In the past few years, homebrewing has become popular, and many people do it for fun. Rye is one of the most used grains as it adds a significant punch and flavor to the drinks. It’s added to beers to improve the texture as well but different forms of rye are used in the homebrewing process. So, if you are a homebrewing enthusiast, flaked rye vs. rye malt is the ultimate comparison you need to make beer!
Flaked Rye vs. Rye Malt
Flaked Rye
Flaked rye is added to the beer for a distinct rye flavor and clean flavor notes. The flaked rye can be used for over 40% as the cereal adjunct for creating the rye beer. However, when you use flaked rye in the beer-making process, it’s better to start from 5% to 10% and gradually make 5% increments because the rye flakes have a concentrated flavor, and adding too much flaked rye can overpower the flavor of the beer.
The best thing about flaked rye is that it’s easier to use. Flaked rye doesn’t need milling before grinding, promising convenient usage. The rye dissolves pretty quickly into the crispy drink, and since it has a strong flavor, it’s always best to increase the rye content slowly. Flaked rye can be used to create mash without running it into the malting mill.
It adds a unique and crisp flavor, which is usually termed potent and strong. In most cases, it’s used for imperial ales as well as beers. In addition, flaked rye can be used for harvesting rye ales, Scottish ales, and India pale ales. However, with flaked rye, you must be careful about the fermentation temperature of the yeast.
In most cases, the fermentation process ranges from 66 degrees Fahrenheit to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, when you use flaked rye, it’s recommended to use rice hulls to make sure the mashes don’t stick, promising a smoother brewing process.
Rye Malt
Rye malt is known as a dry germinated and huskless grain and is widely used as a cereal grain. The malt grains have enzymes that help break down the starch into sugars (the fermentable sugar) during the beef fermentation process. Rye malt is known for its intense spicy flavor and adds a golden to orange hue to the beer. The grains are used to create a distinct flavor during the homebrewing process. It is a promising choice for people who want to brew pale ales and IPAs.
As far as the flavor is concerned, it depends on how much rye malt you add to the mix. It’s needless to say that the quantity of malted grains depends on personal flavor preferences but the experts recommend that you don’t add more than 15% for creating a unique flavor. The rye malt-based beer is usually available at beer specialty places. For the most part, it adds a spicy flavor to the beer and is available in modified form.
We have already mentioned that you shouldn’t use it more than 15% but many people opt for over 20% mash, but it’s recommended to add rice hulls in that case. It is usually mixed with barley malt to improve the head retention and adds the caramel or toffee notes to beer’s low inclusion rate. In addition, beer made from rye malt promises great mouthfeel and many people find the spicy after-flavor as well. If used at a higher temperature, the color shifts from orange to red.
Rye malt has a higher beta-glucan content, which is why it has to be processed at low and medium temperatures. In addition, it has to be steeped for some time to make sure the grain absorbs the moisture, promising quicker germination. Rye malt is also passed through the kilning process to create a paler color. Rye malt works best for balanced and hoppy beers, such as rye whiskey, rye ales, rye pale ale, and rye IPAs.
The Bottom Line
Selecting the type of rye you choose for brewing the beer entirely depends on the beer you need to create. In addition, it can be used as a specialty grain for fine-tuning the batches, particularly if you want a prominent spiciness and flavor. So, if you homebrew the beer, which of these rye varieties do you like?