I am considering subbing flaked rice for rice syrup solids in a creame ale recipe conversionfrom partial mash to full mash conversion. I was under the impression that flaked rice was neutral in flavor but after reading up a bit, it seems that flaked rice does impart a distinctive flavor. Rice syrup solids are supposedly very neutral. I don’t want my beer taste like saki ! What’s the consensus out there ? thanks
I have never detected any flavor contribution at all from flaked rice.
I agree, no flavor contributions at all from flaked rice. I’ll be honest and say that I have very rarely used it but it’s always been in a light lager recipe where it would certainly be detected if it gave off a flavor. I believe that rice syrup solids exist for brewing purposes only because it’s easier to use in extract beers and I don’t think you can “steep” flaked rice. You could use either but if you already have the flaked rice, I’d go ahead and use it. Cheers.
Thanks for the feedback. My gut was telling me no flavor until I read this excerpt from an old BYO issue (last sentence) …Adjuncts Explained … Author Steve Parkes and Chris Colby Issue December 2001 …"…In the “Handbook of Brewing,” a chapter on adjuncts written by Graham Stewart of Heriot-Watt University adds this: “… Rice will also give a very characteristic flavor to beer…”
When you are talking about light lagers, it is possible to tell the difference between brews that used rice adjuncts, corn adjuncts, or all-malt. But I’m not sure I could taste the difference between a rice or a simple sugar addition.
Just use some sugar.
If you’re bent on using rice flakes, and if you are in an area with any significant southeast Asian population, just go into one of their specialty stores and grab a bag or two of “thin rice poha”. You’ll save a bit of money using it.
But I agree with the others…since rice adds no flavor contribution to the beer (as opposed to corn, which adds some character) just use table sugar. That’s the easiest and by far the cheapest solution.
No obsession with using the flaked rice, just learning. Thx again.
I can taste rice. It’s really is not all that much different than corn in beer. It has to be over 30% before I can tell much difference. I’ve never used the rice syrup/solids. Rice is cheap. I’m sure most here don’t make the cream ales and lager that use it. I do.
