Protein rest benefits?

[TheVenerableMead]

I'm preparing to make my first wheat beer and I'm seeing a lot of (most) recipes calling for a protein rest. Is the only purpose of this for clarity? Or does it also affect/improve the flavour of the beer?

 

[MrHadack]

The protein rest isn't really necessary unless you are using unmalted wheat. In fact, doing a protein rest may have some undesirable side effects such as harming head retention and robbing your beer of some body.

However, you can do a "beta glucanase" rest in the temperature range of 98 - 113*F to prevent the mash from becoming too gummy when using a lot of wheat. This range is just below the normal "protein rest" temperature range so it will not harm head retention and body of the beer.

See the last paragraph at this link: http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter14-4.html

 

[TheVenerableMead]

Thanks! Also, OMG Chai stout... if you don't post your recipe, you're a bad person.

 

[pjj2ba]

I have found that a properly executed protein rest can boost the body a little and improve head retention. I did not have much luck doing this with pale malts though and now all my beers use pilsner malt as a base malt. I've got a wheat lager (38% wheat) that is just about ready to keg. No rice hulls, and I had no sparging issues. I did a 20 min. rest at 122 F