Mashing with Rye

I’m brewing a Rye APA tomorrow morning. I surfed around and found the gelatinization temp
rang; but what is the required time/duration for gelatinization to complete. I’m debating if I
need to cook it or just do an extended mash? With other adjuncts in the past, I just mashed
until I hit the pre-boil gravity and all was good.

You didn’t mention what type of rye you are using. If it’s malted or flaked, you don’t have to worry about cooking it. If it’s unmalted, you’ll need to cook it until it stops thickening, then add it to the rest of your mash.

Yep, for malted or flaked rye just mash it like you do any other grain.

I’ve never seen flaked rye - interesting, but is it gummy in the mash?

Oh yes…is it ever. Like Oatmeal but even more so.

I use flaked rye quite often and have never have a problem.

I also did a rye bread ipa today. Along with flaked rye, I used 1.25 pounds of rye bread as an experiment in the mash. To further that experiment, I took off 8 cups of first runnings and decocted (down to 2 cups) it along with another 1.25 pounds of rye bread. It was a stick mess but appears to have worked out.

I did this based on the flavor of the local bakeries rye bread and wanting to see how it worked in a beer.

If it doesn’t work out, lesson learned but if it does work out, I might have made a winner.

Hmm, sorry about that. I use raw (berries) Rye from the local Amish store. Do you remember aprox.
how long the cooking takes.

It can take about an hour. 1 part rye berries to 4 parts water. Keep stirring periodically or they’ll scorch. A double boiler works well for this. Also, soaking overnight will reduce the cooking time as will cooking them in a pressure cooker. They do absorb a lot of water.

The rye APA brewing this morning went well. I cracked the rye with a corona mill and then
toasted it at 350 F for 40 minutes; turning every 10 minutes. The recipe had 25% rye, so
I added a some rice hulls. I BIAB and continuously recirculate, so I could see that the wort
went clear about 18 minutes after doughing in; indicating conversion was progressing as
usual. I always taste my pH samples, it had a very nice subtle spicy/peppery flavor.

That’s the rye for you!  I am going to use some in a Kolsch.  Maybe I’ll get daring and use the flaked rye - it was available at my LHBS, but I hadn’t noticed it before sitting right next to the flaked oatmeal!  Rice hulls for insurance.

+1 on the rice hulls once you pass 20% rye in the mash.

Also this is one of the times when getting to a really warm mashout temp can help the sparge. That rye really adds viscosity!

My recent experience with malted rye = cement in the mash tun.  :)  Luckily I had a pound of rice hulls standing by, even so it was a VERY slow lauter.  I was up at 40% rye for a roggenbier that I was brewing for a local club competition.  I think it turned out pretty well, but took a little while longer than I’m used to for it to ferment down to FG.  I’m pretty sure that was a yeast/temperature thing.  I used WLP005 and fermented at 62F as suggested in Brewing Classic Styles.