Looking to get a better understanding of these ingredients.... It is my understanding that Flaked Barley, Torrefied Wheat, and Malted Wheat are all utilized to increase head on beer. What are the pros and cons of using each? What are the best times to use each one? Thanks!
I don’t know the exact answer, but I’ll give you my take on it...
Flaked barley is unmalted, gelatinized, and rolled barley used to increase head retention. It has a sharper flavor than flaked wheat and results in increasing chill haze (one of the reasons it’s used primarily in darker beers). I use it in my stouts and hazy beers.
Torrified wheat is unmalted, gelatinized wheat that has a flavor akin to puffed wheat. It can be used interchangeably with flaked wheat, resulting in improving head retention and body. Unlike flaked wheat, torrified wheat imparts a slight “popcorn” aroma at high levels, so it’s best to restrain usage to less than 20% or so. Traditionally, torrified wheat is used in English cask ales, but I find the subtle grainy flavor works well in Belgians too.
Malted wheat is a base malt that can self-convert, and has a mild, grainy-sweet flavor that increases body and head retention. Malted wheat has a subtle flavor that doesn’t make much of an effect at low doses, but will contribute extra body and depth at higher levels. Contrary to popular opinion, I’ve found that malted wheat really doesn’t perceptibly affect chill haze or head retention at common usage rates (see
here), but I still include it in my saisons and hazy IPAs for the extra protein.
There are plenty of other adjuncts that are worthy of experimentation: flaked oats, malted oats, flaked wheat, unmalted wheat berries, dextrin malt, chit malt, rye, spelt, etc... It’s up to you as a brewer to figure out which ones work for you — brew beers with variations of each, or blend adjuncts for complexity. The best witbier I ever made used three types of wheat (malted, flaked, and torrified). The only rule you must abide is ignore the style guide!
