Need advice for using wild rice

[rancidcrabtree]

Tomorrow I am brewing up a simple all-grain batch and I'm thinking I might be able to get SWMBO to part with one of her bags of wild rice. The dry weight of the rice is just a little under a pound, there are cooking directions on the package but I have no idea how much it will weigh after cooking. I'm planning on cooking the rice according to the directions and then adding it to the mash. My questions are:

1. Will I need to adjust the amount of strike water to compensate for the weight of the added wild rice, and if so would I stick to the 1.25 qt per pound I'm using for the other grains?

2. Has anyone here used wild rice in a mash before? Did it change much in the overall flavor, aroma, gravity or body of the brew? I'm hoping some of the flavor will shine through and I'm not really expecting much of a contribution to gravity, aroma, and body... Am I right in this?

 

[rancidcrabtree]

I probably should have added that I'm using 1 oz. of UK Kent Golding, AA 5.8%. Does anyone have any ideas for a hoping schedule that would compliment the wild rice, or at least not take away from it?

 

[Dok]

What I do when mashing with regular rice works pretty good. I think it would work well in this case I would probably start by milling it as best as I could. When I use regular rice I cook it in a slurry of 3 quarts of water per pound. I know some people do a mini mash but I think it is completely unnecessary because all you are doing is gelatinizing the rice for conversion in the mash. Determine what your strike water should be. Then just include the volume of the rice and water in the volume of your mash. When the mix is at the desired strike temp add your water and check your temp then add your grains.
I have never used wild rice but I am curious to see what your result is. I have read that wild rice is a different species from regular white rice.

 

[lowtones84]

I'm sorry that I don't have any advice, but I'm interested to hear what people say as well!

 

[rancidcrabtree]

So to verify, if I'm doing 1 lb then I would just mill it, and add it to the strike water with an extra 3 qts and not worry about cooking it before hand?

Thanks for the advice, I'm excited to try this out too! I've also read that wild rice is a completely different species than normal brown or white rice, but I really like the flavor and I'm hoping it will come through on this brew. I've never done anything with any kind of rice so it will be a learning experience all around.

 

[Dok]

No, if you want to get any starches in the grain converted you should cook it to break them down. First mill it. Then add one pound of wild rice to three quarts of water on the stove in a seperate pot. Slowly bring to a boil and stir often. After about 30 minutes it will probably look like a runny porridge. At that point the starches are soluble and the enzymes in the barley mash can convert them to sugar. Then let it cool down to just above what your strike temp should be. Pour it in the mash tun. Then you can add your water and when you have the right strike temp add your barley. You need to break down the rice first or there will be no conversion.
I was reading that wild rice has 21 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams of grain. White rice is 28. Looks like you should get something out of it.

 

[borden]

I knew you were from Minnesota when I read the post title. Let us know how it works out!

 

[wilserbrewer]

When I added rice to a mash, i just cooked it real well and added it to the mash.

 

[rancidcrabtree]

Alright so I've decided I'm going to mill the rice and then cook it on the stove and then add it to the strike water as that seems to be the general consensus here. SWMBO is only willing to part with 12 oz. so I want to get the most out of it that I possibly can!

I'll be starting in about an hour or so... before I get started does anybody have any advice on the hop schedule?? I'm thinking 0.5 oz. @ 60 mins and 0.5 oz. @ 15 mins.

 

[RM-MN]

Is it true hand harvested natural lake wild rice or is it "paddy rice"? I think you might find quite a difference in flavors. My wife won't cook with paddy rice anymore and she is quite picky about the natural wild rice as some finishers cook it too dark.

Whoever posted it is right, wild rice is not a rice at all but rather an aquatic grass.

 

[Dok]

What is the rest of your grain bill?

 

[rancidcrabtree]

I got lucky this morning at the grocery at found wild rice on sale for $3.88 a pound, normally it's around $6 or more! I picked up a pound, the brand is KC's best and it says Minnesota cultivated, it doesn't say if it's from a patty or not. I cooked it up with 10 cups of water and then added it to the strike water. My grain bill is pretty simple:

9 lb. 2 row
1 lb. Crystal 10
1 lb. Wild rice (dry weight)

 

[rancidcrabtree]

Uh, paddy... my bad

 

[rancidcrabtree]

The best I can describe the flavor of the cooked wild rice is as being earthy, nutty, and a little sweet. It was still a little firm when I added it to the strike water and also my mash temp was thrown off a little because I didn't think to consider the temp of the wild rice and the water it was cooked in when I added it. So right now my mash temp is 154°, I was shooting for 152° but I normally lose a degree or two over a 60 min mash.

I'm wondering if I should go with a 90 min mash on this one, I know the barley will be done converting long before then but maybe it would be good for the rice to be in there a little longer... Any thoughts on that?

 

[RM-MN]

I got lucky this morning at the grocery at found wild rice on sale for $3.88 a pound, normally it's around $6 or more! I picked up a pound, the brand is KC's best and it says Minnesota cultivated, it doesn't say if it's from a patty or not. I cooked it up with 10 cups of water and then added it to the strike water. My grain bill is pretty simple:

9 lb. 2 row
1 lb. Crystal 10
1 lb. Wild rice (dry weight)

When it says Minnesota cultivated it means paddy rice. I may have met the grower.

Ususally paddy rice is very dark brown. The hand harvested natural lake rice my wife prefers is a very light greenish brown and tastes way different from the paddy rice. Bring a fat wallet to a store that sells it (it costs quite a bit more) and try both kinds for cooking. I'll bet you notice the difference.