Rice Hull amounts?

[kev211]

Im brewing a SN Hoptimum clone this weekend and using 1LB American Pale wheat and Im trying to figure out how much rice hulls I should use to avoid a stuck mash/sparge. Does anyone here follow a particular ratio? Or is it basically, "use whats necessary"? Ive used them before, but only once or twice so I cant speak as to whether or not I followed a specific "rule" My grain bill is as follows (if that makes a difference)

5.5 gals

15lbs American Pale 2-row
2lbs Munich 10L
1lbs American Pale Wheat

I was thinking a pound of rice hulls. Is that overkill? Underkill? What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[CA_Mouse]

I wouldn't think that you need them for such a small amount of wheat. I use .25# to .5# for a 30% to 50% wheat to base malt grist. 1# should not impact your lauter ability with a 17:1 ratio.

 

[jjeffers09]

I would say use what is necessary and I do not see that recipe having a need for hulls. Get the process down in other problematic areas, mill, qt:lb ratios, slowly sparge, take your time, make sure your equip is clean, is your false bottom/braid set and the right size etc

Hulls should be used if your % of gb is lacking hulls. Like wheat and rye, that has no "outter shell", should be higher to the 45%-65% You need to be much higher than what you have now...

 

[BroStefan]

The rule I was taught is use a roughly equal VOLUME of rice hulls to the volume of wheat or flaked adjuncts. I just eyeball it. Works for me.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

I normally use one scoop (eyeball, about a quart volume) for a normal size recipe, 2 if it's higher gravity or has significant non-barley grains, 3 for both. I used about 4 scoops in an Imperial Black Barleywine with ~25 3/8 lb grain recently, and that turned together turned out to be slightly too much for my mash tun. I have the vague sense a scoop is in the vicinity of 1/4 pound, but it may be more like 1/3 (which would explain the previous sentence).

 

[kev211]

Ya I guess my overall question would be, is there a problem with adding too much rice hulls? Obviously they dont add any fermentable sugars, but can they cause other issues (other than requiring more water)?

 

[BroStefan]

Ya I guess my overall question would be, is there a problem with adding too much rice hulls? Obviously they dont add any fermentable sugars, but can they cause other issues (other than requiring more water)?

Not really any problem that I've seen in my brewery. They hold little to no water. But I've never pushed it to an extreme.

 

[Homercidal]

And you can pre-soak your hulls to negate the necessity of recalculating your water requirements...