No access to rice hulls, what else?

[Shift]

I've found that rice hulls are kind of hard to find, so what else can you use?
I've read that cutting up straw and mixing it in could have some positive effects. But i dont think i'll find any of that until christmas atleast.

 

[killian]

you could check out brew in a bag, I haven't tried it but I have heard it works well. What do you need the hulls for anyway?

 

[Shift]

Thinking of doing a four grain stout with equal parts of Barley, Wheat, Oat and Rye. I suspect it might be a real motherf***** to mash though, but the rice hulls should help.

 

[Mysticmead]

I did a 100% wheat beer BIAB (brew in a bag) no rice hulls.. get a grain bag and mash in bag, in your normal MLT. if you get a stuck sparge, lift the bag a little and it'll drain

 

[Shift]

After reading that mechanical stress has nothing to do with tannins i've been thinking about that, or something similar where some pressure is applied to the grains to get the last bits of wort out.

 

[El_Exorcisto]

I've been all-graining in a cooler for a couple years now, and have yet to stick a sparge. I really think rice hulls are overrated, although YMMV.

 

[Mysticmead]

I've been all-graining in a cooler for a couple years now, and have yet to stick a sparge. I really think rice hulls are overrated, although YMMV.

try a 100% wheat beer... that'll stick

 

[smokinghole]

I've stuck two wits. They were like 45% wheat and they stuck. I had a real slow sparge on a pumpkin between the pumpkin and the oats I had in the mash. I am ordering a big bag of rice hulls with my grain group buy.

 

[El_Exorcisto]

If I, for some reason wanted to abandon malted barley for malted wheat then I would move to using a grain bag or some such other tool. I've never really felt the need to do something like that, though. I've done a 60/40 wheat/barley witbier and had no issues with sticking. Beyond that is beyond most reason. I do batch sparge, however which I am sure helps keep the boogey man away.

 

[badmajon]

Order the hulls online.

 

[novafire]

6row has a higher husk content than 2row. You could use some 6row in your mashes. I do not know how much would actually make a difference, but maybe it's something to look into further.

 

[rycov]

Order the hulls online.

+1 this is what i did. also i was surprised at how big a one pound bag of rice hulls was.

 

[edmanster]

How about a different method of straining your grain bed? What are you doing now? False bottom, braided hose? And how are you sparging?

 

[tasq]

Malt conditioning.

 

[jtakacs]

you can use 6-row malt for a portion of the grist too... that'll help.