First Wheat Beer: Need advice on protein rest and liquid amts

[FatAndrew]

Hello all!

I am brewing my first wheat ale this weekend and am wondering about how to go about my protein rest/is it necessary and how much liquid to be using at each step.
My recipe is as follows:
1 gallon test batch
.75lbs Two-row
.75lbs Wheat malt
4 oz Honey malt
1 oz crystal 20L (for color)

Hops schedule:
.1 oz Willamette @ 60 min
.1 oz Centennial @ 15 min

Wyeast American Wheat (1010)

Mash rests:
protein: 0.680 gal @ 122°F 20 min
conversion: 0.398 gal @ @ 152°F 60 min

Fly Sparge w/ 0.3 gal (1.2qt) @ 170°F


So my questions:
1. Should I do a protein rest?
2. If so, are my liquid amts. correct to yield a 1 gallon +/- batch after boil?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

-Andrew

 

[TopherM]

You don't have to do a step mash to make a good wheat. You can just mash the whole thing for the 60 minutes at 152F followed by your 170F fly sparge.

The point of the protein rest is just to allow the wheat protein to be less sticky and allow it to flow better during the collection phase. Just throw some rice hulls in the mash if you are concerned about a stuck sparge, and that accomplishes the same goal as the protein rest.

 

[FatAndrew]

Thanks so much!

 

[headbanger]

You don't have to do a step mash to make a good wheat. You can just mash the whole thing for the 60 minutes at 152F followed by your 170F fly sparge.

The point of the protein rest is just to allow the wheat protein to be less sticky and allow it to flow better during the collection phase. Just throw some rice hulls in the mash if you are concerned about a stuck sparge, and that accomplishes the same goal as the protein rest.

Agreed. You typically don't need to do a protein rest unless you are using an under-modified malt like six row, old grains can benefit from a long rest as well. I would also highly recommend rice hulls for wheat beers as Topher points out, especially if you brew on a re-circulating setup.

 

[TopherM]

A pound of rice hull is $1.67 at my LHBS. For a 1 gallon batch, about 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound will do the job.

 

[FatAndrew]

so I would put the hulls directly in the mash with the wheat and two-row?

 

[headbanger]

so I would put the hulls directly in the mash with the wheat and two-row?

Yes, but don't run it through the mill.

 

[TopherM]

Soak the rice hulls in some water for about 5-10 minutes, then mix them into the mash grains. They act as a natural filter system to trap the biggest particles.

 

[FatAndrew]

Soak the rice hulls in some water for about 5-10 minutes, then mix them into the mash grains. They act as a natural filter system to trap the biggest particles.

So I mix them in as I'm starting my mash?