All Wheat Beers

Well, it seems my wifes problems with beer (as mentioned in a previous thread) stem from a possible allergy to........BARLEY.

So, my thought is to try an all wheat beer.

Can all flaked wheat be used as the main ingredient??

Or should I use wheat malt?

I realize the type of beer an all wheat brew would be, but it seems to be possibly the only beer she will be able to comsume.

Any thoughts?

You cannot use 100% wheat anything as a base. You have to mix with barley at a rate of 60/40 wheat to barley. There are not enough enzymes in wheat to properly break down the proteins and allow for a sacharification process to occur. That's why wheat beers are cloudy and cannot be cleared. It's the proteins.

From what I have read that is not true. Some malted wheat will convert itself but prepare for sparge nightmare. Just add lots of rice hulls.
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14135
also from beer advocate:

Base Malts Base malts usually account for a large percent of the total grain bill, with darker-colored specialty malts accounting for 10 to 25% of the grain bill. The only exception is wheat malt, which can make up to 100% of the total grain bill in brewing wheat beers. Base malts and, to some extent, light-colored specialty malts provide most of the enzymatic (diastatic) power to convert starches into fermentable sugars. The base malts provide the highest extract potential. Dark-colored specialty malts, caramelized malts, roasted malts, unmalted barely, and other malted grains are added in smaller quantities to obtain darker colors and to enhance flavor characteristics. Depending on the style of beer brewed, the brewer may use only one or two types of barley malts, or as many as seven or eight. Other grains used in brewing include corn, rye, and oats.

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there are more reputable sources but I don't care to go thumbing through my books to find them...

check the diastatic power of white wheat malt:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Dark_Wheat#White_Wheat_Malt

I may have to bump this 100% wheat beer to the top of my list to see for sure...

you could always add some Amylase enzyme to the mash to help out.

Thanks for the info...much appreciated.

I noticed my Beersmith program says I can use Wheat extract up to 100%.

I am thinking about a partial mash now, with extract and wheat malt/flaked wheat.

I don't know where you can buy 100% wheat malt extract. The wheat extract I've seen is usually only about 60% wheat/40% barley. Make sure you read labels carefully to ensure you'd have only wheat extract.

brewmasterpa said:

You cannot use 100% wheat anything as a base. You have to mix with barley at a rate of 60/40 wheat to barley. There are not enough enzymes in wheat to properly break down the proteins and allow for a sacharification process to occur. That's why wheat beers are cloudy and cannot be cleared. It's the proteins.

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While there is no rule saying it has to be 60/40, you typically need some 2 row or pils for diastatic power. I'm thinking it might be hard to do an all wheat mash, but maybe not impossible.

Wheat beers are cloudy because wheat malt contains more beta-glucans, not because the enzymes (protease) can't break down the proteins. Thats also why wheat malt gunks up a mash. A protein rest would be a huge help in a beer like this.

Wheat malt often has very high diastatic power, but it will of course vary from maltster to maltster. Weyermann's pale wheat malt has a diastatic power of 200 WK, or ~60 °L. That's plenty.

Most white wheat malt will convert itself easily.

You will probably want to step mash, spending some time at a beta glucan rest and a protein rest.

Lautering will be a pain. Lots of rice hulls, brew in a bag might be a superior lautering system.

Has anyone ever made an all wheat malt beer? I'm starting to wonder what it would taste like.

It seems that how much you care of your wife.I liked the lovely and caring relation between you and your wife.

Well, we are going to find out what an all wheat brew will be like for those who havent tried. I stopped in at the LHBS today, planning on doing a 75% wheat brew. While looking at all the possible wheats there, I found Briess Malts White Wheat. According to Breiss, they state this wheat can be used up to 100% of your base.

So here is the base recipe I am planning....

7 lbs White Wheat
2 lbs flaked wheat
.50 oz select spalt 60 min
.50 oz pearle 30 min
.50 oz select spalt 30 min
.50 oz pearle 5 min

OG 1.050
FG 1.013
Color 3.5
IBU 29.5

Any recommendations on mash profile?

I am also considering Amalyse Enzyme for the mash, and perhaps some sweet orange peel and coriander for the boil.

Also considering ommitting the flaked wheat and just run all White wheat.

NTOLERANCE said:

Also considering ommitting the flaked wheat and just run all White wheat.

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I would do this as well as a step mash hitting your beta glucan and protein rests, you will need a liberal amount of rice hulls as well. They also make chocolate wheat and caramel wheat malts now if you want to throw a bit of different character in there.

I agree. No need for the flaked wheat. It will only make lautering more difficult. The rests will be really important with this beer so you don't get a gummy mess.

Skip the amalayse. I don't think you will have much problems with conversion. Make sure to do iodine tests to be safe though.

I might consider going lower on the IBUs and using Wyeast 3068. What would make a better hefeweizen than 100% wheat malt?

This is the first recipe where I dont have instructions on how much water to add and how long to rest.

Can someone give me a step by step? I have beersmith, is there a profile in there I can follow?

The owner of the homebrew shop i used to go to used to make a all wheat beer, I never tried it but he said it was tasty.

NTOLERANCE said:

Can someone give me a step by step? I have beersmith, is there a profile in there I can follow?

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You could use the two step temperature mash, but add change the dough in to 113 and add the 122 rest back in. If you don't have a way to heat it and can only do infusions you might have to join the glucan rest and the protein rest into one. I have never tried this but Palmer says you can get pretty good results doing that at about 120* F.

brewmasterpa said:

You cannot use 100% wheat anything as a base. You have to mix with barley at a rate of 60/40 wheat to barley. There are not enough enzymes in wheat to properly break down the proteins and allow for a sacharification process to occur. That's why wheat beers are cloudy and cannot be cleared. It's the proteins.

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Not true. There is more diastatic power in wheat than in barley! There are some that do an all wheat lager...

you also might try rice hulls in your mash so you don't stick your sparge. I attempted an all wheat smash and was informed by the brewmaster i bought my supplies from that it wouldnt' work due to ________ reason. He pointed me to the book where I found that information as well. That's what I know about the subject, but if you want to try it, go for it.

Anyone know how this ever turned out? Or any other all wheat brew for that matter?

Keep on brewing my friends

I know...I keep looking for information on it and there just seems to be several threads on it but all of them end up with....nothing. No confirmation that it can be done or that it was an experiment gone horribly wrong. I would like to know if there is a recipe and if it's possible before I go springing for the malt.

James Spencer over at Basicbrewing.com has done a few all-wheat beers. If you do BIAB you won't have to worry about sparge issues.

There's a great video detailing it here:
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=april-15-2010-all-wheat-beer

Wow forgot all about this thread, we have been doing an all wheat brew for awhile. It's pretty simple with 9 lbs wheat malt (red or white doesn't matter), 1 lb chocolate wheat and 1lb rice hulls, rest at 120F (30mins) then 152F. We have a tun with copper slotted manifold and haven't had any lauter problems, It tastes great.

I had mixed results with this brew. I need to dive back into it, with a deconcoction mash.

snowveil said:

James Spencer over at Basicbrewing.com has done a few all-wheat beers. If you do BIAB you won't have to worry about sparge issues.

There's a great video detailing it here:
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=april-15-2010-all-wheat-beer

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So, I emailed James Spencer about this video because they seemed to like their beer and I thought, I'll try their method first before experimenting. Here's the important stuff on their all wheat beer.

He wouldn't do an all-wheat beer unless it was BIAB.
Mash at 152-154, but he mashes all his beers that way (although in the above video it seems he does a step mash and decoction).
Sparge at 170.
He says it will work with step mash, single infusion and decoction. Sounds like he does his single infusion. No protein rest although I asked in another email tonight. I will let you all know what he says.


I may be attempting this beer this coming friday and here's what I think I may do. I might make some fine adjustments come friday morning.

20 lbs white or german wheat depending on what's available at the LHBS and I will beg them to change the gap to crush as fine as possible.

BIAB full volume mash 10.5-11.5 gallons water
Protein rest at 120 (not sure if I will, wheat beers are supposed to be cloudy right?)
Mash temp 153
Mashout at 168-170 (Is it really necessary if I'm getting higher efficiency from a finer crush and avoiding the stuck sparge by squeezing the bag?)
1 hour full boil to get 10-10.5 gallons. Ferment will be in two 6 gallon carboys and I'm going to do a secondary with 5-6 lbs of watermelon in one and nothing in the other.

Haven't decided on the hops and or yeast yet but....here is what I want:
more citrusy, less bitter beer and a fruity, estery after-taste (Isn't that what most people want in a wheat beer?). I'm thinking a first go would be a german hefe yeast and then on the second go (next beer) an american yeast just to see what the differences are. I'll let you guys know how it goes and when it's done I'll let you guys know how it tastes as there isn't much out there, or even on here. l8r.

How did it go? I also emailed James Spencer after watching the all wheat vid asking about the necessity of a decoction/step mash. His only reply was that it is optional. Can anyone tell me what I would gain/lose by this step? Is it just an improvement in clarity if those steps are included?

So my 100% white wheat is still fermenting. Mash was 150 degrees F for 60 min with an easy sparge because I BIAB. All seemed to go well with 88% efficiency and an OG of 1.060.

Anyone else who has done this please share results. I can update when mine is ready.

I did a 1 gallon all wheat biab last year. I mashed same temp you did. I did a 10 min decoction at 30 min. I did just as James did at 2-3 days, scraped the krausen (ferm at about 70 degrees for about a week and a half). Then I bottled conditioned. I drank at 3 weeks, 2 months and then 6 months in the basement. The first couple of bottles were as Steve Wilkes described as "I don't want to say 'watery' ". The last bottle at about 6 months was absolutely fantastic. It was very much like a good pilsner. Clear, crisp, refreshing and a really good lawnmower beer. I haven't had a chance to make it again yet. Soon. The way I understand it, the decoction breaks down the protein into smaller particles. I don't know if this helps with clarity or helps makes it more cloudy. I've heard both. I've also heard scraping the krausen makes the beer less bitter but the krausen helps make proteins fall out when it falls. I will tell you this though. Even though I decocted and scraped the krausen, my beer was very translucent. It had a really nice straw yellow color but translucent.

almost forgot. I never bothered with the hefe yeast. I went with Safale-05.