Unable to get rice hulls for wheat beer

[keithshead]

I'm brewing a Schneiderweisse clone at the weekend. It will have about %50 wheat. Problem is i cannot get hold of any rice or oat husks to avoid a stuck sparge. It has been suggested that i can keep the grain unmixed and lay the barley malt at the bottom on the false bottom then the wheat malt on top this apparently will prevent a stuck sparge. The only problem with that is i need to mix the mash after each addition of sparge water. Do i really need to mix? Any other options?

Anyone help with this?

[Zapp Brannigan]

I brew more weiss than any other style, and use up to 70% wheat without the addition of rice hulls or oat husks, without any problems.

I get around the stuck sparge problem remashing or batch sparging with water at 80 degrees for 30 mins to get my second run off. The higher temperature helps keep the mash loose enough for it to run off effectively inspite of the high wheat proportion.

If you want to play safe or dont want to batch sparge, then you can use oat husks in the same way as rice hulls, and I believe some of the online shops sell them. Make sure you wash the oat husks thoroughly in running water before using them though, as I hear they have a taste that can taint the beer if not washed.

I know this didnt answer your original question, but at least now you have another (much simpler) option to toy with.

Good luck!

[dave-o]

I brew with lots of wheat (up to 70%) and have never had a problem with a stuck mash/sparge. I don't use any husks.

[TheMumbler]

Somebody, Uncle Pumble I think, was saying in a brewday thread that the sparge was easier when he mash-hopped. I've done wheat beers without and hulls and it stuck...but I think that was due to my poorly constructed mash tun at the time. Having a mashing and sparging bag on hand in case it does stick would be a good plan (that is what I did), you aren't worried about clarity anyway. You can definitely order oat husks on line, I think hop and grape do them as well as pet shops.

[bryan_r]

I did my first wheat beer the other weekend, and I used oat husks as the recipe I was using suggested them. I have no idea if they helped, but I didn't have any problems so they may well have done, or it could have been that I didn't need them since I was batch sparging, as suggested by Zapp.

I got them from Haiths after a bit of googling - they didn't seem that easy to find.

[lancsSteve]

I've used oat husks with rye malt which is REALLY sticky - they tend to float though so you need a lot, got mine from Haiths but postage isn't cheap - wonder if it's time to persuade Rob at Malt Miller to get rice hulls or oat husks in?

Never had a prob with wheat up to 60% - ideas already mentioned like mashing out and higher sparge water temp really help, a mash-and-sparge-bag is a decent investment for rescuing a stuck mash and also can be used to do BIAB if you're low on time... or high on strange recipe ideas (I used the sparge bag to BIAB my 100% wheat beer for example which has a little crystal wheat and choc wheat in it on top of all malted wheat base) want to do a SMaSH rye beer sometime!

[keithshead]

Sorry lads, should of clarified. I live in Sydney and can't get any here. Local HBS doesn't stock them coz of the bulky nature and craftbrewer won't send them dito. Tempted to brew without them but i have a terrible vision of a stuck sparge

[keithshead]

"Never had a prob with wheat up to 60% - ideas already mentioned like mashing out and higher sparge water temp really help"

Cheers for the info mate. I sparge at 75 degrees C, would increasing the temperature not extract unwanted tannins from the grain?

[Zapp Brannigan]

I do the 80 degree half hour batch sparge for all my beers, and I can honestly say I have never had problems with tannins.

Whack the sparge water in, give it a stir, leave for 30 mins and drain off.

[Spud395]

I had a stuck sparge on my last wit, a little stirring and blowing and it was fine.
So take onboard the advise and dont worry if it sticks just sort it out

[Bribie]

As an insurance policy, consider lining your MT with a square of Swiss Voile, or the two foot x two foot grain bag from Craftbrewer - not expensive - and if the worst comes to the worst you could hoist it BIAB style to drain and batch sparge. I BIAB and regularly make stouts with 750g quick oats and other potentially gooey adjuncts and don't have a problem using voile for the purpose.

[keithshead]

Will do.
Another question; want to make a starter for my wheat beer. Do i have to use a wheat malt extract? All i have right now is amber DME. Is that ok?

[dave-o]

That's fine.

[greenxpaddy]

HI there

I too was struggling to find oat hulls, which is mad really because generally they are just thrown away by oat processors.

I found out that oat 'husks' -just another way saying the same thing - are used by pigeon fanciers. Manor Farm Granaries sell 2.5kg bags for £3.50.

http://www.manorfarmbirdseed.co.uk/oat- ... 1523-p.asp

I would recommend washing these heavily - having been prepared for bird cages they may still have a higher level of pesticide/dirt.

However another solution I am choosing is to buy oats for my witbier that have the husks left on. A lightly rolled oat is available from Cherry Tree Animal Feeds. The higher fibre content will help with the mash and they are much cheaper!

http://www.cherrytree-supplies.com/inde ... cts_id=215

I am going to flake my own wheat fresh and will perhaps run the oats through if they are not flaked enough when I get them.

I am slightly obsessive about freshness though....

Cheers
Paddy

[lancsSteve]

I've used the oat husks from manor farm as is - Rob (aka Malt Miller) is trying to source rice hulls or oat husks...