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BIAB Wheat Wit

BigMikeT34

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I've started moving from extract to BIAB. I've had really good results - until I tried a Belgian Wit. My 2 attempts were sour. I did similar versions with extract, and no problems, and I don't think sanitation is the issue.

In looking through BS, I found a newsletter on BIAB. At the end, it stated, "finally, if you are brewing a beer high in non-barley adjuncts such as flaked wheat, BIAB may not be the best option."

I did my BIAB Mash at 153 deg and had 4.8 lbs (~45%) of flaked wheat in them.

3 questions, why can't flaked wheat be used in BIAB? Is that the cause for the sour beer? If yes, what can I do vs going back to extract?

Any suggestions are appreciated!
 
Wheat extract is made from malted wheat, not wheat flakes. Wheat flakes are like rolled oats. 

Use the flaked wheat for breakfast cereal and buy some wheat malt. Not flakes. Not torrified. Wheat malt.

For example: http://morebeer.com/products/white-wheat-malt.html

You'll likely have to choose between white, red, or Bohemian.  Bought the Bohemian. Don't recall exactly why. I think there was a difference in kernel size or something.

My last beer was a whit. Used half pale and half wheat. Came out pretty good. Not too keen on the yeast, but the wheat flavor is there. Wasn't sour at all.

When mashing with wheat it's not a bad idea to add some rice hulls.  Post grind of course. Wheat has gluten in it which can turn a mash into a gooey mess of a stuck sparge. Learned that one the hard way.
 
Thanks so much for the info! I shall definitely try malted wheat. In winter, I likes me some hot oatmeal for breakfast!

I've read that for BIAB, there's no need to add rice hulls as the bag is the filter and therefore less of a chance for a stuck sparge. Should I still add - just in case?

Also, what yeast were you not so keen on?

Thanks again!




 
In addition to gluten, the wheat doesn't have much in the way of its own hulls. I'd use some rice hulls anyway. Wouldn't hurt, and they're cheap.

Lallemand brand Munich Wheat was what I used. It was dry, not liquid.  The finished beer smelled terrible when it went into the keg. I mean terrible. I was afraid to try it, but it turned out OK.
 
I've got to say that the wheat brew, and the wheat yeast imparted flavors, is starting to grow on me. Like a rash.

No, seriously, it's not that bad.  This is my first time using a yeast that is specifically for wheat beers, so maybe it's a more my getting used to something different than the yeast imparting an unpleasant flavor.
 
Maine Homebrewer said:
I've got to say that the wheat brew, and the wheat yeast imparted flavors, is starting to grow on me. Like a rash.

No, seriously, it's not that bad.  This is my first time using a yeast that is specifically for wheat beers, so maybe it's a more my getting used to something different than the yeast imparting an unpleasant flavor.

Same experience here! In addition I made a mistake the second time and bought flaked oat in stead of flaked wheat in a recipe that contained 50% of it. It smelled awfull, it tasted "special" and slightly sour the first 2 weeks and after 4 weeks it turned out to be a great beer and the summer favourite of everyone here.
 
I'm not a wheat fan at all.  Don't know why.  I guess I never Caught that rash, Slurk... ;)
 
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