Head Retention

[DEMPSEY]

Taste on beer apparently,some reckon that the wheat flavour comes through in the finished beer,and if that's what you want,heh.

[irish_goat]

not sure how noticeable wheat is in that small quantity.

That's kind of what I was thinking yeah.

[biertourist]

I believe flaked wheat is pre-gelatinized - like flaked oats. So its added to bump your numbers, add more body and a different flavour - like adding porridge to your wits.
Also from a quick browse around - it would appear to be primarily used in Belgians.

http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/Flaked-Wheat-p3101.htm

Yep, that's exactly right.  Flaked wheat has been gelatinized and crushed through the flaking process.  It is UNMALTED wheat, though and will add starch so it really must be mashed. -It's not for the extract brewer.

Torrified is very, VERY similar as its also unmalted wheat but it's been gelatinized and it's starch structure exploded from fast cooking ala high heat. -Again also adds starch so use in the mash only.

You'll see these two types of wheat recommended in Belgian Wit beer recipes because you don't have to do a separate cereal mash to gelatinize the wheat separately; old school Wit recipes would have you use raw wheat and then cook it separately up to it's geleatinization temp and then add it back to the main mash for conversion.  -Actually technically, this wouldn't be a "Cereal mash" because there's no enzymes so disregard that term; it's reserved for US brewing with corn in a separate pot where you HAVE added enough super high enzyme base malt (or commercial enzyme) to do the conversion for you.


"Carafoam" is another option if you want to use all malt.

Dry hopping adds more proteins that can aid head retention.

Some yeast strains have a gene that's known to dramatically help head formation & retention, too but I think they're all lager strains.

The real question is why aren't you getting a significant head as it is without these things? -Are you doing a protein rest?  Using all very low protein malt like Marris Otter?  Using glassware that's been cleaned with detergents?  Something introducing oils somewhere in your process? (Regardless many, many American pale ales and IPAs have a small addition of flaked wheat to help head retention because consumers DO overwhelmingly prefer beers with a nice head.


Adam

[biertourist]

I think flavour has something to do with that, and mouthfeel. The carapils etc. add dextrins automatically, whereas with wheat you can choose the mash temperatures to suit the sugars you want.

Also, crystal and wheat malts taste different (though not sure how noticeable wheat is in that small quantity).

Some new (not even that new any more) studies have pretty much proven that dextrins are actually not responsible for mouthfeel.

Although it's possible that the dextrins later bind to peptides and create substances that ARE responsible for mouth feel... http://brewochemistry.blogspot.com/2011/08/thoughts-on-mash-temperature-limit.html


Adam

[Will_D]

Hi Adam

Great to have you on-board. Was really missingy your in-depth technical discussions.

Now about this hopped cider?  Must give it a try!!

A few years ago in Holland I was quaffing an Apple Weissen beer. A light hefe weissen cut through with sharp green apple juice - very delicious and very mooorish