Flaked Rye Vs Malted Rye

[drsmurto]

Was in the health food shop stocking up on flaked barley/oats and noticed flaked rye. At $3.40/kg i figured i would buy first and ask questions later.

After a few searches of this site using both the sites search as well as google i only found a few passing comments, nothing of any real use.

Brewing Techniques have a good article on rye - Link

I have 25kg of malted rye (i'm not addicted, i can stop any time i want......) which will find its way into almost every beer i do from now on but am musing over the potential differences between flaked and malted.

I use flaked barley and oats regularly although admittedly only in stouts.

About to make another 4 shades of stout and am tempted to sub in flaked rye and see if it adds anything although i suspect it would be lost behind all the roasted malts.

The one thing i did learn that sounded encouraging was that flaked rye being pre-gelatinised is less likely to clag up a mash.

Will have a nibble of both the flaked and the malted tonight.

So who has used flaked rye and what was the result when compared to malted rye?

Thoughts/comments from the Rye addicts/junkies? Flavour differences between them?

Cheers
DrSmurto

 

[benno1973]

I've used flaked rye.... but never malted rye.

It was quite subtle (in a RyePA), spicy as I'd been led to believe, and a very nice addition. Easy to work with, and the runoff was smooth. Sorry, can't compare with malted rye though.

 

[Fourstar]

Be interested to know this outcome smurto. on a side note, have you used spelt before? ive been tempted to get some organic spelt from the Vic Market and make a Splet(wit) beir. could be an interesting adventure. OR it might just end up tasting like your everyday witbier. lol

 

[Quintrex]

I have heard that unmalted rye gives more of the spicyness thing, which seems to be toned down after the malting process.

I've been meaning to get some flaked rye and give it a go to see...but haven't obtained any in my travels so far.

Do a side by side comparison, should appeal to the chemist in you, huh? :icon_cheers:

Q

 

[praxis178]

I use it (flake rye) in some of my lagers, adds a spiciness that is very nice and better head retention. Mashing/leutering is unaltered, but then I only use about 5% flaked rye. As for malted rye, yep it does find it's way into just about everything......

Would probably work well in a stout, at 5% it's quite notice able, so you should be able to pick it, so long as you know it's there.

 

[drsmurto]

Had a quick nibble on both malted and flaked rye, then a small handful of the flaked :lol:

There is a definite difference in how they taste so now it remains to be seen what difference that will result in in a finished beer.

I think i will chuck it in the 4 shades of stout. 10% of the grist so hopefully i can taste it.

Side by side is definitely the scientific way of approaching this but then so is experimenting with different styles and its a lot more fun

 

[Murcluf]

I have just recently tried a bit of flaked rye in a American Wheat just to dry it out mght have to score some malted rye off you next time to see what the difference is like. think I paid $3.40 for 250g think I was ripped off

 

[mmmyummybeer]

Just been drinking an Amber Ale I made with an addition of malted rye and was very impressed the rye really seems to add a nice smoothness to the beer. The clarity is fairly cloudy though, Would I be right in saying rye adds to cloudiness like wheat does.

 

[praxis178]

Just been drinking an Amber Ale I made with an addition of malted rye and was very impressed the rye really seems to add a nice smoothness to the beer. The clarity is fairly cloudy though, Would I be right in saying rye adds to cloudiness like wheat does.

Hmmmm, I haven't noticed it and I've been using up to 50% rye, what it does add is mouth feel kinda oily/sticky/slick is how I'd describe it. Now that said my high rye beers do take longer to clear so you might have something there. I tend to leave them a few weeks to carb (I keg) and condition, also give them a generous secodary, so they take about as long as a lager to go from grain to brain. But it's so worth it!!! :icon_drool2:

 

[dr K]

Quick comments, I suspect malted rye to smurto is malted oat to kurtz (my best british style beers alway have malted oats at about 3%).
Cannot comment on malted rye vs flaked rye as I have only used rye (malted in that case) once and that was maybe 6 years ago.
Can comment from experience with oats though, rolled/flaked/pre-gelatinised oats are best left for breakfast, though they do have a place in oatmeal stout if only as a smoother. Malted Oats add a subtle complexity of their own, it's easier to taste than describe.
As to Spelt, well I mucked around with it years ago (ground ex healthfood shop) and would not bother again, despite the fact that it got a second place in a comp in 2003.
I tend to use, given their now widespread availability, "adjuncts" made for brewing, if I am going to use corn/maize in my beer then (being to lazy to do a cereal rest) I use Fawcetts Flaked Maize, not polenta grits (those I use for polenta).
and no, I would never use flaked maize for polenta.
K

 

[praxis178]

Hmmmm, I haven't noticed it and I've been using up to 50% rye, what it does add is mouth feel kinda oily/sticky/slick is how I'd describe it. Now that said my high rye beers do take longer to clear so you might have something there. I tend to leave them a few weeks to carb (I keg) and condition, also give them a generous secodary, so they take about as long as a lager to go from grain to brain. But it's so worth it!!! :icon_drool2:

I should note that for high rye beers I only use malted rye, flaked rye I only use 5% or less and then only in the one lager recipe. Just thought I'd better clarify.....

 

[drsmurto]

Fourstar - Not used Spelt before and since i don't like belgian beers it's not something i see myself using in a hurry.....

Flaked oats/barley i have only ever used in stouts for the very reason Dr K pointed out, a smoothness/silkiness. I have an oatmeal stout (3 shades variant) in primary at the moment.

Malted rye is now a standard in my golden ale recipe in place on the wheat :icon_drunk:

Taking a day off later this week to brew the stout and might use the rest in an ESB with a nod to bconnerys Rye ESB and an eye on the beard and brau UK ale comp......

And Meerkat - happy to part with some rye malt, 25kg will last me a while even if i use it in most beers!

Healthfood shops are such a good place to find brewing adjuncts, even saw flaked rice and maize and all much cheaper than i have seen in HBS. They even had 'brewing yeast' for sale in 50g bags sitting on the shelf, didn't ask which strain.... :lol: