Mashing Whole Wheat?

[sid]

Hi all.

I was wondering how I can use some whole wheat I have bought for making a wit beer.

How can I use this wheat?, I was thinking either I'll have to grind in my coffee grinder to break the grain, or can I use it whole?..... and then there is torrified wheat, could I turn the whole wheat Into torrified wheat by heating it somehow, has anyone done this?.

Thanx Sid.

 

[Weizguy]

As far as I know, you need to pop the wheat like popcorn to make it torrefied.
You could buy puffed wheat but it's for food, not beer.

Just mill the wheat and throw it in to the mash. You must mash this grain.

Where did you get the wheat, and is it food-grade or feed-grade? Red or white wheat?

(*Edit) - Sorry to answer your question with more questions, but that info is required if anyone can supply an informed answer. This often happens when a question is asked. This is not a mark of disrespect, but one of acceptance.
Beerz
Les

 

[dr K]

I use a pop-corn maker
Works like a charm, I do 75gm lots and they take about 7 minutes per batch
I can process enough wheat for a double batch in only 12 hours so I plan in advance and do it over a coupla daze.
ps I only make wobbly boot dubnkleweizen this way..saves me a motza on rauchmalz as well.

K

 

[sid]

Where did you get the wheat, and is it food-grade or feed-grade? Red or white wheat?

Hey Lez.

Yep it's food grade wheat, red wheat I'd say... looking at it.

I tried putting it in the microwave to try and pop/puff it, on high for 8 minutes and it didn't work (don't have a pop corn maker), the only way I can think of then, is to crush by hand, the coffee grinder might chop it too fine, I might have to take the rolling pin to it.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I wouldn't worry too much about chopping the wheat up too finely in the coffee grinder - not crushing too finely is about preserving teh husk of your grain, in order to allow you to lauter it effectively. The wheat wont have a husk to preserve anyway. So it will make bugger all difference if you crush it basically to flour.

If Lez says I'm wrong on this.... I am.

TB

 

[koongara]

Sid you'll need to crack it to let the enzymes from your malt barley in to do their job. Going to fine isnt a problem except that you could get a stuck sparge so throw in some rice hulls (about 250-500g for 4-6 kg of grain)

 

[jaytee]

Sid, good to see that you're still about

Take it down to the HBS in the Hutt and put it through the mill there. Might take a couple of passes through.
Alternatively, call into Commonsense Organics in Lower Hutt or Full 'O Beans in Naenae for some flaked wheat

cheers, jaytee

 

[lobo]

so some fresh wheat form a farmer mate and a marga will suffice? i havnt really crushed a significant amount of wheat before, let alone raw wheat.

i am planning on a few hoegaardens this summer and am trying to learn as much about raw wheat as i can as this is the first summer allgrain brewing. i hope to branch out into other witbeers after a couple of AG hoe's

any other info i should know about raw wheat would be great!

cheers
Lobo

 

[sid]

Sid, good to see that you're still about

Take it down to the HBS in the Hutt and put it through the mill there. Might take a couple of passes through.
Alternatively, call into Commonsense Organics in Lower Hutt or Full 'O Beans in Naenae for some flaked wheat

cheers, jaytee

Hey ya Jaytee, yeh still about, still brewing. I should have bought the flaked wheat from commonsense organics......damn, oh well, I'll grind this up and use it. Going to try adding some to a partial and see what I get, just doing a 1/2 batch... so 1 can malt and 1kg of wheat and then play with the hops, see what I get.

sid.

 

[PostModern]

so 1 can malt and 1kg of wheat and then play with the hops, see what I get.

This won't work. You need to MASH the wheat with some malted grain. Not mix it with extract. The mash uses enzymes from malted grain to convert the starches into fermentable sugars. Raw wheat is not malted, so it won't convert itself. You'll need about the same weight of pale malt as you have wheat to ensure conversion, otherwise, just steeping the wheat in hot water is going to do nothing but add starch haze and instability to your brew.

 

[jeremy]

Hi fellas,

I am confused as to what the general consensus is with using raw wheat. Is it OK to crack raw wheat as you would malted barley, and mash it with malt to allow the malt enzymes to convert the starch in the wheat? If not does the wheat need to be rolled, ground (finely or otherwise), torrified, etc before being mashed? I am thinking of using raw wheat for some wits over the summer too.

CHeers,

Jeremy

 

[bradmcm]

Hi fellas,

I am confused as to what the general consensus is with using raw wheat. Is it OK to crack raw wheat as you would malted barley, and mash it with malt to allow the malt enzymes to convert the starch in the wheat? If not does the wheat need to be rolled, ground (finely or otherwise), torrified, etc before being mashed? I am thinking of using raw wheat for some wits over the summer too.

CHeers,

Jeremy

Yes, it's quite OK just to mash it, the gelatinisation temperature of wheat is low (can't remember off the top of my head), but it doesn't need to be pre-gelatinised like maize or rice. If you are not doing Belgian witbier, you probably do want to do a beta glucan and a protein rest if you are using a lot. In a witbier you will be fine. Our Hoegaarden kit includes a fair whack of raw wheat.

 

[jeremy]

Thanks Brad, a Hoegaarden will definately be on the cards. Can it be cracked like malt?

Why does torrified wheat exist, and what is the difference?

Hope I am not stealing the thread here, but I believe my questions are in the same vein as what was originally asked.

 

[bradmcm]

Thanks Brad, a Hoegaarden will definately be on the cards. Can it be cracked like malt?

Why does torrified wheat exist, and what is the difference?

Hope I am not stealing the thread here, but I believe my questions are in the same vein as what was originally asked.

Yes, it definitely can be cracked, you mill it along with everything else. It is quite hard by itself though.
Torrified wheat does exist and is available from any health food store in bulk, or supermarket shelf.
It is puffed wheat!

 

[warrenlw63]

I've banged on about this a bit in the past but bourghul (or bulgar) is very cheap, cracked wheat and also pre-cooked. I've used up to 25% in the mash before with no conversion problems.

I get it for around $1.50 per kg.

Warren -

 

[bradmcm]

Yes, a very good option.

 

[sid]

This won't work. You need to MASH the wheat with some malted grain. Not mix it with extract. The mash uses enzymes from malted grain to convert the starches into fermentable sugars. Raw wheat is not malted, so it won't convert itself. You'll need about the same weight of pale malt as you have wheat to ensure conversion, otherwise, just steeping the wheat in hot water is going to do nothing but add starch haze and instability to your brew.

I never knew that..... No problem though, I have some pale ale malt that i can chuck in the mini mash with it. Just as well you mentioned that. Thanks.

 

[lobo]

i am planning my first ag hoe for sunday, will a single infusion mash do? i have 55%pils 38%raw wheat, and 6% rolled oats. i am thinking of mashing low for this style, is 62deg too low?

cheers,

Lobo

 

[Thirsty Boy]

If you mash that low, you will probably need to make it a longer mash though - not so many enzymes per unit of starch because of the unmalted grain and combined with low temperature, conversion is going to be much much slower.... so give it some time and maybe do an iodine test to make sure its done properly.

TB

 

[Zwickel]

i am planning my first ag hoe for sunday, will a single infusion mash do? i have 55%pils 38%raw wheat, and 6% rolled oats. i am thinking of mashing low for this style, is 62deg too low?

cheers,

Lobo

Lobo, for the beta amylase, 63C would be the optimum temp, so you are close by, but for the alpha amylase this would be too low.
Id recommend you to do either a stepped mash, 63C and 72C, or somewhere between, say 66 to 68C.

Anyway, you have to extend the mashing time because of that much raw material.

Cheers :icon_cheers: