wheat in a bitter?

[PapsD]

I brewed a SMaSH bitter with Willamette and Maris otter and was thinking about changing the grain bill for the next batch to include a small amount of wheat. Maybe around 10 percent or so. Has anyone tried anything similar? Is it still a bitter if I add some wheat or would it then be a wheat beer?

 

[amandabab]

If you like wheat, do it.
wheat will turn it into a wheat beer but not a hef unless your at 50%.
the CAMRA people would throw a fit, but they aren't drinking your beer.

 

[BakRivrBruen]

I've done a small amount of wheat (1/4 to 1/2lb depending on recipe) in my bitters before to try to help with the head retention especially with the lower carbonation. The small amount also doesn't contribute any haze either, at least in the ones I make. I guess technically speaking it would be a wheat beer since it does have wheat in it. I don't consider it to be a wheat beer when I add it but I also don't care what other people think it should be called since I enjoy it. And isn't that really the bottom line in homebrewing anyway?

 

[Nightshade]

I have tossed a small amount (about 6%) into a bitter I recently designed to help head retention a bit. I see no issue with it and if you didn't tell anyone they wouldn't know the difference honestly. It's not like it's enough to add any real flavor to it anyways and any flavor it imparts is very minor at best.

Just my .02

 

[BigEd]

Torrified wheat is a popular adjunct in British brewing and can make a nice addition to a bitter. 10% is a good total to try. Unlike flaked wheat the torrified adds a subtle toasty-grainy note that works quite well IMO.

 

[PapsD]

I looked closer @ the bjcp style guidelines and a bitter may use corn, wheat, or sugar. While a wheat beer has to have a significant amount of wheat.

Has anyone entered a bitter made with wheat in a contest?

 

[PapsD]

Torrified wheat is a popular adjunct in British brewing and can make a nice addition to a bitter. 10% is a good total to try. Unlike flaked wheat the torrified adds a subtle toasty-grainy note that works quite well IMO.

Do you add any 6 row to your mash when using torrified wheat?

 

[onthekeg]

If you like wheat, do it.
wheat will turn it into a wheat beer but not a hef unless your at 50%.
the CAMRA people would throw a fit, but they aren't drinking your beer.

I think you are a little off on that one. CAMRA doesn't care about wheat. They care about carbonation, Cask Ale. You can have fruit in a CAMRA beer. Ingredients are at one time a vice of the Reinheitsgebot. Which, was outdated the day they put their names on the paper to make it a law since it lacked yeast.

 

[onthekeg]

Do you add any 6 row to your mash when using torrified wheat?

You don't need 6 row, 2 row has enough diastatic power to convert.

 

[BigEd]

Do you add any 6 row to your mash when using torrified wheat?

6-row in a British bitter? Why on Earth would you do that? To put it simply, no.

 

[dzlater]

I brew a tasty bitter with 94% pale malt, 6% wheat.

 

[PapsD]

6-row in a British bitter? Why on Earth would you do that? To put it simply, no.

I wouldn't subsitute all the MO for 6 row; just enough to convert the wheat.

I've never brewed with wheat before and the other adjuncts I've brewed with I like to use some 6 row to insure conversion.

 

[BigEd]

I wouldn't subsitute all the MO for 6 row; just enough to convert the wheat.

I've never brewed with wheat before and the other adjuncts I've brewed with I like to use some 6 row to insure conversion.

It is absolutely not necessary. You may have a misconception on the diastatic power of British pale malts or perhaps are worrying too much.

 

[PapsD]

It is absolutely not necessary. You may have a misconception on the diastatic power of British pale malts or perhaps are worrying too much.

A thread I read about torrified wheat recommended adding 6 row because MO is lacking in diastatic power. However the grain bill in question in that thread I believe was 60% wheat.

 

[amandabab]

Its not the Marris Otter that lacks conversion power, its British pale malt that lacks power.

MO is in the 120 range
Pale malt is in the 50-60 range

 

[jfr1111]

You can use wheat with MO no problem. It'll convert. American 6-row has been used extensively in pale ales at the beginning of the century, especially in beers with alot, and I mean a lot, of sugar and adjuncts because of the nitrogen levels.

Shut up about Barclay Perkins: Malt 1920-1939

A recipe from 1921

 

[PapsD]

You can use wheat with MO no problem. It'll convert. American 6-row has been used extensively in pale ales at the beginning of the century, especially in beers with alot, and I mean a lot, of sugar and adjuncts because of the nitrogen levels.

Shut up about Barclay Perkins: Malt 1920-1939

A recipe from 1921

I love that blog! That's why I wasn't really sweating putting a little 6 row in the mash. I personally don't think a small amount say around 10% 6 row wouldn't hurt anything.

For a recipe I'm kind of thinking

80% MO
10% 6 row
10% torrified wheat

 

[PapsD]

Maybe sneak some sugar of some sort in their also. Invert #2 or brown sugar. Maybe some belgian candy sugar?

 

[jfr1111]

Maybe sneak some sugar of some sort in their also. Invert #2 or brown sugar. Maybe some belgian candy sugar?

Malt nowadays is of much higher quality than it was in the 1920's. If you want to add 6-row for the taste (it's huskier/grainier than 2-row), go for it. If not, there's really no reason to bother anymore, unless you're going for an historical brew. A lot of bitters nowadays are just pale malt and some wheat, mainly summer varieties.

As far as sugar goes, brown sugar and candy sugar are a no from me. Sugar in the raw or invert are far more traditional and still see uses today in bitters.

This blog has a good recipe for making invert at home. I have gone away from using invert and now simply use sugar, not because they are interchangeable (they aren't) but for repeatability (invert doesn't always come out the same way).

 

[PapsD]

I was thinking of making it more of a historic brew. But will probably end up skipping the 6 row for simplicity.

I'll try making the invert sugar because I've never done it before.

Do you think rice hulls will be needed with a small amount of wheat in the mash?

 

[dzlater]

I was thinking of making it more of a historic brew. But will probably end up skipping the 6 row for simplicity.

I'll try making the invert sugar because I've never done it before.

Do you think rice hulls will be needed with a small amount of wheat in the mash?

I don't need them.
If you want some historic British beer recipes check this out.
http://www.unholymess.com/blog/lets-brew

 

[PapsD]

I don't need them.
If you want some historic British beer recipes check this out.
http://www.unholymess.com/blog/lets-brew

Sweet! Thanx.

 

[patto1ro]

If you like wheat, do it.
wheat will turn it into a wheat beer but not a hef unless your at 50%.
the CAMRA people would throw a fit, but they aren't drinking your beer.

Not true at all. There are plenty of British Bitters that contain small amounts of wheat.

 

[PapsD]

Ended up going with 12.5% flaked wheat 87.5% MO because the LHBS didn't have torrified wheat. Boiling now. The wort smells pretty tasty.