Using wheat in pale ale

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Just considering a grain bill for the next pale, and I have a few kg of malted wheat to use up. Never used it in anything but wheat beer before but am keen on giving it a shot in a pale

Am I right in thinking that wheat is a good way to make a pale a little less 'cloying' less 'full' in the mouthfeel? I'll be using Golden Promise as a base along with about 5% crystal 60. What percentage wheat would be a good starting point?

Thanks

 

[wide eyed and legless]

If you can look up on line Gordon Strong's Avant Garde American pale ale he uses wheat malt in that.

 

[Yobbo]

Just considering a grain bill for the next pale, and I have a few kg of malted wheat to use up. Never used it in anything but wheat beer before but am keen on giving it a shot in a pale

Am I right in thinking that wheat is a good way to make a pale a little less 'cloying' less 'full' in the mouthfeel? I'll be using Golden Promise as a base along with about 5% crystal 60. What percentage wheat would be a good starting point?

Thanks

Up to about %20 is great, even up to %30, makes for a good lasting lacing head and keeps the SRM down, most of the pales I brew have about %20 give or take, haze doesn't worry me as such as it's usually hazy from the stupid amount of hops that go in anyway.

 

[Andy_27]

I picked up ingredients for my next pale today. Its about 83% Pale malt, 9% wheat malt and 7% Munich 1.

 

[Yobbo]

I picked up ingredients for my next pale today. Its about 83% Pale malt, 9% wheat malt and 7% Munich 1.

What's the other %1?

Are you using any water treatment or acidulated malt?

 

[Matplat]

I put a minimum 5-10% wheat in most beers to aid head retention.

 

[Coodgee]

Just considering a grain bill for the next pale, and I have a few kg of malted wheat to use up. Never used it in anything but wheat beer before but am keen on giving it a shot in a pale

Am I right in thinking that wheat is a good way to make a pale a little less 'cloying' less 'full' in the mouthfeel? I'll be using Golden Promise as a base along with about 5% crystal 60. What percentage wheat would be a good starting point?

Thanks

yes and no. I do a pale ale that is about 5% English crystal at about 90 EBC and the rest golden promise and it is on the light end of the pale ale spectrum and definitely not cloying so I wouldn't be concerned about that. But the idea, as far as I know, is that wheat can add both "crispness" and mouthfeel at the same time. So a good example is stone and wood pacific ale which is about 40% wheat, it's very refreshing and dry but has a nice mouthfeel.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Nice explanation. Makes sense to me

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

I've never understood this haze people speak of when using wheat. Even raw wheat I end up with kristallweizen. Give a beer a time and it will always turn clear

 

[brewgasm]

I have brewed a few beers with 40% wheat atleast one beer each with 50% and 60% all with good results.

 

[Wobbly74]

I've never understood this haze people speak of when using wheat. Even raw wheat I end up with kristallweizen. Give a beer a time and it will always turn clear

What yeast are you using? I've got a wheat beer 4 weeks in the keg and is still (nicely) cloudy...and almost gone. Fermented with wb-06.

 

[MHB]

yes and no. I do a pale ale that is about 5% English crystal at about 90 EBC and the rest golden promise and it is on the light end of the pale ale spectrum and definitely not cloying so I wouldn't be concerned about that. But the idea, as far as I know, is that wheat can add both "crispness" and mouthfeel at the same time. So a good example is stone and wood pacific ale which is about 40% wheat, it's very refreshing and dry but has a nice mouthfeel.

ON the PA - they were using in-malted wheat and oats, very different to using malted wheat, but the flake is where the slick, full mouthfeel is coming from. Malted Wheat wont give the body but over 5% will improve head retention and at higher rated probably a slightly crisper character.
5-10% wheat (often Torrefied) is/was a pretty common ingredient in UK pale Ale, around 5% Crystal is pretty common to, if you want more colour better to use a darker crystal (that's why they make them) than to pile too much of the lighter crystal in, which can get cloying.

DrMc - True store beer cold enough long enough and it will clear, if you want cloudy drink younger, or try adding a couple of teaspoons of plain wheat flour late in the kettle.
Mark

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

What yeast are you using? I've got a wheat beer 4 weeks in the keg and is still (nicely) cloudy...and almost gone. Fermented with wb-06.

Yea, WB06 too. It's the only one I've ever used

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

ON the PA - they were using in-malted wheat and oats, very different to using malted wheat, but the flake is where the slick, full mouthfeel is coming from. Malted Wheat wont give the body but over 5% will improve head retention and at higher rated probably a slightly crisper character.
5-10% wheat (often Torrefied) is/was a pretty common ingredient in UK pale Ale, around 5% Crystal is pretty common to, if you want more colour better to use a darker crystal (that's why they make them) than to pile too much of the lighter crystal in, which can get cloying.

DrMc - True store beer cold enough long enough and it will clear, if you want cloudy drink younger, or try adding a couple of teaspoons of plain wheat flour late in the kettle.
Mark

Thanks Mark

I don't personally want cloudy, was just an observation that people say wheat remains cloudy. It doesn't.

 

[Wobbly74]

Maybe my other half doesn't leave it alone long enough then

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Haha. A good possibility!

 

[Andy_27]

What's the other %1?

Are you using any water treatment or acidulated malt?

They were all 83.3 odd % or something. I couldnt remember exactly, but yes I use acidulated malt also but dont factor it into the recipe. The amounts dont change anything much, if at all.