Rice hull question

[brewyourown4life]

Going to brew an all grain pumpkin beer this weekend and will be using rice hulls in the mash for the first time. do you just throw them in the mash as is, do they need to be crushed? to be honest i have never seen rice hulls and the LHBS does not carry them. ordered all my ingredients today.

 

[JonK331]

You should give them a good rinse first. Then just put them in.

 

[Hammy71]

I soak mine in hot water before I add to the mash tun. They will absorb a lot of wort if you don't presoak, and I want that wort in the kettle.

 

[Revvy]

I've never done anything but grab a couple handfuls and toss them in the mash tun. Never washed or soaked them.

No you don't crush them, that sort of defeats their purpose. They act like brain does in our digestive track helping to keep things all loose, so everything flows smoothly.

 

[starrfish]

just count them as part of your grain bill so you get the mash/ sparge water ratio right. I came up a bit short on my last hefe but only by a quart or 2. I've just added right to mash dry. If pre soaked they will absorb less, but it's an extra step.

 

[sudsmcgee]

I've never done anything but grab a couple handfuls and toss them in the mash tun. Never washed or soaked them.

No you don't crush them, that sort of defeats their purpose. They act like brain does in our digestive track helping to keep things all loose, so everything flows smoothly.

You eat brain? LOL

 

[badhabit]

I use 10 lbs of fresh baked and mashed pumpkin in my 5 gal. PA and never had any problems with batch sparging. Any particular reason that you are adding the hulls?

 

[brewyourown4life]

seems like every thing i've read say's to use rice hulls to avoid a stuck sparge.

 

[Revvy]

It's one of those things that doesn't hurt to use. The one time you don't use them and you get a stuck sparge, you'll know why....

 

[Beezy]

I have a bud that uses them with every batch. He claims they help keep an even temp. I have never soaked mine either. If it soaks up more I just put more sparge water in. Haven't had eff problems because of them.