Any proven substitute for flaked wheat

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What would be the best substitute for flaked wheat (Witbier)

  • 50% flaked oats / 50% flaked barley

  • 50% flaked oats / 50% Carapils

  • 50% Carapils / 50% pale malt 2-raw

  • 75% flaked oats / 25% corn starch


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contraulua

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Hi all,

I am going to brew a witbier this weekend, but I am struggling to find flaked wheat here.
The recipe is 50% Pale Malt 2-raw // 40% flaked wheat // 10% flaked oats

Anyone has already successfully substituted flaked wheat for a witbier in the past?

I have seen somewhere else on the forum that a mix (50/50) of flaked oats and flaked barley could do, or a mix (75/25) of flaked oats and corn starch. But then the thread stops, and there is no feedback.

I have seen somewhere else that Carapils could also substitute flaked wheat as it will help for head retention.

As I can easily find flaked oats and Carapils, I was thinking to replace flaked wheat by a mix (50/50) of flaked oats and Carapils.

What do you guys think?
 
What would you recommend @Vale71 ?
Brew something else entirely. There's no way the substitutions you propose will taste anything like unmalted wheat. Oats are something else entirely and pale malt/carapils are just more of the same base malt.
 
Are you in the US, and do you have Amazon Prime? $14.00 for 5 lbs delivered by Friday.

Otherwise, use malted wheat (if you can find that). As Vale said, it won't taste/feel the same, but it's at least a wheat beer.
 
Just use ordinary wheat flour instead!

I made a saison with 50% of it, it converts fine if your base malt has enough power.

Just make sure it's not self raising or fortified in any way.
 
Just use ordinary wheat flour instead!

I made a saison with 50% of it, it converts fine if your base malt has enough power.

Just make sure it's not self raising or fortified in any way.
This sounds theoretically correct, but how do you add 4 pounds of flour to your beer without making a huge mess?
 
This sounds theoretically correct, but how do you add 4 pounds of flour to your beer without making a huge mess?
I biab and do full volume mashes, so I don't need to do anything, it just works, just be sure to thoroughly mix everything grain before you add it to the water. If you are not brewing with a bag, then you'd need a lot of rice hulls or similar.
 
Thanks guys for the swift replies!

@bucketnative I am in Vietnam so I cannot really use Amazon prime for urgent orders.

@Miraculix thanks for the advice, that sounds like the best alternative. I am wondering what would be the effect of not having the wheat gelatinized. And more generally, what differences should we expect between a witbier with flaked wheat and a witbier with wheat flour.

In the meantime, I found flaked wheat that can be shipped in Hanoi next week. So I'm going to swap my brewing planning and wiat until I receive the flaked wheat to brew my witbier.

Thanks again for the contributions
 
Thanks guys for the swift replies!

@bucketnative I am in Vietnam so I cannot really use Amazon prime for urgent orders.

@Miraculix thanks for the advice, that sounds like the best alternative. I am wondering what would be the effect of not having the wheat gelatinized. And more generally, what differences should we expect between a witbier with flaked wheat and a witbier with wheat flour.

In the meantime, I found flaked wheat that can be shipped in Hanoi next week. So I'm going to swap my brewing planning and wiat until I receive the flaked wheat to brew my witbier.

Thanks again for the contributions

I guess you get a bit higher efficiency from flour in comparison to flaked wheat, as the particles are much smaller. Taste wise shouldn't be any difference between the two.

It gelatinises in the mash, I did this many times, never had conversion problems. Only thing is, that if you want to use higher percentage of flour, you'd need to take care that your system can handle it.
 
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