Wheat Flour

[Nick JD]

What's the starch chemistry that makes wheat starch okay in a mash and rice starch not?

Or are we simply talking about particle size?

Does the finely-milled flour make it small enough to gelatenise at mash temperatures, yet the rice grain is too big?

Or, is the starch in rice "stronger", or longer?

What I'm really getting at is are we comparing whole rice to ground wheat and that's the difference?

Rice flour is cheap - and I freakin' hate having to cook the rice for brewing because I'm the laziest brewer ... in the world.

 

[RobB]

Just to throw another variable in to the mix, which kind of wheat flour would be best for a mash?

Bread flour has much more protein than plain flour. If it's for head retention, would high protein bread flour be better?

 

[gregs]

Thanks doc, yes I was forgetting that flour from cracked malt is basically in the same condition and doesn't get converted till the enzymes get to work :icon_cheers:

This is an interesting subject; the flower in your crush has already had part of the conversion done for you, re- the malting process.

So the question is are you after any conversion? Has the wheat flour had any of this conversion or is it just a dried kernel. If so is the mash time and temp youre using appropriate for your required outcome?

Cheers.gregs

 

[felten]

What's the starch chemistry that makes wheat starch okay in a mash and rice starch not?

Or are we simply talking about particle size?

Does the finely-milled flour make it small enough to gelatenise at mash temperatures, yet the rice grain is too big?

Or, is the starch in rice "stronger", or longer?

What I'm really getting at is are we comparing whole rice to ground wheat and that's the difference?

Rice flour is cheap - and I freakin' hate having to cook the rice for brewing because I'm the laziest brewer ... in the world.

I would imagine that its a difference in their structural and chemical make up of the starches themselves (amylose content), rather than with the particle size. But a smaller particle size can help with increased water up take.

"Flours are produced, as by-products, during the manufacture of maize, rice and sorghum grits. Like the grits these flours must be cooked before being mixed in with the malt mash." from BSP

There is a lot of other info out there but I don't want to cut and past a bunch of it, so it says they must be cooked, but I can't find a detailed chemical description of why, but I would take them at their word.

 

[Bribie G]

Anyway I've gone and done it today, with 200g raw in the Aussie Ale. Let's see if I get a haze this time :icon_cheers:

Linky

 

[mje1980]

Anyway I've gone and done it today, with 200g raw in the Aussie Ale. Let's see if I get a haze this time :icon_cheers:

Linky

I used 500g in a wit last year. Hit my OG spot on. was hazy