Unmalted wheat and Belgian Wit

[jmancuso]

I'm looking at using unmalted wheat in my wit. My last wit I used flaked wheat and malted wheat and wasn't happy with the results. From doing some research I found a cereal mash is not required for unmalted wheat as it is gelatinized at normal sacch rest temps. For a wit I also read you should skip the protein rest with unmalted wheat because the protein rest would take away from the cloudiness and body of the wheat. I usually do single infusion mashes but would like to do a multi infusion for the wit ( not sure but I think I saw mash schedules for a wit that had beta? rest and an intermediate rest). Any help with using unmalted wheat and the mash schedule for a Wit would be awesome.

Thanks James

 

[944play]

Disclaimer first: I've never brewed a wit. I like drinking witbier now and then, in fact I've discovered that Lost Coast Great White has either improved a lot recently or my palate has changed, but I'm a little intimidated by the voodoo. AFAIK, a traditional witbier mash includes thin decoctions aimed at PREVENTING complete conversion. An infusion step mash would not accomplish that.

An obvious source of unmalted wheat is flour, as employed in Graham Sanders' Tropical Flower Wit.

 

[bmckee56]

I'm looking at using unmalted wheat in my wit. My last wit I used flaked wheat and malted wheat and wasn't happy with the results. From doing some research I found a cereal mash is not required for unmalted wheat as it is gelatinized at normal sacch rest temps. For a wit I also read you should skip the protein rest with unmalted wheat because the protein rest would take away from the cloudiness and body of the wheat. I usually do single infusion mashes but would like to do a multi infusion for the wit ( not sure but I think I saw mash schedules for a wit that had beta? rest and an intermediate rest). Any help with using unmalted wheat and the mash schedule for a Wit would be awesome.

Thanks James

What exactl;y did you not like about the results? It's hard to provide a response to something without additional information about the final product.

I have brewed several Belgian Wit Beers over the last year and have been increasingly pleased with each. I used flaked wheat for my first two wits, then switched over to 6-row malted wheat for 2 brews and now I am using 2-row malted wheat. The 6-row was a bit different from the flaked however I can not explain why other than to say that beer had a bit less body and was a bit more cloudy (not clear). Head retention using the flaked wheat was very good but not so good with the 6-row. It was better overall with the 2-row in the first batch I used it in. My second 2 -row is now in the primary, so I have to wait for the results. I use White Labs Belgian Wit liquid yeast - WLP-400 (I believe). Flavor and aroma for all batches was quite good and this style has become a staple in my home (Mostly for SWMBO).

Oh, I also use .75 ounce each of Biiter and Sweet Orange Peel and 1.5 ounce of Corriander which I grind up in my coffe mill just moments before the additions go into the brew pot.

I would post my entire recipe for you, but I am at work and do not have my laptop here with records.

Salute!

 

[jmancuso]

For my wit my grain bill was
4.5 # rahr 2row
3# Flaked wheat
1# malted white wheat
.5 # flaked oats

protein rest at 122 for 15 min
sacch rest at 152 for 60 min

I wasn't pleased with the taste or appearance, it wasn't as full bodied and wheaty as an authentic wit. The color was hazy like a hefe but lacked that milky cloudy color of a wit. Now that im thinking about it maybe the protein rest took away some of the haziness of the flaked wheat? For the wit im doing tomorrow I think I'm going to just use belgian pils malt , unmalted wheat, and some oats. Should I be mashing higher than 152?

 

[passedpawn]

mash at 156. I make wits with normal light wheat (no flaked). I add a teaspoon of normal kitchen wheat flour to the boil to get the nice cloudy haze. Single infusion.

Increase your oats for more mouthfeel. If oats don't do it, nothing will.

 

[wonderbread23]

I brewed the following beer using unmalted wheat and a cereal mash which was used to bring the main mash up to a sacc rest. I also skipped the oats, and still came out with a wonderful silky wit. This beer took 2nd place in its category at the 2010 Puget Sound Pro Am.

Size: 6.6 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 80.0%
Calories: 161.58 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.049 (1.044 - 1.052)
Terminal Gravity: 1.010 (1.008 - 1.012)
Color: 3.86 (2.0 - 4.0)
Alcohol: 5.13% (4.5% - 5.5%)
Bitterness: 16.3 (10.0 - 20.0)

Ingredients:
6.5 lb Belgian Pils
5.5 lb Unmalted Wheat
0 oz Rice Hulls
.5 oz Tettnanger (3.2%) - added first wort, boiled 20 min
.5 oz Tettnanger (3.2%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
.75 oz Czech Saaz (3.5%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
.5 tsp Wyeast Nutrient - added during boil, boiled 10 min
.5 oz Corriander crushed - added during boil, boiled 5 min
1.5 oz Orange zest - Organic Valencia - added during boil, boiled 5 min
.25 oz Czech Saaz (3.5%) - added during boil, boiled 0 min
1 ea WYeast 3944 Belgian Witbier

CEREAL MASH:
1. Bring Pilsner malt to rest of 122*F in MLT vessel.
2. Start cereal mash of unmalted wheat and a .5 lb pilsner in a separate vessel. Mash in with 2.75 gallons liquor. Rest @ 122*F [15 Min.], Rest @ 150*F [10 Min.], Rest @ 212*F [10 Min.]
3. Add cereal mash to MLT containing pilsner mash to raise to a saccarification rest of 155*F.
4. Use batch sparge to mash out to 168 *F

- Ferment day 1-2 @ 68* F, day 3 @ 70*F, day 4 72* F.

 

[GuldTuborg]

"Radical Brewing" suggests you try a grainbill of appx. 70-75% wheat malt if you don't want to deal with the unmalted wheat. The author suggests the results are similar, though not exactly the same, as using unmalted grain. I suppose that might be worth a shot if you don't want to bother with boiling the wheat. I haven't tried it myself, so I can't comment.

 

[ghpeel]

For my wit my grain bill was
4.5 # rahr 2row
3# Flaked wheat
1# malted white wheat
.5 # flaked oats

That's pretty similar to the grain bill of my recent Wit, and that thing is as cloudy as a winter's day. Lots of body too. I did a single infusion mash on mine, at 150F even, but it stopped at about 1.012-1.013. Not sure why. That little bit of sweetness, plus 12oz of flaked oats, makes for a rich, creamy brew.

Maybe drop the protein rest and see what you get.

 

[jmancuso]

Hello everyone, thanks for the help. I brewed the wit last monday and everything went smooth so far. I used unmalted wheat and did a step mash with rests at 113 (20 min)
140 (20 min) and 156 (45 min). I seemed to get good conversion of the unmalted wheat, I hit my og with 75% efficiency as planned. I dont know exactly if those rests helped at all or if i would have had the same results if i just did a single infusion at 156. I plan on brewing the same beer tomorrow but with minor changes just to experiment and i'm still kicking around the idea of a cereal mash. What will the effects of the cereal mash be on the finished beer? and also the effects of a single infusion vs the step?

thanks, James

 

[Majd]

Hi guys,
Well, I already have purchased my grains before reading all of this post. Now I have 4.5 LBs 2 row Belgian; 4.5 Malted white wheat (malt); one LBs wheat flakes and 1 LBs Oat golden naked. From your past experience, should I do protein rest at 122 for 15 minutes? Also what temperature range should I do my Saccrification rest, high (152+) or low (148+). I'm going to start heating my strike water soon, hope to hear from any of you who will have an advice.
Thanks

 

[jmancuso]

If your doing a mash out I would mash at around 149. If not I would say 152-153 and just stick with the single temperature rest. I didn't notice any difference with the multiple rests.

 

[DavyP]

Hey guys, what are y'all using for your source of unmalted wheat (flaked, torrified, raw)? I came across cracked wheat and am considering using it. Thanks!

 

[GuldTuborg]

Cracket wheat as in bulgur, or just wheat kernels that have been cut or milled?

 

[DavyP]

I actually found both at central market, but I was talking about the cracked wheat kernels (berries). I found this creamy wheat from Wheat Montana. It sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. Have you guys used this before? Thanks.

http://www.wheatmontana.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=225

 

[GuldTuborg]

Have you guys used this before?

Haven't seen that brand before, but if it's just wheat, it should work (no ingredient list shown in link). Really, though, the easiest think to do is hit up your local hippie mart with a bulk section. You can almost always get wheat berries for less than $1 per pound, and then just run them through your grain mill a few times (or food processor, or grab a mallet or rolling pin and take your aggression out on them). Super cheap.

 

[DavyP]

Yeah I was actually able to find the berries at central market too, but since I don't have a mill I was a little worried about killing my crappy coffee grinder. I'll just buy a 1/2lb of berries this weekend and give it a try. Thanks!

 

[GuldTuborg]

If you plan ahead, you can boil the crap out of them for an hour or two, then give them a whirl in a blender (or even a potato masher, if you feel energetic), then add to the mash. Nothing says they have to be cracked before boiling. It just saves time.