Rice Hulls

[InfernoBrews]

Just Curious As to How Many Use Rice Hulls?

 

[beerthirty]

I do in some brews. I will also be experimenting with using them in the boil with pellet hops to prevent clogging a hopstopper.

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

I rarely use them and I brew a wheat beer pretty much every other batch. My only slow/stuck sparge came from a butt-load of pumpkin in a pumpkin ale I brewed last fall.

I would suspect that some equipment may be more likely to require hulls than other. FWIW, I have a Bazooka Screen in my mash tun as I've been too lazy/busy to make a manifold. However once I make a manifold, I will still not go to hulls automatically. I'll run a batch up the flagpole and see how it flies first.

 

[michael.berta]

I use rice hulls for wheat beers. Usually 1LB for a 10 gallon batch. I soak and rinse them for 20 minutes before tossing them into the tun....

 

[Nurmey]

Not to highjack but is there any downside to using rice hulls in every batch?

I have a fear of stuck sparges with my braid and tend to use a handful in my brews. I know that some grains are worse than others but since I'm not sure which grains do it, I've chosen to err on the side of caution. All grain gurus, please advise.

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

I can't see any downside to using them.

 

[beerthirty]

they are inert in the mash process. I normally rinse them first to remove any dust.

 

[sirsloop]

I set my mill a little tighter than it probably should be, then add 1/2lbs rice hulls to every batch. No stuck sparge, and the grain is milled down more for better efficiency.

 

[eriktlupus]

personally i use them if the crush is a little fine or if i'm using a lot of adjuncts in the mash, more than 20% of grain bill.

 

[Chello]

I'v read here before that people claim tossing in a hand full of rice hulls will increase efficiency ~1-2% on any brew.

Just a comment...

 

[steelerguy]

I only used them when I made a pumpkin ale with 3 lbs. of pumpkin I cooked up and then mashed up and put in mash. Other than that, even with a fine crush, I have no problem batch sparging with my SS braid.

 

[InfernoBrews]

Interesting Replies!! ALways like to hear Everyones Opinions and or Stories!

 

[Moonpile]

We used them once on an Oatmeal Stout because those are supposed to get sticky. It drained and batch sparged no differently than any of our other brews, which is to say very easily, since we have a combined slotted copper/stainless braid manifold.

 

[BierMuncher]

Not to highjack but is there any downside to using rice hulls in every batch?

No downside.

I use them in all my batches, but because I fly sparge, they help my efficiency. They keep the grain bed nice and "fluffy" and prevent channeling.

I'll use more or less depending on the grist.

 

[InfernoBrews]

Do you measure the Amount you use or just take a Guestimated Handfull and give them a toss in?

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

I'v read here before that people claim tossing in a hand full of rice hulls will increase efficiency ~1-2% on any brew.

Just a comment...

I've only used rice hulls once in an Oatmeal Stout and I overshot my OG by 9 points. My efficiency jumped from 75% to 85%. I want to do a rice hulls experiment to see if I can replicate the results but right now I'm trying out the thinner mash thing that Pol and Kaiser have been discussing here.

 

[amitche1]

How do you use the hulls? Do you make an effort to keep them near the bottom of the grain bed, or just add and stir as usual? What's the most effective use?

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

How do you use the hulls? Do you make an effort to keep them near the bottom of the grain bed, or just add and stir as usual? What's the most effective use?

Just rinse and hydrate with water so they don't soak up any of your wort and toss them into the mash and stir it up.