100% Wheat Brews

[Corosis]

Hey guys,

I'm planning out a wheat using almost %100 rhar red wheat malt as the base malt i'm looking about 9lb wheat, 1/2 lb 6-row and some caramel malt.

How much rice hulls should I be using? Think a pound would be enough?

and why, please don't forget the why.

 

[CaptainCoconut]

Will that much 6-row give you enough enzymes to convert all that wheat?

 

[Corosis]

the wheat has enough diastatic power to convert itself. (d.p. of rhar red is 207, pleanty) the 6 row is just in there to be safe.

 

[bullinachinashop]

Hey guys,

I'm planning out a wheat using almost %100 rhar red wheat malt as the base malt i'm looking about 9lb wheat, 1/2 lb 6-row and some caramel malt.

How much rice hulls should I be using? Think a pound would be enough?

and why, please don't forget the why.

Well first of all, welcome to HBT!

I guess the next question would be why you would want to use 100% wheat in a recipe. The max I've ever seen in a batch is 60%.

I also don't think 1/2 # 6 row will give you enough enzimes to convert 9#'s of wheat.

I would start with a proven recipe and then modify it. Beer Smith can help.

There is a ton of great help here if you want.

Bull

 

[Corosis]

Thanks for the welcome!

the wheat has more than enough enzymes (hence the above mentioned 207 dp)

I have seen some 100% wheat recipes. and why do I want to do it? Why not do it? I want to see the affect.

I'm the sort of person who if someone tells me something won't work, I want to find a way to make it work.

 

[doctorRobert]

I love this! You have to keep this thread alive and let us know how it goes.

What yeast are you pitching?

 

[cuinrearview]

First off, welcome OP. I've been contemplating a 100% wheat brew myself. It's not far enough up on my recipe list to put the work in, but the search function on the site is a great tool. And when I do it I'm just going to go full on 100% wheat. My MLT does pretty good preventing stuck sparges (ok, awesome) and I guess that is where your question becomes subjective. I'll still use rice hulls, and probably a bunch of them. Have you done wheat or rye beers and how'd it go?

Now you're making me think of the recipe I want to do! Damn. I won't weigh rice hulls because I'm nuts like that but probably about four fluffy stuffed handfulls. Probably two lbs. or so. You won't need the 6-row to convert wheat does just fine on it's own.

And to the question of "why would you want to use 100% wheat in a recipe". Why would you want to use a lb. of hops in a recipe? Why would you want to make a perfectly good beer sour? Why would you want to make a 20%ABV beer?

It's why we brew my man!

 

[david_42]

A pound should be enough and don't forget to do a protein rest.

 

[Corosis]

I don't typically like the fruity or spicy flavors in a lot of wheat beers, so I'm planning to pitch either an american ale or an Irish ale yeast. (Make it more of an "american wheat") And am thinking i'll ferment at about 66-68 F.

Also, I batch sparge, so if i do get a stuck mash, just stir it up and run it out again.

I'm in a local Iron Brewer competition rite now, but after that is over I think this may be my next brew (Probably looking at december)

Any thoughts on needs for a protein or acid rest?

 

[kwantam]

Protein rest will substantially improve your efficiency. I could see it being pretty abysmal otherwise.

EDIT: hmm nope, thought about it again and realized that malted wheat should be pretty well modified. Might still give you better efficiency, but I don't know that it's 100% necessary.

 

[Corosis]

why is that? I am less confidant on my knowledge of what happens in a protein rest.

 

[kwantam]

Two things happen: big proteins are broken down by protease, and the endosperm is softened, allowing more extraction of starch (which is later broken down during the saccharification rest). If the malt is already well modified, you won't get any further increase in starch extraction, but you will very likely break down proteins that would contribute to body and head retention. The other thing it can do is reduce the amount of haze contributed by wheat and other proteinaceous grains, but generally you want haze in most wheat beers, so this isn't really a desirable outcome in this beer.

I'd say the reasons against are stronger than the reasons for.

 

[bullinachinashop]

cuinrearview "It's why we brew my man!"

I'm just not a big wheat fan and I guess that is something I wouldn't consider. I'll leave the extreme wheat brewing up to others.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Bull

 

[Airborneguy]

Definitely nothing wrong with doing 100% wheat. BasicBrewing has a video episode about a 100% wheat beer that they brewed. It came out amazing. Ialso plan on doing it in the future. Good luck with it and keep us updated.

One question: why are you including the caramel? I see why you are adding the 6-row (although technically that makes the beer not 100% wheat), but why the caramel?

 

[Corosis]

The caramel is for some sweetness to balance out hops. I'm planning about 30 IBU with primarily Glacier hops (pellets). I think I'm going to pull the 6-row out. I had it in there for safety's sake, but I think I don't need that safety net.

 

[lucasszy]

I make a 100% oak smoked wheat beer, and it turned out pretty damn good. It took a while for it to clarify (completely) and everyone loves it. In the end I ended up tossing it onto a mixed berry syrup, and all the guys and gals love it.

Go for it!

 

[OLDBREW]

I'd do a double decoction. Maybe do 1# hulls to loosen the bed some. Might even contemplate on a handful of honey malt mixed into the grist.

 

[wyzazz]

James Spencer on Basic Brewing Radio did a 100% wheat using BIAB, no rice hulls needed! I'm just sayin!

 

[Beerrific]

Don't forget that you can get all sorts of caramel and roasted malts made from wheat. I say dump the 6-row and go true 100%. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[bakins]

James Spencer on Basic Brewing Radio did a 100% wheat using BIAB, no rice hulls needed! I'm just sayin!

I've done the same. It works.

 

[Corosis]

I saw their video with their brew in a bag beer. I'm wanting to take it to the next step and make it work in a sparge.

Here is a little bit more detailed description of my plan, if anyone wants to look.

http://breweryorbust.blogspot.com/

 

[lumpher]

i'd think on an almost 100% wheat beer (and i love wheats) you'd have to do a step mash

30 min@115
30min@145
30min@155

you can do a single infusion at 152, then mash out at 168, but you'll have to stir a lot

 

[Corosis]

What is your resoning for needing a step mash? I am not disagreeing (I honestly do not know which way is best) I just like to know why.

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

I am also on the step mash bandwagon. The thing about wheat is that it has a ton of protein compared to barley which will make the beer "thicker". The main thing to worry about from a technical standpoint would be a stuck sparge. If you add enough rice hulls you can probably get around that particular problem. In addition you may also be concerned about a beer that has too much body, won't clear, chill haze, or a monster hot break. I don't know how much you are worried about any of these things, but a protein rest would certainly reduce the likelyhood of any of them.

 

[Corosis]

so the 30 minutes at 115 is what? Breaking down proteins into amino acids? And what does that do?

 

[sigfried]

Pretty interesting vid on this:

 

[COLObrewer]

Here's ours: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/100-wheat-wiezenbock-180624/ We had some thermometer issues with that batch but still turned out great, got a ribbon at the local fair on both our 100% wheats and both were green at the time.

We do a Beta Glucan rest at about 102F to help with sparge, the last one we had no rice hulls, it still worked but very slow. I think it depends on your system, that's the closest my tun (10gal cooler with copper manifold) has ever been to a stuck mash.

Edit: Oh yea the reason for the 102F is simply due to Palmers chart that says best gum breaking rest is between 95F and 113F (averaged from multiple sources).

Good luck and keep on brewing my friends