Malt
Flaked rice
Pre-gelatinised rice used to lighten body and colour while raising alcohol.
Rice ferments almost completely and contributes essentially no flavour, which is exactly why large American lager brewers use it: it raises alcohol while lowering body and colour.
It is not a cost-cutting adulterant so much as a deliberate flavour target — the crisp dryness of an American lager is largely what rice does.
What it does
Flaked grain. Grain steamed and rolled so its starch is pre-gelatinised and available to mash enzymes without a cereal cook.
Steamed and rolled, so it converts in the main mash without a separate cereal cook.
Specification
| Colour | 1–2 EBC |
|---|---|
| Grain | rice |
| Enzyme activity | none — needs a base malt to convert it. |
| Fermentability | high |
| Flavour | neutral, dry |