For the love of Wheat!

[The Idiot]

So, as far as I can see there are three occasions when drinking in the morning is mandatory. Yes, there are plenty more times when it's acceptable, but I think people must drink at an unfeasibly early hour if they're: a) in an airport; b) doing a long slow meat smoking session; c) brewday and have some on-the-go brews which need analysis.

I was involved in a session of C while I was brewing a Saison recently. Following an experimental Saison using Au35 hops, I decided to give it a go using Nelson Sauvin. The grain bill was 4kg Bohemian Pilsner, 1kg Wheat, 0.5kg Maris Otter and 0.25kg Acid Malt. The yeast was a blend of Yeast Bay Saison Blend (WLP4007) and Belgian Saison II (WLP566). Hops were Nelson Sauvin.

I'd just had a grain delivery so it was a simple case of opening a 4kg bag of Bohemian Pilsner, a 1kg bag of wheat and using a remnant of MO and Acid Malt. It was nice not to think, because I'd sampled a selection of aging Bretts and had a 6am buzz!

The brew went well, and within a few days the fermentor was bubbling away. Then job, as they say, was a good one.

My next brew day, a few weeks later, was to put together a Sacc Trois IPA. With the HLT heating up, I started to put together the grain bill. It was a mix of Bohemian Pilsner, Wheat Malt and Munich Malt. The only problem was I couldn't find the Wheat malt. My stock list showed I had 4kg somewhere, but I was buggered if I could find it. I searched the brewery, then searched the house, but with no luck. I even asked the wife to sanity-check me. We went through the stock list and everything was there apart from the Wheat malt. Then she said, 'What's that, in the container?'

I explained it was Bohemian Pilsner which I'd already weighed out. She asked if I'd taken it off the list and I told her I hadn't; I'd only just weighed it out before I couldn't find the Wheat malt. After a confusing few minutes, the reality dawned on me. The grain delivery had included 9kg of Bohemian Pilsner, bagged as 4kg and 5kg lots, as well as 4kg of Wheat malt. I also had a 1kg bag of Wheat malt from another delivery. However, I still had a sealed bag of 5kg Pilsner, and 1kg left in a 4Kg bag I'd just opened. I pulled the crap out of the bin and sorted through the bags. There, dated as per the recent delivery was a 4Kg bag marked Wheat Malt. Had I really made a Saison with 5Kg Wheat, 0.5 MO and 0.25 Acid malt?

I pulled a sample. It was straw coloured, just like a wheat heavy beer. I sniffed the sample. It was a mix of tropical fruit and Weetabix. I tasted it...

Dry, tart and spicy, it carried the Nelson Sauvin grapefruitishness as an undertone. It was refreshing despite being room temperature and flat. It had a zing which my other Saisons have never come close to. My regrets dissolved as I tried to imagine just how good it might be when finished. My head span as I thought of all the beers I could try with a core wheat element.

Despite all the stupid things I've tried, I wouldn't have considered making a beer with a just under 90 per cent Wheat grain bill. There was no stuck mash, no fermentability issues, and the product was fantastic, albeit unfinished. Now I find myself working back through all my recipes, assessing which can be converted to a Wheat-heavy alternative.

Wheat; it's the future (well, at least for a few more brew days).

 

[chthon]

What do you use for brewing? I would think that a mash with mostly wheat malt really looks different from one containing barley husks...

Well, the result is nice to know. I might in the future also brew again something which contains more wheat malt.

 

[An Ankoù]

I was involved in a session of C while I was brewing a Saison recently. Following an experimental Saison using Au35 hops, I decided to give it a go using Nelson Sauvin. The grain bill was 4kg Bohemian Pilsner, 1kg Wheat, 0.5kg Maris Otter and 0.25kg Acid Malt. The yeast was a blend of Yeast Bay Saison Blend (WLP4007) and Belgian Saison II (WLP566). Hops were Nelson Sauvin.

I'd just had a grain delivery so it was a simple case of opening a 4kg bag of Bohemian Pilsner, a 1kg bag of wheat and using a remnant of MO and Acid Malt. It was nice not to think, because I'd sampled a selection of aging Bretts and had a 6am buzz!

I pulled a sample. It was straw coloured, just like a wheat heavy beer. I sniffed the sample. It was a mix of tropical fruit and Weetabix. I tasted it...

Dry, tart and spicy, it carried the Nelson Sauvin grapefruitishness as an undertone. It was refreshing despite being room temperature and flat. It had a zing which my other Saisons have never come close to. My regrets dissolved as I tried to imagine just how good it might be when finished. My head span as I thought of all the beers I could try with a core wheat element.

Despite all the stupid things I've tried, I wouldn't have considered making a beer with a just under 90 per cent Wheat grain bill. There was no stuck mash, no fermentability issues, and the product was fantastic, albeit unfinished. Now I find myself working back through all my recipes, assessing which can be converted to a Wheat-heavy alternative.

Wheat; it's the future (well, at least for a few more brew days).

Sounds brilliant and inspiring. I've got some wheat malt that needs using up and some spelt malt, too. Also the leftovers of N. Sauvin from my Punk IPA (I prefer the Pony Club). So I can feel a Saison coming on.

 

[The Idiot]

What do you use for brewing? I would think that a mash with mostly wheat malt really looks different from one containing barley husks...

I use a converted Igloo box for the mash; it looked normal enough to me. That said, I wasn't on the lookout for any issues so can't really say I paid it any attention!

 

[strange-steve]

Interesting post and welcome back @The ***** :hat:

 

[dwhite60]

I love wheat malt. It adds something special to beer. It lightens the color, improves head retention, and I like the flavor. Only downside is it can make your beers a little cloudier than a pure barley malt beer.

Most every brew I do has some wheat in it, from 5 to 50 percent. I've done a couple pushing 60 percent. As I'm BIAB there is no stuck sparge.

I've been tempted to try a "wheat wine" with like 80% wheat malt. I've seen a few recipes for this but just haven't tried it.

Those who haven't tried some white wheat malt owe it to themselves to try it.

 

[Pennine]

that saison should have a nice twang from that amount of wheat.

and the fourth reason to drink in the morning, giving a beer a good tasting.

 

[dwhite60]

that saison should have a nice twang from that amount of wheat.

and the fourth reason to drink in the morning, giving a beer a good tasting.

For honest evaluation you need to do it before the tastebuds have been overwhelmed by other chemicals. At least that's what I tell the wife.

 

[krispn]

Great story even more so when a happy accident works out - At least that's what my folks say... hang on a minute!!!!