add rice hulls to decoction?

[millsbrew]

Going to be doing my first lager (an Oktoberfest) and a decoction mash will be in order. I have the amounts the process down. However I'm worried about fly sparging after the mash.

Considering the physical abuse the grist takes during a double decoction, I'm concerned about my false bottom creating a legit grain bed. After pouring in my boiled thin mash to hit Mash-out of 170f, should I toss in some rice hulls and stir? I could use my excess boiled thin mash to get back north of 170 for sparging.

Appreciate any input and tips.

 

[Yooper]

No, you won't need rice hulls for all barley malt mashing. Decoction mashing doesn't change the structure of the grain or the texture of the mash.

 

[millsbrew]

Thanks Yooper. So I guess a couple of vorlaufs and I should be ok.

Also, do you recommend the regular ~45 minute fly sparge with a decoction?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper. So I guess a couple of vorlaufs and I should be ok.

Also, do you recommend the regular ~45 minute fly sparge with a decoction?

Yes, you can do that (mine is usually a bit slower), or even batch sparge. One thing I've noticed is that my efficiency tends to be a little higher in a double decoction than in a single infusion mash, but all else is the same.

 

[JasontheBeaver]

No, you won't need rice hulls for all barley malt mashing. Decoction mashing doesn't change the structure of the grain or the texture of the mash.

Digging up a year-old thread here but it's pertinent to many brewers...

Yooper I disagree that decoction doesn't change the structure of the grain. I've learned this from personal experience while doing many decoction mashes. There is always quite a bit more sludge that leads to a stuck sparge on my igloo cooler with bazooka type screen drain.
I've even made the exact same pilsner and doppelbock recipes with and without decoction and there is always more sludge.
I'm guessing the boiling of the grains is just breaking them down more just like cooking any grain, like a thick barley soup for example, the longer you cook it the softer and more pasty it gets.
Today I will be adding rice hulls (pre-soak and rinsed of course... ever seen and tasted the water that comes off rinsed rice hulls? Those things are pretty dirty, I digress).