Wheat Beer And Water Volumes

[goatherder]

I had my first go at a wheat beer today - 50% pils and 50% wheat.

I was a bit surprised to find the volume into the mash tun was about 1.5 litres less than I had expected. I thought I'd just made an error when mashing in or during the sparge, but as I was cleaning the mash tun out I noticed the grain was a lot wetter than I was used to with barley based beers. The spent grain had a more glutenous character and seemed a lot heavier. I guessed this is where my 1.5 litres went.

Am I insane or is this normal for a wheat beer?

Does anyone else allow for extra water for wheat beers?

 

[lonte]

Did you use rice hulls? I was told Rice hulls soak up twice as much water as the same weight of grain ... and then later I read that rice hulls soak up no water! Anyway, assuming the first, I always add a bit more water to allow for the rice hulls.

 

[Mr Bond]

I had my first go at a wheat beer today - 50% pils and 50% wheat.

I was a bit surprised to find the volume into the mash tun was about 1.5 litres less than I had expected. I thought I'd just made an error when mashing in or during the sparge, but as I was cleaning the mash tun out I noticed the grain was a lot wetter than I was used to with barley based beers. The spent grain had a more glutenous character and seemed a lot heavier. I guessed this is where my 1.5 litres went.

Am I insane or is this normal for a wheat beer?

Does anyone else allow for extra water for wheat beers?

At a ratio of 60/40 wheat/barley I've noticed no difference.
And as a complete inverse to you ,and a surprise to me see this post,My recent 100% wheat was a better yielder than previous sparges.go figure : :blink:

 

[Screwtop]

I had my first go at a wheat beer today - 50% pils and 50% wheat.

I was a bit surprised to find the volume into the mash tun was about 1.5 litres less than I had expected. I thought I'd just made an error when mashing in or during the sparge, but as I was cleaning the mash tun out I noticed the grain was a lot wetter than I was used to with barley based beers. The spent grain had a more glutenous character and seemed a lot heavier. I guessed this is where my 1.5 litres went.

Am I insane or is this normal for a wheat beer?

Does anyone else allow for extra water for wheat beers?

Glutenous! Was the wheat malted or raw?

 

[goatherder]

it was malted, it just seemed to have a different texture to an all barley mash. Maybe I'm reading too much into it...