Rice hull substitute

[Deeks2233]

Merry christmas brewers hope everyone has a great break!
Im brewing a gratzer over the holiday period, for those not in the know its a 100% oak smoked wheat beer.
My issue is there seems to be a shortage of rice hulls in all my lhbs. Is there any substitutes, or whats the lag time sparge wise if i risk goin without. Cheers guys!

 

[dough]

Perhaps someone nearby has some rice hulls you can have on loan, where are you in NSW?

 

[Deeks2233]

Engadine sutherland shire, the guys in kirawee have nothing and nor do the guys in morebank the only other one in the area is at peakhurst, but they are owned by the kirawee shop.

 

[MHB]

Last I heard my local (Brewman) had plenty, worth a call or an email, you won’t get them by Christmas but...

Have had a go at this style; it is possible to do 100% wheat without adding rice hulls. If you crack very very carefully.
Set the mill so it just touches the wheat, then close it a fraction and repeat until you get a fine kibble with next to no flour. I think it took about 5 passes to get the crack I wanted.
As the beer was only around 3.5% there was enough room to do a no-sparge in a Braumeister, costs a little in efficiency but made for by being a really easy brew day that could have been a brute if the crack wasn’t right or the sparge stuck.
For a good quality Smoked Wheat like Weyermann you would be looking at a L:G just under 8:1* to get a 1.035 liquor into the kettle

Mark
*OK 7.87 if you want to get picky

 

[GPbrew]

Engadine sutherland shire, the guys in kirawee have nothing and nor do the guys in morebank the only other one in the area is at peakhurst, but they are owned by the kirawee shop.

Hi Deeks2233 I am in Grays Point and have some rice hulls I'm not currently using, so if you want to pick them up please contact me.

 

[Brewman_]

Last I heard my local (Brewman) had plenty, worth a call or an email, you won’t get them by Christmas but...

Have had a go at this style; it is possible to do 100% wheat without adding rice hulls. If you crack very very carefully.
Set the mill so it just touches the wheat, then close it a fraction and repeat until you get a fine kibble with next to no flour. I think it took about 5 passes to get the crack I wanted.
As the beer was only around 3.5% there was enough room to do a no-sparge in a Braumeister, costs a little in efficiency but made for by being a really easy brew day that could have been a brute if the crack wasn’t right or the sparge stuck.
For a good quality Smoked Wheat like Weyermann you would be looking at a L:G just under 8:1* to get a 1.035 liquor into the kettle

Mark
*OK 7.87 if you want to get picky

Hi Mark,

I do have plenty of rice hulls at the moment.

Coincidentally had a discussion with the supplier earlier this morning and they are out of stock due to the flooding they said.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[S.E]

Hi Mark,

I do have plenty of rice hulls at the moment.

Coincidentally had a discussion with the supplier earlier this morning and they are out of stock due to the flooding they said.

Cheers,

Steve

The Paddy fields are flooded?

 

[Deeks2233]

So i was unable to source any hulls before christmas, no shock there, brewman do you still have them in stock, and do you ship everywhere in australia? Mhb you seem to have experience with the style, did you do the traditional 2 hour mash schedule and does it add any depth to the finished brew cheers!

 

[Brewman_]

So i was unable to source any hulls before christmas, no shock there, brewman do you still have them in stock, and do you ship everywhere in australia? Mhb you seem to have experience with the style, did you do the traditional 2 hour mash schedule and does it add any depth to the finished brew cheers!

Hi Deeks,

Yes we have them and ship Australia wide.

Cheers,

Steve