# Does Torrified == Flaked?



## ozpowell (19/6/07)

Hi,

I'm thinking of brewing my first Belgian Wit (recipe courtesy of my latest BYO issue which arrived yesterday). The recipe calls for flaked wheat. Is flaked wheat equivalent to torrified wheat? If not, what's the difference? Could I substitute torrified wheat for the flaked wheat and expect a reasonable result? Would the substitution be 1:1 or would I need to add less/more torrified wheat?

Thanks,
Michael.


----------



## Ross (19/6/07)

ozpowell said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm thinking of brewing my first Belgian Wit (recipe courtesy of my latest BYO issue which arrived yesterday). The recipe calls for flaked wheat. Is flaked wheat equivalent to torrified wheat? If not, what's the difference? Could I substitute torrified wheat for the flaked wheat and expect a reasonable result? Would the substitution be 1:1 or would I need to add less/more torrified wheat?
> 
> ...



Yes, basically the same product - 1:1

Cheers Ross


----------



## ozpowell (19/6/07)

Ross said:


> Yes, basically the same product - 1:1
> 
> Cheers Ross



Thanks for the quick reply Ross. Expect and order in the next day or so....  

Cheers,
Michael.


----------



## Goat (19/6/07)

In terms of appearance they are quite different, but the results (I've found) are very similar

Torrified wheat looks sort of looks like 'puffed wheat' cereal - whole kernels swollen to 2-3 times the volume of the raw kernel. 

Flaked wheat looks... flaked.

My understanding was that they are two different ways of achieving the same result - a non malted wheat that does not need a cereal mash.

Another difference is that my Porkett mill (and the drill attached) works a lot harder on the torrified wheat - and I don't both to mill the flaked wheat


----------



## Ross (19/6/07)

Goat said:


> In terms of appearance they are quite different, but the results (I've found) are very similar
> 
> Torrified wheat looks sort of looks like 'puffed wheat' cereal - whole kernels swollen to 2-3 times the volume of the raw kernel.
> 
> ...



Good point Goat, the TW can be a bugger to mill, as the grains are quite large, whereas the flaked doesn't need milling at all. Both give the same result though.

cheers Ross


----------



## lucas (19/6/07)

I was reading about torrified grains yesterday in radical brewing, and yeah, they're basically puffed grains so they dont need a cereal mash. first thought through my mind was "popcorn beer", then i turned the page and there was a recipie!


----------



## Screwtop (19/6/07)

Flaked (raw) wheat is fine as long as malt is present to provide enzymatic conversion of the starches. So no need for a cereal mash. Have been reading up on Wit's recently, thought that decoction was necessary for a wit when using flaked wheat but that torrified (cooked) wheat could be used to achieve similar results with a simple infusion mash?

Screwy


----------



## Chris (19/6/07)

Both times I have used Torrified Wheat I just added it to the mash uncracked.

While a few kernels floated, the vast majority dissolved completely into the mash, just like, well er, soggy cereal.
Both times the efficiency was spot on, so they converted, and there was no sign of them when I emptied the spent grains. I probably would have felt better if they were crushed, but they worked anyway.


----------



## Kai (19/6/07)

As has been touched on already, they're both essentially just pre-gelatinised wheat.

However, I wouldn't use either in a wit. I'd only use raw. I'm sure you can make a great wit with it, but I don't see the necessity.


----------

