I have a batch of raw wheat that I want to use in a Hefeweizen.
Grain bill will be 50% 2 Row and 50% Raw Wheat.
I’ve been told several things from boiling the wheat prior to mashing - not to worry about and just do a regular infusion mash - or to do a decoction mash to activate the enzymes in the raw wheat.
Anybody here ever use raw wheat? What are your suggestions? ???
You will not be activating any enzymes in the wheat. The idea behind boiling or decoction is to gelatenize the starch so it is available to the enzymes in the barley malt. I have used raw wheat once and just added it to the mash as usual. I did not see any problems but that is a very limited experience. others may have more info. There was a thread on here about the gelatenizing temps for various grains that would give you an answer. If the temp for wheat is below that of your infusion mash then you are all good!
I’ve used it a few times recently and didn’t do a cereal mash first, seem to have gotten decent efficiency. I’m sure a good fine crush helps.
Raw wheat can be a pain to mill. Plan on extra time and @(*$^$&%. On mashing unmalted wheat, Randy Mosher gave a friend of mine some advice through Ask the Experts. Go here and scroll down to Richie from Delaware -
This has been my experience. I use a corona mill set tight to grind it to almost a flour.
Sounds like he uses a coffee mill to grind the raw wheat…guess I could use my food processor that I use mill my coffee grains?
I crush mine through my grain mill but it really drags on the drill I drive it with and I have to start out with malt or the thing has a tendency to seize and not get going at all… I think your food processor would work, just pulse until you see the right amount of
Cooking it does yield higher extract.
Raw wheat has a gelatanization temp that is lower than that of the mash temp you will use for the barley. It will be converted in the mash.
Doing a cereal mash will give a better mouthfeel (according to Moaher0, and extraction by bursting the hard small starch granules making them available for conversion. This is the same as for a decoction mash using all barley, which gives slightly higher extract.
Where are all of the style/Reinheitsgebot police? Just kidding…
Isn’t part of using raw wheat, that it contributes non-converted starch particles to give the cloudy white color? If so, then would you really want to do a cereal mash for a witbeer?
I don’t think so. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
I don’t think so either. That’s not to say it doesn’t (although it should convert fine if there is sufficient DP in the other grains). It has a different flavor than malted wheat, which is why I would use one instead of the other.
Then what makes a white beer, white? Protein?
Since I’m guessing, I’ll guess yes.
Yes, protein and suspended yeast as far as I know.
You can get a starch haze, but beers like that are less stable than those without residual starch.
Ron Jeffries was talking to one of the guys in the club after he die BOS at the competition our club does. The question asked was about the forms of wheat. Ron talked about malted wheat, raw wheat, and flaked wheat and what each has for flavor. He talked about how he uses them and why. Wish I would have taken notes!
A topic for an NHC talk someday? Could do more than wheat, as there are the other malted/raw/flaked grains (not all malted as in corn).
+1
Raw wheat dosen’t add much flavor. Toasting it brings out flavor and makes it easier to crush. I found soaking it for and hour and toasting until it’s dry works very well. I use it as a specialty malt. It’s 10L-50L depending on how I toast it.
so let me get this straight, you put it in a sock and then carry it around with you until it’s dry? doesn’t it get moldy? ;D
Steam the sock first. Don’t boil it or you’ll lose flavor.