# Rice Hulls In Brissy?



## mobrien (5/8/05)

Hi everyone,

Been trying to find Rice Hulls here in Brissy - I've tried two brew stores, two supermarkets and a health food store - can't see it anywhere, and no-one has heard of it. Any pointers?

Matt


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## sluggerdog (5/8/05)

What are they used for? could you use rice flakes instead maybe?


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## mobrien (5/8/05)

Use to bulk up a brew grist to get a good grain bed, especially when using wheat that will end up gumming things up a bit and slowing down lautering. For example:

http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/BeerOTMont...gers_wit_lf.htm

go down to the AG version,

M


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## pint of lager (5/8/05)

Rice hulls are a by product of rice manufacturing.

They are used as mulch in the garden, soil conditioner and animal bedding. Try your local feed barn or large garden supplier.


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## mobrien (5/8/05)

ahh - good idea! Thanks - I'll follow that advice!

But I'm going to be stubborn and still do my wit 

Matt

(although I did go and pick up another 500g of german pils to up the enzymes)


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## Fingerlickin_B (6/8/05)

I know there aren't quite so many pyrotechnic display companies in AU that make their own shells from scratch as in some other countrys...BUT...

Rice hulls are used in the manufacture of shells and certain lift charges, so if you have a large pyrotechic display firm in Brizzy (which I figure you may very well have), maybe call them and ask where they source hulls from 

PZ.


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## homebrewworld.com (6/8/05)

Im in Sydney, and use Rice Hulls in ALL my brews, as my pump in my RIMS set-up sucks the grain bed down to much, ie rice hulls to the rescue.
I love em, as no matter what my grain bill or size i can rest assured i wont have any probs.
When i was looking for them, i could only buy a truck load from the rice co-op in Griffith NSW. They didnt want to help me any other way.

So,cut a long story short i found a friend of a friend that works in the Rice Industry and he got me a couple of big sacks of them, enough to last me prob 2 yrs !
Good luck with your hunt M OBRIEN, and if your having no luck soon PM me and i'll send you some to get ya going.
Im running a bit low now, so im keen if anyone knows a supply source. ( dont want to push my friendship with my previous conection )

Cheers
:super:


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## PeterS (6/8/05)

homebrewworld.com said:


> So,cut a long story short i found a friend of a friend that works in the Rice Industry and he got me a couple of big sacks of them, enough to last me prob 2 yrs !
> Good luck with your hunt M OBRIEN, and if your having no luck soon PM me and i'll send you some to get ya going.
> Im running a bit low now, so im keen if anyone knows a supply source. ( dont want to push my friendship with my previous conection )
> 
> ...



I like your spirit Homebrew world.. Even though you are running a bit low, you are still willing to share a beginner.. Good on you..

:beer: 
PeterS....


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## mobrien (6/8/05)

homebrewworld - thanks for the info and the very generous offer - it is most appreciated! However, I am not that much in need of them right now - I have just completed my first AG wit, and did it without the rice hulls and its seemed to work just fine. That said, I'm going to try and find them locally, as I think it would be a good thing to be adding as you say!

brissy bulk buy; brissy bulk buy 

Matt


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## jgriffin (6/8/05)

Mate, if you find them in Brisbane, let me know.


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## Darren (6/8/05)

MOB,
Don't be scared by the paranoia about stuck sparges etc. Rice hulls are an un-necessary ingredient in brewing.
Watch your crush (little flour) and she'll be apples.
If you made a 50% wheat beer and had no problems, rice hulls won't be needed ever.
In the case of compacted or stuck sparge a "shot" of compressed air, CO2 or water from your hose into your drain valve will cure all your problems.
Rice hulls are rarely used in "food-grade" applications so you have to be suspect of the quality of them.
cheers
darren


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## jgriffin (6/8/05)

Darren, i wish you were at my brew day. All there will testify that no blowing back up the tube would clear that sparge.


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## Darren (6/8/05)

Been there done that. Seems nothing goes right when poeple are watching!
Dont be afraid to connect the hose to the outlet for a few seconds. A good stir and slow down the drain-off should fix it. 
I bet that rice hulls wouln't have helped either


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## Rod (7/8/05)

you can get rice hulls by the Kg from the bulk feed store in Condell Park in Sydney --- out near Bankstown 

so I think the bulk feed store ( horses etc) maybe the way to go , used for bedding etc


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## Ross (3/4/06)

Can someone please tell me what they are paying for rice hulls - & what quantity the price is for??

cheers Ross


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## johnno (3/4/06)

While we are on the subject of rice hulls. How long do these keep for. I have about half a kilo left.

I was thinking they should last for ever.

cheers
johnno


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## Keifer (3/4/06)

> so I think the bulk feed store ( horses etc) maybe the way to go , used for bedding etc



Be VERY careful about where you go, i work in a stock feed place on the central coast and i can tell you that our rice hulls sit there for an extremely long time getting eaten/shit on/pissed on and nested in by rats. I wouldn't touch em from our shop with a 1000 foot pole! The ones we use are 125kg bags for horse stables. So just be careful about this one guys


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## TidalPete (20/4/06)

Ross said:


> Can someone please tell me what they are paying for rice hulls - & what quantity the price is for??
> cheers Ross
> [post="117885"][/post]​



Bump. Anyone found a source of good clean rice hulls in Brizzy?

:beer:


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## Ross (20/4/06)

TidalPete said:


> Ross said:
> 
> 
> > Can someone please tell me what they are paying for rice hulls - & what quantity the price is for??
> ...



Pete,

I've found some, just got to work out the logistics of handling them.
I'm having a large storage shed built in the next few weeks, which will enable me to store grain & other products. I'll keep you posted.

cheers Ross


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## TidalPete (20/4/06)

Ross said:


> TidalPete said:
> 
> 
> > Ross said:
> ...



Cheers Ross, 

Looks like I will soon be making regular trips to Craftbrewer Headquarters & it's liquid delights.  

:beer:


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## altstart (20/4/06)

:beer: 
Hey Pete 
Let me Know when your comeing and Ill Meet you at Ross`s Place.
Cheers Altstart


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## Screwtop (20/4/06)

I will bloodywell drive you there Pete, but you gotta drive home. Plenty of room in the Cruiser for the goods.


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## Hoops (20/4/06)

Ross said:


> TidalPete said:
> 
> 
> > Ross said:
> ...


Excellent, I will be up for some soon too.

Hoops


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## bindi (21/4/06)

Screwtop said:


> I will bloodywell drive you there Pete, but you gotta drive home. Plenty of room in the Cruiser for the goods.
> [post="121677"][/post]​



Swing past my place on the way  please. Oh and I try not to drive [cars that is].   I will help pay for fuel :blink: what am I saying>


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## Screwtop (21/4/06)

Sounds like another SC pick-up run, you will have to stocktake after we leave Ross, have been known to leave with more than we have paid for, ask Batz


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## Ross (3/5/06)

Ok Guys/Gals

*Rice Hulls are here*  - I won't put on the CraftBrewer website until I work out the most economical/practical way of packaging them.
So for now collection only & bring a bag. $1.50 per kg or $1.00 per kg for orders 10kg & over.


Cheers Ross...


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## Jye (3/5/06)

woo-hoo :beerbang: 

How much would you need for say 5kg of 100% wheat?

Cheer
Jye :beer:


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## Jye (3/5/06)

Got it, about 5-10% of the grist weight.


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## doglet (3/5/06)

My understanding of rice hulls is that they make sparging easier without adding any flavour or colour. I read on Brewboard earlier this year (pre-server crash) that someone had done an experiment by placing some rice hulls in a cup and making a 'tea' using water of typical mash temp. They reported that the rice hulls changed the colour of the water and the flavour of the water after was quite bad. From then on they rinsed the rice hulls several times prior to adding them into the mash tun.

Can someone please sacrifice some rice hulls and do the same experiment and report back here? - for the greater good of course


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## Batz (3/5/06)

doglet said:


> My understanding of rice hulls is that they make sparging easier without adding any flavour or colour. I read on Brewboard earlier this year (pre-server crash) that someone had done an experiment by placing some rice hulls in a cup and making a 'tea' using water of typical mash temp. They reported that the rice hulls changed the colour of the water and the flavour of the water after was quite bad. From then on they rinsed the rice hulls several times prior to adding them into the mash tun.
> 
> Can someone please sacrifice some rice hulls and do the same experiment and report back here? - for the greater good of course
> [post="124101"][/post]​




Yes can someone do that?

Ross perhaps???

Cheers 
Batz


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## Ross (3/5/06)

doglet said:


> My understanding of rice hulls is that they make sparging easier without adding any flavour or colour. I read on Brewboard earlier this year (pre-server crash) that someone had done an experiment by placing some rice hulls in a cup and making a 'tea' using water of typical mash temp. They reported that the rice hulls changed the colour of the water and the flavour of the water after was quite bad. From then on they rinsed the rice hulls several times prior to adding them into the mash tun.
> 
> Can someone please sacrifice some rice hulls and do the same experiment and report back here? - for the greater good of course
> [post="124101"][/post]​



Thanks for the heads up after just buying 125kg of them :unsure: 

Anyway, several commercial micros use these from the same stockist, so I'm guessing (hoping) all's ok - That aside, I'll run a test & report back...

cheers Ross


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## doglet (3/5/06)

Thanks Ross. I could be overly cautious but I only want to use ingredients of value in my brews - good sanitation, good flavours (malt, hops and yeast) and rice hulls, if really needed, as long as they are there to only ease sparging and not adding anything else. I'm sure yours will be ok if other micros are using them.

PS - Great packaging on the hops I received last week. I was very impressed. Thanks!


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## Hoops (3/5/06)

Either way I'll still grab around 20kg.

Hoops


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## warrenlw63 (3/5/06)

Hoops

20kg Will lauter a Barley Field. :lol: 

Warren -


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## Borret (3/5/06)

Usefull for 80 yrs of homebrewing 

......or 1 years crop from a hydroponic setup?

Which is it?.

Brent

Warren- a '*Barley*' field will lauter itself.......


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## Hoops (3/5/06)

warrenlw63 said:


> Hoops
> 
> 20kg Will lauter a Barley Field. :lol:
> 
> ...


Really? Haven't even checked up - what's the ratio of grain/rice hulls?
I had my worst stuck sparge ever on the weekend doing a wit, I am going to add some standard from now on in all brews just as insurance, with a heap extra in wheats

Hoops


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## Batz (3/5/06)

Hoops said:


> Either way I'll still grab around 20kg.
> 
> Hoops
> [post="124128"][/post]​



Yep and 10 kg for me as well Ross

Batz


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## jgriffin (3/5/06)

Hoops said:


> warrenlw63 said:
> 
> 
> > Hoops
> ...



Ha ha, i knew you had jinxed yourself! How did the chiller work out?


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## Ross (3/5/06)

Well did the test, 3/4 filled a glass with rice hulls & topped up with 65c water & left till cold.

Didn't have any coffee filter paper to remove any fine particles, so tried using some kitchen towel - not that satisfactory but stopped most of the bits.

Resulting liquid had a slight tinge & I could detect a light grainy taste to the liquid - it was actually quite pleasent . My method wasn't very good & I will retry when I have something better to filter out the particles. Either way. I'm sure the small percentage used in a beer & the resulting boil etc would result in nothing detectable. I'll certainly be using them...


Cheers Ross


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## Hoops (3/5/06)

jgriffin said:


> Hoops said:
> 
> 
> > warrenlw63 said:
> ...


Yeah was a bugger of a brew day.
I couldn't get the parts to finish off the CFWC from any local hardware stores :angry: went to 3 different stores today - none have 3/8" compression fittings! so it's off to Tony Powell's Plumbing again. Had to use the immersion chiller again, but should be right to give the CFWC a run next brew.

Hoops


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## doglet (3/5/06)

Ross said:


> Well did the test.......
> Cheers Ross
> [post="124143"][/post]​



Thanks Ross for doing the test. I was only going by on what I read elsewhere and I my local supplier never has rice hulls in stock for me to do my own test. I think it comes down to where the rice hulls come from and obviously your supply is good.
Cheers
Tim


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## frawg (3/7/06)

Do you still have these Ross?


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## Ross (3/7/06)

frawg said:


> Do you still have these Ross?



Sure do... see here

Cheers Ross


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## Mothballs (26/2/07)

I am attempting to make some gluten free beer today with malted sorghum. As this grain has no husk I am using about 15% rice hulls to help with the sparge. Using sorghum requires a decoction type mash regime and the grist needs to be boiled for 20 mins. I am mashing in a bag and to avoid hassle I want to add the rice hulls to the grist at the start of the process. Has anyone had any experience in boiling rice hulls in there process or can forsee any problems with this. I am concerned boiling them may extract tannins and therefore leave an astringent taste in the beer. As a bit of an experiment I have boiled a small amount of rice hulls to see what the resulting liquid tastes like. My only conclusion is that it darkens the water it boils in and tastes grainy/ricey. Any thoughts on any other problems?

Cheers
Mothballs


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## jdsaint (26/2/07)

Mothballs said:


> I am attempting to make some gluten free beer today with malted sorghum. As this grain has no husk I am using about 15% rice hulls to help with the sparge. Using sorghum requires a decoction type mash regime and the grist needs to be boiled for 20 mins. I am mashing in a bag and to avoid hassle I want to add the rice hulls to the grist at the start of the process. Has anyone had any experience in boiling rice hulls in there process or can forsee any problems with this. I am concerned boiling them may extract tannins and therefore leave an astringent taste in the beer. As a bit of an experiment I have boiled a small amount of rice hulls to see what the resulting liquid tastes like. My only conclusion is that it darkens the water it boils in and tastes grainy/ricey. Any thoughts on any other problems?
> 
> Cheers
> Mothballs



Their is a link I will have to find it for you which stats their is no such thing as gluten free beer.
Anything which is malt, yeast, well grain is all gluten.


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## Mothballs (26/2/07)

JDSaint I think that you are horribly incorrect in your statement that all grain is all gluten. Maybe you should have a search on this forum or google for gluten free beer to see that gluten free beer can indeed be made. 

cheers
Mothballs


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## jdsaint (26/2/07)

Mothballs said:


> JDSaint I think that you are horribly incorrect in your statement that all grain is all gluten. Maybe you should have a search on this forum or google for gluten free beer to see that gluten free beer can indeed be made.
> 
> cheers
> Mothballs



sorry sofar I can not find the article I am after and apoligise, as I did search for this cause my mother in law  ( bless her soul) :blink: suffers from celiac disease and loves beer but now can only drink bunderburg rum which has no gluten B)


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## fixa (26/2/07)

do a search for millett... you should find it under that


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## Ross (26/2/07)

jdsaint said:


> sorry sofar I can not find the article I am after and apoligise, as I did search for this cause my mother in law  ( bless her soul) :blink: suffers from celiac disease and loves beer but now can only drink bunderburg rum which has no gluten B)



Jdsaint,

there are commercial beers on the mark made for Celiacs - Made by a Company called Silly Yak foods

cheers Ross


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## kook (26/2/07)

jdsaint said:


> sorry sofar I can not find the article I am after and apoligise, as I did search for this cause my mother in law  ( bless her soul) :blink: suffers from celiac disease and loves beer but now can only drink bunderburg rum which has no gluten B)



Not only are there gluten free beers, there was an entire festival dedicated to them in 2006.

Green's is the biggest producer of gluten free beers in the UK as far as I'm aware.

O'Briens are an Australian producer.

There are a few producers in the US too, infact in this month's BYO magazine there is an article about gluten-free brewing.


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## goatherder (26/2/07)

And I believe one of our members, Millet Man, is involved in a gluten free malting operation here in Australia. Do a search on his posts, you'll find loads of info.


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