described above. I may start doing that on select brews. Kyle

I just did a rye IPA with 3 lbs of rye malt but no flaked malt. I added 3 handfuls of rice hulls before I Dougherty in. I did need to add a quart of extra spathe water to adjust. I had a really good run off. Not slow at all.

I have made MANY rye beers and never had a stuck runoff or need to use hulls. But it depends on your own equipment.

I always put about 5 handfuls or so right on my false bottom ( so I wear tight underwear so it does not fall out ..ha ha ) - any hoo I grind my grains a bit on the fine side and do not get any stuck mashes .
Another trick I use is to put a nylon paint strainer bag over the false bottom , nothing is getting through that and it does not clog up . Great 2 buck investment . I put this over the rice hulls .