Stuck Sparge

So for several of my last batches, I have wrestled with a stuck mash (stuck sparge? What is the difference?)

I have had such good luck with my manifold to this point, I have a hard time believing the equipment on that side is th problem.  Possibly the grain mill?  Too fine a crush?

I have had relatively "sticky" ingredients, but I'm still surprised. Two lbs of rye malt in a 13 lb grain bill, with half a pound of rice hulls should be good, no?  Well, apparently not. 

So, children, beware of the stuck mash and be liberal with the rice hulls.  Watch that crush.

It does, however, remind me of one thing that I love about homebrewing- Problem Solving. 

What do you do when you have a stuck mash?  I used a small pitcher and scooped everything out of the mash tun into a big pot, then added rice hulls, then re-assembled the manifold and made sure that the holes were not blocked.  Added them all back in, and it worked.

Better.

Not "right" though.

But the thrill of working the solution through on site and in my head, in real time, is pretty freaking fun.