Wheat Malt In Stouts

[Kayos]

My friend wants to make his second brew a stout. What does wheat extract do vs. all amber or dark extract to an oatmeal stout? I see some recipes with half wheat extract and some with all dark or amber.

 

[Kayos]

**BUMP**

Anyone?

 

[bradsul]

The wheat malt will give you a lighter body but much better head on the beer (and it should last longer). Most wheat extracts are actually 50/50 or 60/40 wheat/barley so they wouldn't be too bad for a stout provided you used something to add some body back to the beer (since it's going to be an oatmeal stout that's not an issue with the oats).

I didn't like the dark extracts personally. You never really knew what went into them to make them dark and it varies manufacturer to manufacturer. I always used the light possible extract I could get and then used the character malts to add all the flavour and colour.

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

I always used the light possible extract I could get and then used the character malts to add all the flavour and colour.

I agree 100% And I think that using some wheat extract in a stout would be nice because of the nice head that you get with wheat.

 

[Blender]

If you use flaked barley or flaked oats your head should be fine without needing wheat. I never heard of using wheat malt for the base though, I think it would be sort of thin.