Adding Wheat to my grain bill

[Northcalais40]

I've not used wheat in my homebrew yet because of snobby prejudice, then by chance I did some research ( Which is a real buzzkill for snobby prejudices) and found that two of my local favorites use wheat. The beers are Long Trail Ale, and Otter Creek Copper Ale, both of which call themselves Alts. These are both easy drinking, malty, mid OG ales.

I've been making an ale and tweaking the grain bill each time to hopefully improve it. The last iteration was:

9# Maris Otter
2# Vienna
1# Caramunich

46.6 IBU plus dry hopping w/ Willamette

OG 1.050, FG 1.012 70% brewhouse Eff.
Tasty

The previous used Munich instead of Vienna, I will switch back to that on the next batch.

How would you recommend adding Wheat to this grain bill?

I'm thinking (if you can call it that):

10# M.O.
2# Munich
2# Wheat Malt
1/2# cara pils

~40 IBU plus dry hopping

then tweaking grain bill quantities in proportion to get OG 1.055-1.060

I will probably get a German Alt or Kolsch yeast.

What are my choices in wheat. Wheat malt, torrified, flaked, etc,WTF?

Any help/advice would be extremely welcome.

 

[Pappers_]

I add a pound or two of wheat malt to many of my beers, including the amber I made a month + ago and the cream stout I made today. I just add it to the grain bill.

 

[GuldTuborg]

How would you recommend adding Wheat to this grain bill?

That depends upon what you hope to achieve in doing so. Around 5% or so, you'll notice more head and better head retention without much change in flavor at all. At about 10%+, you'll start to get a little flavor from the wheat as well, and maybe a bit of haze. Whether you choose to add it to the grist, keeping all other ingredients the same, or sub it for something, is up to you, with fairly obvious results either way.

You might try either adding it to the existing recipe, or subbing the wheat for your base malt, as an initial test to see how you like it. Subbing it for the base malt will give you the best indication of the actual difference it makes, I'd wager. Just keep the rest of the recipe the same as you've done before, so you can compare. Don't go using a yeast you've never used with this recipe yet, as you'll never know which differences in the finished product are due to the wheat and which are due to the yeast.

 

[kanzimonson]

I'm kinda curious why you were biased against wheat.

As for your question about the types of wheat you can put in your beer, I mostly equate torrified and flaked - they are quick and easy ways to get some protein into your beer and increase the mouthfeel and head. The malted wheat has some more flavor and can be used in greater proportions. It will add some of those proteins but not as much per pound.

 

[OLDBREW]

Alt beers usually don't use wheat. Kolsch on the other hand has wheat added to the grist more often.

Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt in either of these brews isn't the best choice for base malt when trying to keep within the guidelines

Pilsner or 2 row is used as base malt, wheat up to 20% for kolsch.
Munich malt, light crystal, carafa is used in the alt beers.

there are no aroma additions or flavor additions in these styles. the hop additions are done early in the boil as bittering addition

 

[Malticulous]

I'd call that a pale ale more than a Düsseldorf Altbier, not that it matters.

If you like it how it is I would not change it. I've added as little at 5% in well my know recipes and it noticeably changed the balance of the beer. If you do add it I would not use more than 10% and use it in place of some of the base malt.

 

[Northcalais40]

Thanks all I agree this is no Alt recipe, but a house ale. It started as an IPA within generous guidelines. Neither of the two microbrews I mentioned call their beers Alts either (my mistake) they say they are "modeled after" and "inspired by." I started with a recipe from one of my books and changed a little something each batch, arriving where I am.

The question of adding wheat versus purposely avoiding it comes largely from never having a commercial example really grab me that expressly used wheat. I tend to drink local almost exclusively and most of my locals have fruity varieties like Blackberry Wheat and Summer Wheat which are great I'm sure, but wasted on me. In my short AG homebrewing career, I've used only barley, thinking that wheat was more of a specialty/adjunct along the lines of honey, sugar, corn and rice.

Not to put too fine a point on it, I've always said I like just regular beer, I'll take all of the non-beer stuff on the side (fruits, juice, honey, spices, corn ,rice, pumpkin?!). I realize a broader mind may be an improvement (except in the cases of fruit, juice and pumpkin?!) but here we are.

Thanks again for the advice, I think I'll stick with the Am.Ale II or US-05.

 

[Malticulous]

I'm not a fan of fruit beers either. I do like German Weiss Biers. American wheat beers tend to be too bland.

I use about 10% toasted raw wheat in most of my APAs and IPAs. Toasting makes it a unique specialty grain. Without toasting it adds practically no flavor. It's the cheapest grain I can get.

Alt and Kolsch yeast can make a good American ale. I've used K-97 in my Red and APA and it was clean and crisp. The local brewery up in Zion canyon uses kolsch yeast for everything they brew. US-05 can make a good Alt.