Rice Hulls questions

[cweston]

My next AG attempt is going to be a wit. The grain bill is...

4.5 lb pilsner
3 lb malted wheat
1 lb flaked wheat
1 lb flaked oats
8 oz Aromatic


I have a pound of rice hulls: should I use the whole pound?

I figure I should include the rice hulls in the total grain weight when I calculate strike water volume, right? But what about grain absorbtion? The extra hulls won't really absorb any extra fluid, will they?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I would go with 1/2# of rice hulls. I use 1/2# with 5.5# of wheat in my Hefe and it seems to work fine. For 6# or more I'd go to the entire 1# of rice hulls.

I usually include them in the grist, but I'm considering taking them out because then it throws off the percentages of grain in Promash (aesthetic issue). I don't think they affect strike temp much or absorb water, but I'm just speculating.

 

[user 574]

I use .5 lb hulls for my wit of:

5.5 pils
3.75 wheat malt
1.75 flaked white wheat
.25 aromatic malt

I'd go with .5

 

[cgcaudle]

-Baron

When exactly would you add yours in? Should they be in for the entire mash, or mixed in during a certain phase?

-Keep single infusin in mind-

 

[Dude]

I've always read they should be up to 10% of your grist.

Also, they can be added at any time of the mash, they will not affect the gravity. That said, I don't understand why you'd add them at any other time other than mash-in.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

My AG wheat had 4.5# of wheat malt and I was able to sparge ok with no rice hulls. It was a little slow but it worked, so don't over-think this aspect of the brew.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I add mine at mash-in...I think that's the easiest way. Most of us stir our mashes at some point, anyways, which will mix the rice hulls and barley husks throughout the mash. I've seen reference to adding them just before lautering, but I'm not sure if that's the process when you have a separate lautertun (as opposed to the mash-lautertuns most of us use), or if there's some deeper reasoning.

I do rinse them before use...a lot of 'stuff' comes off of them that I know would get lautered, but I don't know if it actually affects flavor during the boil.

 

[Dude]

I do rinse them before use...a lot of 'stuff' comes off of them that I know would get lautered, but I don't know if it actually affects flavor during the boil.

Hmmmm...good info to remember. Thanks.

 

[Mikey]

You may not need the rice hulls at all. I use up to 60% wheat in my weizens without rice hulls and have no problems with sparging.

One pound of hulls is a huge volume, they don't weigh much!

 

[Glibbidy]

I went with Baron's advice when I made my American Hefeweizen this week. Based on his recommendo of ~1/2 lb per 5 lbs malted wheat I used the following in my grist:

% Amount Name Origin
------------------------------------
53 12.50 lbs. 2-Row Pale Malt
43 10.0 lbs. Malted Wheat
4 1.0 lbs. Rice Hulls

The rice hulls came in under 5% of my total grist, and I experienced absolutely zero issues with my mash getting stuck. In fact I may even consider dialing it back to 2% rice hulls on my next go around. It seems rice hulls are not unlike like sanitizer. A little bit goes a long way!

I have also heard of brewers using hay in the mash as a replacement for rice hulls.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I have also heard of brewers using hay in the mash as a replacement for rice hulls.

WeedWeizen! Actually, that should work fine I would think. I'm guessing it won't impart any flavor just from the mash.

 

[mysterio]

Sorry to go off topic, does anyone know why the Belgians use unmalted wheat for Wits instead of malted? What difference does this make?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Sorry to go off topic, does anyone know why the Belgians use unmalted wheat for Wits instead of malted? What difference does this make?

In the advanced search type in unmalted wheat and for username put Janx. He's compiled some pretty good info on lambics and their use of unmalted wheat. Offhand, I believe it's related to the Brett or some other bug that sours those beers.

 

[Indiana Red]

My AG wheat had 4.5# of wheat malt and I was able to sparge ok with no rice hulls. It was a little slow but it worked, so don't over-think this aspect of the brew.

This was my experiance with about 5# wheat and 6# barley as well. If I had rice hulls I would have used them but was out and it worked fine. I will allways use them when i can however as I just like the idea of a taller, presumably better grain bed/filter.