Greetings fellow beer knurds, curious if anyone has experimented with sunflower seed husks either mixed in with or in place of rice hulls in the mash? Thought maybe a good use for what would otherwise go in the trash, but not sure how it may affect ph or flavors, etc… Thoughts? [TIA!]
Interesting thought for reuse of a waste product, but I don’t know if they would be a good media for improving grist permeability. I have the feeling that the pieces would be too big. The other thing I’d be concerned with is if anything would leach out of the hulls into the wort.
Give it a go in a light American wheat beer recipe so that you can taste the change in flavor between batches made with and without the sunflower hulls.
I haven’t tried sunflower seed husks myself, but I’ve heard they can add some unique flavors. However, their fibrous nature might affect the mash’s efficiency. Did you notice any changes in clarity or taste in your final product?
Hi guys, apologies for for long delay in reply- when I tried to reply previously the forum was undergoing maintenance & just now circling back. I had wondered if sunflower or pistachio shells would serve same purpose of avoiding stuck sparges, but decided not to risk a batch trying unorthodox methods. No point in being ‘thrifty’ by repurposing questionable items, when the materials for the batch cost so much more than rice hulls, which I ordered a bunch of anyways. Curiosity killing the cat is not worth the experimenting IMO, but wanted to say thanks for your time/input! 
Especially agree/concerned about efficiency comment randall01, thx!