Adding rye to an existing recipe

[Bennypapa]

I'd like to add rye to an existing American pale ale recipe and im curious about how to go about it.
The recipe as is:
80-85% 2 row
3% wheat
5-10% Munich
5-10% victory
With 40 ibu centered on american hops

I'd like to add about 10% rye to the mix. Where do i take the 10% from?
It's it best to reduce the other ingredients equally or reduce the base 2row to 70-75%?

What is your strategy and why?

 

[roastquake]

Don't reduce the Munich or Victory, but I would sub rye for a portion of the two-row and leave the wheat, but I don't think it would make much of a difference if you subbed rye for all or part of the wheat.

 

[mjdonnelly68]

I love Rye beers. I have a house Light Rye that I've brewed 15 times.

My advice would be to go easy on the Rye for your first batch (5% or less to start). Rye makes a very specific contribution and not everyone likes it.

Through adjustments after many batches I settled in at 6.7% for my Rye beer (and again, I love Rye).

You might end up a little higher with Pale Ale as your base (mine is a hybrid lighter base beer).

Throw some rice hulls in as well. Rye can get a little sticky.

 

[Bearfoot]

My advice would be to go easy on the Rye for your first batch (5% or less to start). Rye makes a very specific contribution and not everyone likes it.

+1.

I've also enjoyed some recent experimentation with Flaked Rye- which has a nice, concentrated spicy rye flavor without affecting gravity too much. If I were adding rye to your recipe, I would probably go 2.5% Rye malt and 2.5% flaked rye.

 

[soccerdad]

Agree. Rye malt and flaked rye together can be delightful (if you like rye)

 

[Bennypapa]

Thanks.
I do like rye. The local brewery has a great rye ipa and recently they had bells smitten on tap. Both were very good and are the reason i decided to put a rye beer on my brew list.
I think i will leave the wheat but that does bring up a whole course of experiments. Same base recipe with wheat and rye varying from no rye and all wheat to all rye and no wheat.

First things first though. To brew this beer and see how i like it.

 

[roastquake]

Ever since my farmer friend basically gave me 3 bushels (about 150 lbs) of rye, I've been using it everywhere from 10% to 50% of the base for all my recipes except German style lagers. Now, it's not flaked or malted, it's rye cereal grains that would have otherwise been sold as animal feed. So I think the flavor might be milder that the rye sold as a brewing ingredient, I don't really get intense spiciness. I have to say I've really enjoyed all the beers I've used it in.