Steeping Flaked Wheat? - Belgian Wit Help

[Throw_Back]

Hi there, I was just wondering how to steep flaked wheat. I am looking specifically to do this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/blue-balls-belgian-wit-blue-moon-clone-24978/ (comment #5 is the extract clone), but I don't know how to deal with the flaked wheat. I read that flaked wheat is probably available at my grocery store since it is not offered by my LHBS. I keep reading about cereal mashes and grinding the wheat into a flour? I'd like to brew this tomorrow with a friend so any help today would be appreciated!

 

[afr0byte]

Hi there, I was just wondering how to steep flaked wheat. I am looking specifically to do this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/blue-balls-belgian-wit-blue-moon-clone-24978/ (comment #5 is the extract clone), but I don't know how to deal with the flaked wheat. I read that flaked wheat is probably available at my grocery store since it is not offered by my LHBS. I keep reading about cereal mashes and grinding the wheat into a flour? I'd like to brew this tomorrow with a friend so any help today would be appreciated!

You need to steep it with some base malt (partial/mini mash).

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,in other words,flaked grains have to be mashed.

 

[Throw_Back]

So if I've got a turkey fryer set up for extract brewing should I just put the wheat into a muslin bag, get water up to 156F, turn off burner and wrap in a sleeping bag and let sit for 60-75 minutes? I'm worried my temp will drop pretty fast.

 

[unionrdr]

Put the kettle on a bench off the floor,wraped up top,sides,& bottom in the sleeping bag. Tightly so it holds heat in for 60 minutes to mash with some base malt to help convert it.

 

[peterj]

Hi there, I was just wondering how to steep flaked wheat. I am looking specifically to do this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/blue-balls-belgian-wit-blue-moon-clone-24978/ (comment #5 is the extract clone), but I don't know how to deal with the flaked wheat. I read that flaked wheat is probably available at my grocery store since it is not offered by my LHBS. I keep reading about cereal mashes and grinding the wheat into a flour? I'd like to brew this tomorrow with a friend so any help today would be appreciated!

You can't mash flaked wheat by itself. That extract conversion in comment #5 is wrong. Maybe he meant malted wheat. Flaked wheat hasn't been malted so it doesn't have the enzymes needed to convert its starches to sugars. You actually don't need any steeping grains to convert that recipe. Just use all wheat extract (it's usually around 50/50 wheat and base malt).

 

[unionrdr]

I mentioned mashing the flaked stuff with some base malt (IE 2-row,for example),which has plenty of enzymes for conversion of the flaked grains.

 

[peterj]

I mentioned mashing the flaked stuff with some base malt (IE 2-row,for example),which has plenty of enzymes for conversion of the flaked grains.

Yeah, I agree that would definitely be the way to go. I just wanted to make sure the OP caught that because the recipe he linked to didn't have any base malt in the mini-mash.

 

[unionrdr]

Ah,ok. Pretty basic step up from steeping,imo.

 

[IslandLizard]

You should do a mini-mash.

Mini Mash:
Mash the pound of flaked wheat with a pound of 2-row (base malt) in a largish pot, like a 1.5-2 gallon one. Add 3 quarts of hot water (165-170°F) to bring the mash to 148-152°F. Stir really well, put in a 150°F preheated and turned-off oven for an hour. Stir well again at the half-way point.

Then line a colander with as piece of cheesecloth or a grain bag and place over another large container that holds at least a gallon. Stir again, and pour all the mash into the colander and catch the wort. You could pour the caught wort through the grain bed again to filter it. It will be much clearer now.

Sparge:
Put the grains back into the 2 gallon mash pot. Add 3 quarts of 150°F water. Stir well and repeat the straining.

Notes:

• Make sure the wheat you get is flaked, or flaked and ground. Not cream of wheat, or wheat grits.
• Or get Wheat LME or DME as suggested above. You'll miss out on the mashing though, which is part of the fun.
• You could add all your specialty grains into the mash or just steep them separately.