So I will be using @10 % rye malt in a blonde ale that I’m brewing this weekend. I have never used rye before but I like what it does in a beer. Does anyone have any advice on using it? such as special treatment during the mash, or special milling practices, etc…?
Except for it having a tendency to get your mash stuck sometimes (shouldn’t be a problem at 10%) I haven’t really ever done anything different when using it.
Paul
“Rice hulls, rice hulls, rice hulls”…
- Randy Mosher
Your efficiency will drop a few points. RDWHAHB.
A bata glucan rest at about 108-112F can help it to be less sticky. Some say they just do an infusion. A single infusion has worked for me sometimes, not on other times. I think that is system dependent.
Edit - I have a false bottom in the mash/lauter tun, and can have problems with rye. Denny Conn has a cooler with a braided hose and says he has no problems with rye.
Okay thanks guys, I built my mash tun on Denny’s design, so I’ll just go about my mash as I normally do.
What about milling? I can see the rye grains are smaller than the barley, should I set my gap smaller or would that damage the barley husks too much? (BTW I bought my grain bill all in one bag).
I have never needed rice hulls with rye beers and that includes beers up to 45% rye. Neither have I seen an efficiency drop. How much does yours drop?
I have my mill set to a very narrow gap and mill barley and rye together. No problems on either one.
Thanks Denny, you’re awesome!
Mine is usually ~ 7-10% lower when doing hef’s of 50% wheat, ~ 2-5% when its a smaller addition. Only a big deal when I’m brewing for competitions.
Rice hulls are $1 at my LHBS, so its cheap insurance. Since they help sticky mashes be less sticky, I think it helps with stirring, clean up, and maybe even temp. distribution.
I use a “Denny style” braided hose cooler for my mash tun and it gets stuck with more than 10% Rye if there isn’t at least a half lb or so of rice hulls (for a 5 gal batch). And I also get about a 2-5% efficiency drop when I use more than 15% rye or wheat. I mill rye and wheat separately from barley at .025" while my barley malt goes through at .035."
Ah, see, that’s the problem! Since I don’t measure my mill gap, the rye doesn’t know it’s not supposed to get a good crush or stick the runoff! Very clever, that rye malt! 
What would be a good recipe to use rye in. Other than a ipa?
Haven’t tried it yet, but I bet rye would be killer in a Saison.
Rye makes a pretty good stout if ya ask me, and Denny’s yeast too!
Roggenbier
Rye bock is really good.
Have a good Recipe for a ryebock?
I like about 10-15% rye malt in a brown ale. I suspect it would be nice n a dubbel.
Just use about 15-20% rye malt in place of the base malt (usually Munich).
I REALLY dig rye in a saison.