Making a stout. Any reasoning I can't sub midnight wheat, lb for lb for regular wheat?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Midnight wheat vs wheat
- Thread starter sfrisby
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No there is no reason you can't Use it. It basically gives you that dark color and roasty chocolate flavor with out the bitter flavor. Definitely change it in beer Smith or whatever you use because it will be a slightly lower ppg that regular wheat
RachmaelBenApplebaum
Well-Known Member
Well, it's VERY dark (`350l if I'm not mistaken?) so I think it's possible to overdo it, even in a stout. It also doesn't have the sorta spicy, creamy consistency that wheat lends to a brew, since it's kilned to such high temperatures. That being said I LOVE midnight wheat because it lends that nice roasty chocolate without being bitter, but I feel like it can be overdone when going pound for pound with regular, unkilned wheat. Also, it's your brew, don't see why not 
happy brewing
happy brewing
Maybe instead of subbing the midnight wheat for the malted wheat you should do both. Your malted wheat will have a different flavor than midnight wheat for sure and I don't know that midnight wheat will give you the nice creamy head that the malted wheat will.
OP
OP
Great tips. Thank you.
Ramitt
Well-Known Member
I don't think midnight wheat would be suitable as a base malt, I doubt it has any diastatic power being that darkly kilned. Briess only reccomends up to 10 percent of the malt.
http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets/PDFs/Briess_PISB_MidnightWheatMalt.pdf
http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets/PDFs/Briess_PISB_MidnightWheatMalt.pdf
That's kinda like asking if you can sub black patent, pound for pound, for pale malt in a recipe, as they're both malted barley.
The answer is "yes," as long as you know you're making a very dark beer, and as long as you don't use too much. "Too much" is a very relative term, though. What's your recipe look like, and what do you want it to taste like? Those are the real questions.
The answer is "yes," as long as you know you're making a very dark beer, and as long as you don't use too much. "Too much" is a very relative term, though. What's your recipe look like, and what do you want it to taste like? Those are the real questions.
Ramitt
Well-Known Member
the answer is no, there will not be enough enzymatic power to convert startch to fermentable sugars if you use black patent or midnight wheat as the base malt.
http://beersmith.com/blog/2010/01/04/diastatic-power-and-mashing-your-beer/
I'm not sure what you mean by using MW or BP as a "base malt." They aren't base malts, so they can't be used as one (whatever that means). Given how strong these malts are, "too much" is going to be too much from a flavor standpoint long before it's an issue from a conversion standpoint.
You don't honestly think I, or anyone else, would suggest a recipe grainbill that's 90%+ black patent, do you? Perhaps I should have used the word "swap," rather than "substitute." That might clear things up.
d_striker
Well-Known Member
Well, it's VERY dark (`350l if I'm not mistaken?) so I think it's possible to overdo it, even in a stout. It also doesn't have the sorta spicy, creamy consistency that wheat lends to a brew, since it's kilned to such high temperatures. That being said I LOVE midnight wheat because it lends that nice roasty chocolate without being bitter, but I feel like it can be overdone when going pound for pound with regular, unkilned wheat. Also, it's your brew, don't see why not
happy brewing
More like 550.
OP
OP
Changed my recipe to replace 2 of the 4 lbs of wheat in a 30lb bill to Midnight wheat. Thanks for the suggestions.
d_striker
Well-Known Member
2 lbs is A LOT of midnight wheat. Hope you don't stain your teeth.
I agree that 2 pound sounds like a lot. I'd even question 8 ounces. Maybe I'm missing out on a fantastic beer.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
2 lb of L550 will likely taste like a campfire. Try 1'4 LB and adjust from there.
2lbs out of 30 is not that much (6.7% or so), but it all depends what the rest of the recipe is. I suspect this is a 10g batch, so that's all the less reason to worry.
What is the recipe?
What is the recipe?
OP
OP
7.25 gal. Thought about a friendly debate, but figured why make a deal out of people's helpful advice.
d_striker
Well-Known Member
Just to make sure everyone (myself included) are all on the same page.
I'm assuming you are saying you want to sub out some wheat, and use midnight wheat in its place. I would not call that a "sub" as it would be a BIG change in the recipe.
If you said you wanted to sub midnight wheat lb for lb with black patent, I'd say you are good to go. I consider wheat a base malt, and the dark malts obviously are specialty malts - roasted at that. I think you can safely sub/switch malts as long as they are in the same class - any roasted malt for any roasted malt, any base malt for another base malt, etc. Yes they will be different, but similar enough - I'd consider these tweaks. What you are suggesting (I think) would cause a BIG change in the flavor
I'm assuming you are saying you want to sub out some wheat, and use midnight wheat in its place. I would not call that a "sub" as it would be a BIG change in the recipe.
If you said you wanted to sub midnight wheat lb for lb with black patent, I'd say you are good to go. I consider wheat a base malt, and the dark malts obviously are specialty malts - roasted at that. I think you can safely sub/switch malts as long as they are in the same class - any roasted malt for any roasted malt, any base malt for another base malt, etc. Yes they will be different, but similar enough - I'd consider these tweaks. What you are suggesting (I think) would cause a BIG change in the flavor
dieden187
Well-Known Member
Although midnight wheat has a HUGE effect on a beer, I wouldn't say 2 lbs is too much for a 30lb grain bill. I just finished up the last few bottles of a Belgian Wit with 2lbs in a 15lb bill... Yes, it is black as oil, but it was oh so good. Finished it off with habanero in secondary.
