Beyond Barley: The Power of Adjuncts

In the craft beer revolution of the 90s, “Adjuncts” became a dirty word. It implied that big macro breweries were thinning out their beer with cheap corn and rice to save money.

While that was true, adjuncts are also a legitimate and essential tool for the craft brewer. You cannot make a silky New England IPA without oats or wheat. You cannot make a crisp, refreshing Cream Ale without corn. And a dry, snapping Japanese Lager requires rice.

An adjunct is simply any unmalted source of fermentable sugar or body/mouthfeel enhancer.

The Cereal Mash vs. Flaked Grains

Historically, brewers had to perform a “cereal mash” to use raw corn or rice. This involved boiling the raw grains separately to gelatinize the starches before adding them to the main mash. It was messy and time-consuming.

Modern Solution: Flaked or Torrified grains. Homebrew shops sell “Flaked Corn” (Maize) and “Flaked Rice.” These have been pre-steamed and rolled. The starches are already gelatinized. You can toss them directly into your mash tun with your barley. No boiling required.

1. Flaked Corn (Maize)

Profile: Adds a mild sweetness and lightens the body. Typical Styles:

American Light Lager / Pre-Prohibition Lager: 20–40% of the grist.
Cream Ale: The defining ingredient.
British Bitters: Historically used (in small amounts) to lighten the body without thinning the flavor too much.

Brewing Tip: Corn has no enzymes. You must mash it with base malt (Pilsner, 2-Row) that has high diastatic power to convert the corn starch into sugar.

2. Flaked Rice

Profile: The most neutral adjunct. It ferments out very cleanly, leaving a dry, crisp finish and very light color. It adds virtually no flavor of its own. Typical Styles:

Japanese Rice Lager: Think Asahi or Sapporo style. Dry and refreshing.
American Lager: Budweiser is famous for using rice.

Brewing Tip: Rice hulls are mandatory! Flaked rice turns into a sticky glue in the mash. Add rice hulls to prevent a stuck sparge.

3. Flaked Oats

Profile: High in beta-glucans and proteins. Increases body, viscosity, and haze. Adds a “silky” or “creamy” mouthfeel. Typical Styles:

Oatmeal Stout: 10–20% for that classic velvety texture.
New England IPA (NEIPA): 15–30%. Oats (often combined with wheat) are crucial for the stable haze and the soft “juice” mouthfeel that balances the massive hop load.

Brewing Tip: Oats can go rancid faster than malted barley. Taste them before brewing—if they taste like old cardboard or crayons, throw them out.

4. Wheat (Flaked vs. Malted)

While malted wheat is a standard malt, Flaked Wheat (unmalted) adds more raw grain flavor and protein haze.

Witbier: Uses ~50% unmalted wheat for that pale, cloudy look and bready zip.
Lambic: Traditional turbid mashing uses raw wheat.

5. Sugar (Dextrose/Sucrose)

Yes, sugar is an adjunct.

Belgian Tripels/Strong Ales: Use candi sugar or plain table sugar to boost alcohol without adding body. This keeps strong beers (8%+) digestible and dry.
Double IPAs: Use 5–10% dextrose to dry out the finish so the hops pop.

The “Sticky” Problem: Stuck Mashes

Adjuncts (especially oats, rye, and wheat) lack the husk material that barley has. Husks form the filter bed in your mash tun. Without them, the grain bed collapses into dough, and you can’t drain the wort.

The Fix: Always keep a bag of Rice Hulls on hand. These are inert husks that add no flavor but provide structure to the grain bed.

Use 0.5 lbs (250g) of rice hulls for every 5 gallons (19L) if your adjuncts exceed 20% of the bill.

Summary

Don’t be a malt snob. Adjuncts are ingredients, not shortcuts. Used correctly, they allow you to manipulate the body, color, and finish of your beer in ways that barley alone cannot.