I would like to make a Weisse Beer for the summer using wheat malt extract. To enhance the flavor, is it possible to use crushed pale wheat for steeping (ala NB’s “speciality grains” in their extract kits)? If so, what is the proper temperture for wheat steeping? Is it worth it?
Thanks-
-Rich
Wheat malt has the enzymes to convert it’s starches to sugars the yeast can chomp on.
You might try mashing 1lb with 2qt of water inside a paint strainer bag, in a pitcher, placed inside a water cooler to help maintain the temp. 30-60 minutes. Place the bag inside a colander and recirculate the water over the grain. Then rinse with some fresh ~160df water, 2 more quarts.
Then add the extract to this water and proceed as usual.
Thanks for the reply, Nighthawk. I will try that!
-Rich
I am planning a doing the same thing on as American Wheat extract kit.
Will adding the additional grains either by steeping or the the mash technique effect the original gravity?
1lb of wheat will give you ~1.005 points in 5 gallons @ 70% efficiency.
The process I described is what I do to make a starter. Only I use 1.5lbs of grain to reach ~1.040
So it will effect alcohol content only slightly. But will effect taste and color slightly ( my goal)?
It may give a little fresher taste? If you can taste something like that 
Color? I doubt it will make any change in the darkness of the beer.
I was planning on adding 1/2# of Chocolate Wheat and 1/2# Dark Wheat to a mash or steep.
I was looking to add a little character to a simple light wheat beer.
Thanks for your past and future input.
I thought you were asking about white/red wheat.
Through the roasting process, the enzymes were probably killed off. So you will get little to no starch conversion with the chocolate and dark wheat. But they will add to your color and flavor more so than the others.
If you added a pound of 2row or white wheat you will get the starch conversion.
Ok, thanks Nighthawk.
I was just looking to dress up the beer a bit but keep it light for everyone else who will drinking it.
I myself would like a little bigger wheat but this one is for the commercial beer drinkers.
Any suggestions for bigger wheat for a latter date? I am not a huge hoppy after taste fan even though I prefer modestly heavy beers.
[quote=“jmarv”]I was planning on adding 1/2# of Chocolate Wheat and 1/2# Dark Wheat to a mash or steep.
I was looking to add a little character to a simple light wheat beer.
Thanks for your past and future input.[/quote]Adding a half pound of chocolate wheat will do more than add a little character, it will make it more like a wheat porter, which actually sounds pretty tasty.
I agree with Glug Master. If you want a little character, go for 2-4oz of the chocolate. In an extract I would just steep it in a pint of water. You could rinse it with another pint if you wanted.
Do you have any brewing software to put the recipe in to see what kind of color change may happen?
If not, check out Qbrew. It’s free and a good start.
Thanks, I will check it out to see how adding a little wheat will effect my final brew.
