Percentage of Wheat vs Base Grain

[Kozwald]

I'm looking at brewing an all grain wheat this weekend but am confused about the amount of wheat to use. Most of the recipes in the the Brew Your Own Clone recipes shows mostly a 50 / 50 wheat to base grains. In talking with my LHBS they say not to use more than 5% wheat. Any higher and I won't get a decent efficiency.

Any thoughts??

 

[Yooper]

I'm looking at brewing an all grain wheat this weekend but am confused about the amount of wheat to use. Most of the recipes in the the Brew Your Own Clone recipes shows mostly a 50 / 50 wheat to base grains. In talking with my LHBS they say not to use more than 5% wheat. Any higher and I won't get a decent efficiency.

Any thoughts??

When making a wheat beer, it's common to use, well, wheat!

Mixing it with barley malt means it will convert just fine! 100% wheat malt would convert fine, also, but for flavor a wheat beer is typically about 50% wheat at most.

Make sure you mill the wheat malt finer than you would with barley malt, as it is huskless and has a hard kernel.

Lautering can be tough with 50/50 wheat/barley so make sure you use rice hulls or brew in a bag- maybe they meant that instead of actually not converting?

 

[m00ps]

That 5% wheat thing is completely wrong. Maybe they had it confused with another type of malt like midnight wheat?

What style are you talking about? I know Hefes are usually 50-50 wheat...Personally, I do maybe 15-20% wheat for a lot of my belgians, and 40% flaked wheat for witbiers. Point is, you'll be fine with 50%

 

[m00ps]

Oh, I remembered I posted a non-traditional hefeweizen recipe here if you need to spark the idea engine or want an example grain bill

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/fruit-loops-hefe-499587/

 

[chickypad]

Just to further clarify, wheat malt is the base grain in these styles. Domestic wheat malt has as much or more diastatic power than barley malt. If you are using a large percentage of unmalted wheat, as in a traditional witbier, then you do need to pay attention to make sure your base malt has enough power. They are way off on the 5% rule though.

BJCP Style Guidelines:

15A. Weizen/Weissbier: "Ingredients: By German law, at least 50% of the grist must be malted wheat, although some versions use up to 70%..."

16A. Witbier: "Ingredients: About 50% unmalted wheat (traditionally soft white winter wheat) and 50% pale barley malt (usually pils malt) constitute the grist."

 

[wilserbrewer]

That 5% wheat thing is completely wrong. Maybe they had it confused with another type of malt like midnight wheat?

I think the confusion is that some like to add around 5% wheat to "non wheat" beers for head retention and other desirable attributes.

 

[Horseshoot]

For my American wheat ale, I use about 60% 2-row and 40% flacked wheat. Plus a handful of rice hulls.

 

[Rev2010]

If it's a Hefeweizen 65% wheat is a good amount. I was actually reading the German Franziskaner website today and they state right on their site they use more than 2/3's wheat though they didn't say how much exactly of course. Since I love franziskaner I'm going to do one of my upcoming hefe's with even more wheat to try it out. I have used 70% before, but I think I'll try 75%. If it's an American wheat I think 50/50 is a buy more common though it's still up to you. .


Rev.

 

[dkevinb]

I just did an American wheat that was 50/50 2-row and wheat malt. I got 88% conversion efficiency and 77% brewhouse efficiency doing BIAB, which is the higher end of what I typically get.

 

[Kozwald]

Thanks for all the input, this really helps. I think I'll stick to 50% wheat for this recipe. I'll definitely need to add the rice hulls.

Not sure what the guys at the store are talking about, I'll have to ask them again.

m00ps, I like your Fruit Loops Hefe recipe. I'll have to give it a try.

Thanks again.