What the heck are the differences in wheat malts?

[Homercidal]

I've never fully understood the differences in the different wheat malts.

White Wheat
Red Wheat
Flaked Wheat
etc.

I've got a recipe that calls for White Wheat, and I know I have Red Wheat at home. What is the difference (besides a bit of color...)

 

[BigB]

The red wheat is a little nuttier in flavor. I often sub out white wheat without any real difference in flavor. Flaked wheat isn't malted at all... only adds body.

 

[TyTanium]

Here's an interesting article. Not brewing related, but some helpful info:

Red Wheat vs White Wheat

 

[Homercidal]

So for this recipe you think I could use that Red Wheat just fine? I want to brew an Oberon Clone for some friends who love it. You know they don't sell it during the winter (but now he's also a big fan of Bell's Best Brown, so...)

 

[ao125]

So for this recipe you think I could use that Red Wheat just fine? I want to brew an Oberon Clone for some friends who love it. You know they don't sell it during the winter (but now he's also a big fan of Bell's Best Brown, so...)

I thought this was the time of year that everyone tries to sell their first born for a case of Hopslam.

 

[Homercidal]

I thought this was the time of year that everyone tries to sell their first born for a case of Hopslam.

I just brewed a IIPA, and Hopslam will be upon us soon. If everything goes as it has the past two years, the party store in town will have 6-packs of Hopslam well into spring.

I just wanted to try making Oberon and see if my friends think it's close to the real thing. it was a good excuse to sit down with my 12 yo and plan the recipe and the brewing water. I WILL make her into a little brewmaster! :cross:

 

[passedpawn]

Flaked wheat isn't malted at all... only adds body.

Flaked wheat will give just as much fermentable sugars as raw wheat malt if mashed with malted barley.

 

[BigB]

So for this recipe you think I could use that Red Wheat just fine? I want to brew an Oberon Clone for some friends who love it. You know they don't sell it during the winter (but now he's also a big fan of Bell's Best Brown, so...)

Yep, the red will be fine.

 

[BigB]

Flaked wheat will give just as much fermentable sugars as raw wheat malt if mashed with malted barley.

Fair enough... especially considering that I'm sure the flaked wheat he gets is pre-gelatanized... To give a complete response to his question, I suppose I should have also clarified that flaked wheat also adds more proteins, significantly contributes to the haze of the beer,and adds a sharper wheat flavor that is typical of wheat beers such as Oberon.

 

[Homercidal]

Fair enough... especially considering that I'm sure the flaked wheat he gets is pre-gelatanized... To give a complete response to his question, I suppose I should have also clarified that flaked wheat also adds more proteins, significantly contributes to the haze of the beer,and adds a sharper wheat flavor that is typical of wheat beers such as Oberon.

So that is why my Witbier is so very cloudy, and has a pretty sharp flavor! I've pretty much only brewed it with flaked wheat.

Ok, so Red Wheat it is. I was planning on brewing this on Saturday with my daughter, since she helped me put the recipe together, but it looks like I have to drive the girls to Farmington Hills for a baby shower, so maybe Sunday.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

In my experience,

white wheat does not contribute much of a flavor difference from pale barley malt, but does introduce more proteins and a different mouthfeel to a beer;

red wheat will ocntribute the protein of white wheat but also lends a different flavor profile (think wheat bread);

Torrified wheat is heated wheat (typically red I believe) that is popped like pop corn. This process pregelatinizes the proteins and starches so the enzymes can work on conversion without a cereal mash ahead of the regular mash. In larger quantities (IME above 15-20ish percent) torrified wheat lends a toasted flavor almost like biscuit malt. In smaller quanitities I feel like the torrified lends a tartness to the malt profile.

Flaked wheat is rolled torrified wheat. They are pretty much interchangeable in my experience.