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?
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.
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.
[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.