Rice Hulls Questions

[jayhoz]

I'm working up a recipe for a simple Hefe and I have some questions regarding rice hulls. I think I've answered some of these from other posts, but I'm not 100% confident I've got this right. I'll be adding 0.5 lbs of hulls to 10.5lbs of grains.

Water Absorption? Rice Hulls will not absorb water.

Strike Water Temp? Rice Hulls will effect this. My calculations should be for 11lbs of "grain".

Water to grain ratio? Should I count the rice hulls or not?

Thanks.

 

[TexLaw]

Rice hulls do absorb water. Really, just account for them as if they were any other grain.


TL

 

[EdWort]

Actually I like to rinse soak and rinse my rice hulls first before using them. They are not exactly clean in some cases and by pre-soaking them, you don't have to worry about them soaking up any precious wort.

 

[bradsul]

Actually I like to rinse soak and rinse my rice hulls first before using them. They are not exactly clean in some cases and by pre-soaking them, you don't have to worry about them soaking up any precious wort.

+1 the few times I used them they looked pretty dirty so I didn't want to just dump them in. As TexLaw said, after that I just treat them like any other grain in regards to water amounts.

 

[reshp1]

Do you actually weigh out 1/2 lb of rice hulls? They aren't very heavy and 1/2lb is A LOT of rice hulls. A few handfuls usually do it for me, and I don't even consider them in any calcs because they're such a small amount by weight.

 

[jayhoz]

Do you actually weigh out 1/2 lb of rice hulls? They aren't very heavy and 1/2lb is A LOT of rice hulls. A few handfuls usually do it for me, and I don't even consider them in any calcs because they're such a small amount by weight.

Yes. I weighed out 1/2 lb.

 

[conpewter]

What I've been doing when using rice hulls i sputting them in my mash tun (cooler) with the pre-heat water, swishing that all around and draining it out through the valve, I've then got preheated presoaked rice hulls, so I don't figure them into my water calculations at all.

 

[EdWort]

I've never weighed mine. Austin Homebrew Supply sells them in 1# bags, so I just use 1/2 a bag.

 

[meyers.markg]

I guess I have another question. Do rice hulls have the same/ similar tannins as barley hulls? My friend kept poking the grains while we were doing the lauter (I was not present). And when I started the boil there was a plethora of rice hulls that started surfacing!! Am I screwed?! More like, he's screwed because this beer is for his wedding.

 

[nodfera2]

Everyone has their own method with these... to rinse or not to rinse, to soak or not to soak... etc etc.

Personally, I think its a waste of time to rinse/soak the hulls. The amount of wort they could potentially absorb is microscopic anyway. Just add a couple of scoops---no need to weigh them out. If you're making a hefe by traditional German stardards, maybe youll want to add a little bit more. Most likely a couple of scoops and youll be fine.

What is your set-up for the sparge?

 

[the_bird]

+2 to Ed; the stuff that comes off from them when I've rinsed them looks NASTY. I just grab a few handfuls, whatever looks right, no need to weigh with any precision.

 

[Bobby_M]

My method is to not use them at all. I've done wheats with no stuck sparges but I guess you're going for insurance policy. I'm just glad I don't have one more thing to stock.

 

[BierMuncher]

I switched to using rice hulls in all my batches once I validated a 3-4 gravity point improvement. Plus with my new Batch/Fly hybrid sparge technique (another 6-7 points), those hulls keep the grain bed nice and fluffy as the water slowly squeegees through the grains.

I wouldn’t necessarily go by weight. A ½ pound is a lot of rice hulls. I usually go by volume. For my 10 gallon batches (18 – 22 pound grain bills), I just scoop in a medium sized sauce pot of hulls.

I dump em in a spare cooler and douse em with hot water…let em soak while I’m heating strike water and loosely strain them into the tun just before doughing in.

Best estimate is they cause me an additional 3-4 degrees of temp loss so I just compensate.

 

[Ryanh1801]

My method is to not use them at all. I've done wheats with no stuck sparges but I guess you're going for insurance policy. I'm just glad I don't have one more thing to stock.

+1.. I have never seen the need for them.

 

[jayhoz]

I think what I will do is a hybrid of the suggestions. I will rinse the hulls in hot water to remove unwanted material, get them to absorb as much water as they will, and raise their temp. I will then add them to my mash tun with my strike water. I will overshoot my strike temp by a good margin to allow for a drop in temp due to heat absorption by the cooler (predictable) and the hulls (unknown at this point). I will then treat them as I would any other grain except I won't expect them to absorb any water.

Thanks all.

 

[BierMuncher]

I think what I will do is a hybrid of the suggestions. I will rinse the hulls in hot water to remove unwanted material, get them to absorb as much water as they will, and raise their temp. I will then add them to my mash tun with my strike water. I will overshoot my strike temp by a good margin to allow for a drop in temp due to heat absorption by the cooler (predictable) and the hulls (unknown at this point). I will then treat them as I would any other grain except I won't expect them to absorb any water.

Thanks all.

WAIT ! ! !

That is way too logical approach...

We need debate...

We need differing points of view...

We need to drag this thing on way past the point of your brew session and confuse the hell out of you...

:cross:

 

[TexLaw]

+1 to BierMuncher. How is this supposed to be fun if you come up with a good plan before you brew. You have to screw up a batch or two on this, so that we can hash it out endlessly.

Come on, man. Throw us a bone.


TL

 

[jayhoz]

Don't worry. I'm sure I'll drop an open bottle of iodophor or something into my mash and come asking how to "cope" with that problem.

 

[TexLaw]

Cool. Thanks!

Good catch, there, BM.


TL