frankvw
Well-Known Member
I've brewed a Weizen from extract before and it wasn't bad, but the liquid wheat malt extract I have yields a clear, light bodied beer that is low on the typical Weizen flavors. This is not surprising, since the LME lacks a lot of things you get from a proper mash containing significant amounts of wheat, and is almost devoid of proteins. In fact, on the tin it says the stuff has been "kettled for optimum clarity" and conversely the beers brewed with (and no additional grains) it are very poor in head formation and retention.
However, some fellow home brewers tell me that they have had encouraging results by using a few bricks of Weetbix which they boiled, cooled and then added to the fermenter. I can see how this could add a little bit of body, mouth feel, cloudiness (due to protein) and a bit of wheat flavour. (There is of course no conversion taking place here; we're just leeching some starches, proteins and flavours out of the Weetbix.)
Which makes me wonder: if I steep Weetbix in water at ferulic acid red temperatures (109–113 °F / 43–45 °C), could I get some ferulic acid from it? As I understand it, Weetbix is pre-cooked (the human digestive system being unable to digest raw wheat) but I'm not sure if, and how, that would affect ferulic acid availability. I understand that in wheat the ferulic acid is found bound to cell wall polysaccharides. Will the processing that the wheat has undergone during the production of the Weetbix affect that in any way and, if so, how?
(And yes, I know that I'll get a much better beer from a proper partial mash. But that's not what I'm asking here; I'm curious if anyone has ever tried to use Weetbix in this way and if it resulted in some ferulic acid availability.)
Curious to know your opinions!
However, some fellow home brewers tell me that they have had encouraging results by using a few bricks of Weetbix which they boiled, cooled and then added to the fermenter. I can see how this could add a little bit of body, mouth feel, cloudiness (due to protein) and a bit of wheat flavour. (There is of course no conversion taking place here; we're just leeching some starches, proteins and flavours out of the Weetbix.)
Which makes me wonder: if I steep Weetbix in water at ferulic acid red temperatures (109–113 °F / 43–45 °C), could I get some ferulic acid from it? As I understand it, Weetbix is pre-cooked (the human digestive system being unable to digest raw wheat) but I'm not sure if, and how, that would affect ferulic acid availability. I understand that in wheat the ferulic acid is found bound to cell wall polysaccharides. Will the processing that the wheat has undergone during the production of the Weetbix affect that in any way and, if so, how?
(And yes, I know that I'll get a much better beer from a proper partial mash. But that's not what I'm asking here; I'm curious if anyone has ever tried to use Weetbix in this way and if it resulted in some ferulic acid availability.)
Curious to know your opinions!