Will I need rice hulls?

[rklinck]

I have a friend who is going to brew with me in a couple of weeks. He is a big wheat beer fan, so that is what we are going to brew. This will be my first foray into wheat beers, and I seem to remember that wheat can lead to stuck sparges. Am I remembering that right? If so, what quantity of rice hulls should I included for a 5 gallon batch that contains 4 pounds of wheat malt?

 

[JohnnyO]

You are correct. Wheat beers are prone to stuck sparges. Use a pound of rice hulls in your mash. You might be able to get away with less, but I would go with a full pound with that amount of wheat in your mash.

 

[rklinck]

You are correct. Wheat beers are prone to stuck sparges. Use a pound of rice hulls in your mash. You might be able to get away with less, but I would go with a full pound with that amount of wheat in your mash.

Thanks.

 

[KeystoneHomebrew]

Think of rice hulls as insurance. I'd rather spend the $2 and know I'm going to have a good brew day. Getting a stuck mash and losing not only your time cleaning it up, but the cost of the grain sucks big time.