Flaked Wheat in a Witbier

[hurleyci]

So, was hoping to make a witbier on Saturday, but when I was ordering I ordered 3 kg of malted wheat and 3kg of flaked wheat. I have since been told that flaked wheat should only make up 5-10% of the grist. Could anyone have a look at my recipe below and gimme some advice?! I can't increase my malted barleys cos this is all I got. I could increase oatmeal and sugar, but I really don't want to!

I'm basically wondering if I can just go with this amount of flaked wheat or will it produce something un-drinkble? As you can see, we make pretty big batches so I don't wanna end up with 60L of shitbier!

[DEMPSEY]

I am out and about ATM but if you check the diastatic power of the unmalted wheat it will have none. So you will have some enzymes from the malted wheat but not enough to help convert the starch from the unmalted stuff.

[mr hoppy]

I did a wit with 45 pils 45 flaked wheat, oats and acid malt last year like tube describes. Worked out pretty well. I did step mash though (might have been a protein rest at 55?), and don't forget the oat hulls - you'll need plenty. Also good not too let the mash temp get too high so it doesn't become too heavy.

100% Malted and unmalted wheat would be unusual for a wit.

Looking at this I'm not sure the step mash was necessary.
http://beersmith.com/blog/2013/09/06/cereal-mash-steps-for-all-grain-beer-brewing/

[hurleyci]

Ok, thanks, but another questio about the mash, this is our first all grain batch, having just bought a 60L mash tun. We were going to do a step mash, protein rest @ 50, saccharification at 64.5 and mash out at 75.5.

We don't have the ability to raise the temp without adding boiling water though, so we now have the dilemna of just doing two out of the three steps, or doughing in with a really low volume of water. I used this site to calculate the volumes that would be needed for a 3 step mash: http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

The three step would involve adding the 13kg of grain to 19.5L water @ 61C to rest at 50C, then add 10L boiling water to rest at 64.5 and finally add 16L boiling water to rest at 75.5C. This will bring us pretty much to the limit of our mash tun.

So, my question is, are we better to do the 3 step mash with the small initial volume, or are we better to just do 2 of the three steps? And if only two steps, should we leave out the protein rest of the mash out?

We don't have any rice hulls either!

[mr hoppy]

I'd be guessing mash out isn't critical if you're sparging soon after. Mash out is more to stop enzyme activity, by raising temperatures - so if you're raising the temp through sparging and boiling soon after you should be fine to do without it.

[hurleyci]

Ok, I was told that mash out can help with stuck sparges though? Which could be a problem seeing as we aint got no rice hulls!

[mr hoppy]

I would get rice or oat hulls before you do this brew.

THBC had oat hulls last time I checked.

[imark]

You could reduce your batch size and follow the mash schedule. If you're using a good false bottom you can do this without hulls.

[hurleyci]

Just in case anyone comes across this looking for advice on the same thing, USE HULLS!!!!!

Nightmare brew day yesterday, went on for 12 hours and incorporated so many problems, from crushing wheat wit a sledgehammer, to stuck sparges, to faulty elements! Absolute nightmare!

[mr hoppy]

No hulls on HBC site at moment. :-(

[alealex]

Hop an Grape has it.
Price is mad but the only one.
This summer I"ll follow the tractor or combine on the field to collect some 

[hurleyci]

They are essential. I currently never want to touch wheat again!

[RichC]

You cold always just go BIAB to avoid stuck mashes

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