The Wit show - a question

[joques]

Great show!

One thing that I did miss though, was some information on using flaked (unmalted) wheat with an infusion mash. I did try a real cereal mash a few months ago, and got lousy efficiency (possibly because I couldn't get the raw wheat milled fine enough) so for my next wit (which I bottled two days ago, yummy!) I used flaked wheat and a straight two step infusion mash, and the efficiency went back up.

So Doc, have you ever tried unmalted flaked wheat in your wits? (And had bad experiences with them, since you didn't mention them?)

TIA,

[Dr Scott]

Yeah, I meant to mention the flaked adjuncts too. I have used them on past wits. They work well in an infusion mash because they are already cooked.

To get the most from the unmalted grains you really need to grind them almost to a powder (a grain mill just doesn't seem to get it fine enough) and cook(boil) them to liquify the starches. That way they are available to the enzymes when they are reintroduced back into the main mash.

I feel you get a better raw wheat flavor and mouthfeel from the raw wheat/adjunct mash. But, it is alot of work and it's not for everyone. You can make a very good wit with malted and/or flaked grains.

I've had a lot of requests to post a recipe. I'll get one posted when I get half a second

[Speyedr]

I made a Wit back in January with Flaked Wheat and it took first in a local competition and second just over a week ago at the Drunk Monk in IL. Recipe for 5gal is below. I call it "Garten 'Ho" :

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
49.7 4.50 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 1.037 2
30.9 2.80 lbs. Wheat Malt America 1.038 2
2.8 0.25 lbs. Aromatic Malt Belgium 1.036 25
16.6 1.50 lbs. Flaked Soft White Wheat America 1.034 2

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.65 oz. Willamette Whole 4.20 10.5 60 min.
0.50 oz. Willamette Whole 4.20 8.1 60 min.
0.25 oz. Cascade Plug 5.75 5.6 60 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 Oz Bitter Orange Peel Spice 15 Min.(boil)
0.50 Oz Bitter Orange Peel Spice 1 Min.(boil)
1.00 Tsp Corriander Seed Spice 15 Min.(boil)
1.00 Tsp Corriander Seed Spice 1 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----

WYeast 3463 Forbidden Fruit


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Multi Step
Heat Type: Infusion

Grain Lbs: 9.05
Water Qts: 8.67 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 2.17 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 0.96 - Before Additional Infusions

Tun Thermal Mass: 0.00
Grain Temp: 70 F

Dough In Temp: 139 Time: 0
Acid Rest Temp: 0 Time: 0
Protein Rest Temp: 128 Time: 20
Intermediate Rest Temp: 0 Time: 0
Saccharification Rest Temp: 155 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp: 165 Time: 10
Sparge Temp: 170 Time: 60

Runnings Stopped At: 1.010 SG 2.56 Plato


Additional Infusion Temperatures And Amounts
--------------------------------------------

Saccharification Step: 5.14 Qts of 210 Degree Water Added
Mash Out Step: 3.47 Qts of 210 Degree Water Added


Total Mash Volume Gal: 5.05 - After Additional Infusions

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.

[Dr Scott]

Nice!

I like that you used Cascade in the hop bill. I'm going to try that in the next batch and try to exploit the citrus character of the Cascade.

[Pacman]

I love wits and for me flaked wheat is the only way to go. It tastes good and it's very simple to use. Throw it in a single infusion mash and you are good to go. Flaked wheat is unmalted and pre-gelatinized so it's perfect for a single infusion mash. No need to mess with a cereal mash.

Congrats on the wins Speyedr!!!

[Brewbear]

Great show Doc!!!
Would you consider doing a show opposite Jamil? That way we would benefit from the Jamil show and the following week we would have the Doc show. That would be awsome. Double the info, double the fun
Will you consider posting a wit recipe for the extract brewers in the crowd?

Thanks,
Brewbear

[joques]

Doc, thanks for the reply!

[Speyedr]

Nice!

I like that you used Cascade in the hop bill. I'm going to try that in the next batch and try to exploit the citrus character of the Cascade.

It's based on the Celis White clone from Beer Captured, hence the American influence...