Hull and Oats
Hull and Oats is a floor-malted oat from Riverbend, made from Brooks, an oat variety developed in North Carolina and prized for its high protein. These are hulled oats, malted rather than flaked, and Riverbend states the hulls act as a natural filter in the mash. Protein runs about 14%, which is what drives the mouthfeel.
The flavor is creamy and lightly sweet with a faint earthiness. The real contribution is textural: a silky, coating mouthfeel and better head retention. It is the backbone ingredient in hazy IPA grists and a reliable way to round out a dry stout.
Using Hull and Oats
- At 5 to 10% it gives a subtle lift in body and foam stability in pale ales and lagers.
- At 10 to 20% is the standard range for NEIPA and hazy IPA, where the silky mouthfeel becomes a defining feature.
- Riverbend's published maximum is 25%, which suits oatmeal stouts and full-bodied dark beers.
- Unlike flaked or rolled oats, these keep their hulls, so they help rather than hinder the lauter. No rice hulls needed.
- Floor malted and hand-raked on Riverbend's malting floor.
Styles: NEIPA, hazy IPA, oatmeal stout, dry stout, porter, hoppy pale ales; also bourbon and genever
Specifications
| Grain | Malted oats, Brooks variety |
|---|---|
| Color | 3.0 to 4.0 SRM |
| Usage rate | 5 to 25% of grist |
| Extract (FG, dry basis) | 58% |
| Protein | About 14% |
| Grain origin | Virginia |
| Process | Floor malted |
| Bag size | 50 lb |
About Riverbend Malt House
Brent Manning and Brian Simpson founded Riverbend in Asheville in 2010, the first craft malt house east of the Mississippi. It is now the first Certified Regenified malt house in the world. Grain comes from family-owned farms inside roughly a 500-mile radius of Asheville, across North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and Florida. They still hand-rake grain on a traditional malting floor alongside modern germination-kiln vessels, and in 2025 they supplied more than 300 breweries and distilleries.