Crushed Rye Malt

Rye malt can improve head retention, improve mouthfeel and introduce flavour changes of a toffee/caramel note at lower usage rates and a spicy after-palate when used in higher amounts. It will also give a reddish hue to beers. Rye malt is normally used as an addition to barley,  to create hybrids from classic styles. It has a history in many beer styles, notably the German-style Roggenbier, but its popularity has seen a revival in the American craft beer scene. Rye adds a crisp, refreshing, slightly spicy and sometimes dry aspect to the beer. A Rye-based IPA, for example, tends to have a sharp edge to the finish and a crisp, distinctive flavour.

Rye Malt gives the beer a velvety soft mouthfeel and a unique complexity. The flavour is strongly reminiscent of breadcrumbs. As Rye does not have husks and has more gum (pentosanes), it is not recommended to use more than 50% of this malt in the grain bill as this may cause considerable problems during lautering. Because the rye contains no husk, rye malt lends itself to bed compaction and slow sparging. Its primary downfall is its reputation for causing stuck mashes.