Beer Forum

So I used basically Doc's recipe for a wit, but instead of White Wheat (which is malted right?). I used flaked wheat, with the adjunct mash (apparently you don’t' have to boil flaked wheat, but "too late now"). I've got a real grainy character and not too much of that wheat taste. Definitely not what I was shooting for, but the color is awesome. About the only place I can find unmalted wheat (not at a grocery) is at http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdBySubCat.aspx?SubCat=1115
which seems odd since it’s an integral part of the wit style. What can I do in the next brew? Am I missing something about unmalted wheat? I also fermented a little low 67°F could that be masking some of the wheat flavor (seems like it would amplify it w/o the yeast esters/phenols).

I also used a potato peeler with my citrusy fruit and didn’t' get much aroma at all in the finished product (I added the peels of about 8 different kinds of oranges at about 2.5min left in the boil). I usually don't get much hop aroma from my later additions either, I don’t' know if this is related.

Well anyway there are my problems with that beer and now I know how Justin feels with all those great brewers knowing how many mistakes are possible in one beer.

i just tasted my wit. DO NOT add the zest of a lemon. fruit here is slim pickins, i added the zest of 4 oragnges and 1 lemon. it is a citrus fruit. it's just a lemon wit now. talk about a little pucker.... experience is the best teacher.

White wheat is NOT malted, unless it says malted... it is not cooked either, hense the cereal mash.
Flaked wheat is also NOT malted but the flaking process cooks it so a cereal mash is not needed.
For a Wit you do not want malted wheat.
Hope this clarifies (not the beer though)
BUB

Bub what I think I'm going to do is try again and if I can't get a hold of any unmalted wheat from the hippie store then I'm going to go with a good deal of malted wheat. Which is what is in Doc's second version of the wit recipe and replace about 15% (per Doc's recommendation) with flaked wheat.

You could try torrified wheat, too. Same amount, if used for head retention. It's unmalted, but heat converted, so you can add it directly to the mash. I've used about 1/2 pound for 5.5 gal. batch, but they tell me 1/4 lb is sufficient.

chip