Malted wheat vs chicken feed

[MashBag]

The cost of grain, has got me thinking... Should I use unmalted wheat instead of malted.

Malted wheat comes at a premium for me.
£30 a sack & 25kg is too much of I as I only use 500g per brew.

Wheat £7. Always available fresh.

What can I expect as a flavour difference? When it's in a grain bill with 4kg of pale malt?

 

[Agentgonzo]

The cost of grain, has got me thinking... Should I use unmalted wheat instead of malted.

Malted wheat comes at a premium for me.
£30 a sack & 25kg is too much of I as I only use 500g per brew.

Wheat £7. Always available fresh.

What can I expect as a flavour difference? When it's in a grain bill with 4kg of pale malt?

Some recipes (eg witbier) use unmalted wheat. I've never tried it though

 

[Clint]

Don't use animal grade feed.

 

[scomet]

Don't use wheat at all (I hate the taste) problem solved.
Re malted vs un-malted, I always understood you couldn't use un-malted grain as un-malted ‘starch’ wouldn't convert to fermentable sugars?
A good friend (scientist) decided to live the life and go pro brewing; all their beers are produced using un-malted local grain and they are killing it both with the locals and awards + they don't use any enzymes, its all Black Art!!
ps Their Beers are all amazeballs but maybe a little lacking in body imho. Oh and chicken feed, I’d leave that for the chooks :-}

 

[Nashbrew]

The cost of grain, has got me thinking... Should I use unmalted wheat instead of malted.

Malted wheat comes at a premium for me.
£30 a sack & 25kg is too much of I as I only use 500g per brew.

Wheat £7. Always available fresh.

What can I expect as a flavour difference? When it's in a grain bill with 4kg of pale malt?

I'd say go for it Mash the feed is 100% wheat with no additives, what's to loose.?

 

[Agentgonzo]

Re malted vs un-malted, I always understood you couldn't use un-malted grain as un-malted ‘starch’ wouldn't convert to fermentable sugars?

You can use un-malted grains, provided that you also use some malted grains (which contain the enzymes to break down the starch) in the mash as well.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I'm now wondering what the difference between animal-grade and food-grade wheat is.

 

[Sadfield]

The squits?

I think from watching Clarkson's Farm, anything that falls out of specification for malting and milling. Too much moisture during or after harvest, has already sprouted etc. After that there's probably a lack of processing, so may contain mould, debris, other seeds, etc.

 

[MashBag]

Don't worry about the grain, it's milling wheat from the farmer next door.

 

[MashBag]

I'm now wondering what the difference between animal-grade and food-grade wheat is.

Processing imo

 

[dad_of_jon]

The squits?

 

[Birdsnestbrewery]

Don't use wheat at all (I hate the taste) problem solved.
Re malted vs un-malted, I always understood you couldn't use un-malted grain as un-malted ‘starch’ wouldn't convert to fermentable sugars?
A good friend (scientist) decided to live the life and go pro brewing; all their beers are produced using un-malted local grain and they are killing it both with the locals and awards + they don't use any enzymes, its all Black Art!!
ps Their Beers are all amazeballs but maybe a little lacking in body imho. Oh and chicken feed, I’d leave that for the chooks :-}

That sounds impossible. As @Agentgonzo said, you need to use some malted grain in order to get the enzymes to convert the starches into sugar. Or maybe they're adding sugar directly!

 

[Jim Brewster]

If you're adding it in small quantities for head retention the difference will be less noticeable than in a wit vs a weiss where it's very noticeable. I would think unmalted wheat might cause cloudiness potentially.

 

[MashBag]

Good point. I think unmalted wheat has a dirty(earthy) taste that isn't to my liking.



It is 4kg maris otter 500g Malted wheat
The other options are porridge or nothing of course.

 

[lmbollinger]

Animal feed will have some impurities (i.e. there will be some non-wheat seeds, more chaff, etc). There might be a slight favor difference between malted and unmalted wheat but I don’t know how much this will show up at 0.5kg in your particular recipe.

Check the total diastatic power of your grain bill to make sure it will convert (or and some amylase if needed). With the amount listed, I expect you’ll have sufficient power unless you’re using a lot of caramel or roasted malts.

 

[MashBag]

A good working ratio is 50% malted barley, so I think I am well in for diastatic power. I have no idea what the effect ofn the taste profile will be tho.

 

[scomet]

You can use un-malted grains, provided that you also use some malted grains (which contain the enzymes to break down the starch) in the mash as well.

https://www.luckybaybrewing.com.auUse all un-malted grains from local growers, I asked which enzymes they use and was told categorically 'None' its their closely guarded secret + they have won plenty of awards.
ps Lucky Bay was voted one of the 10 best beaches in the world, looks fabulous but the water is SO cold - Cheers

 

[scomet]

I'm now wondering what the difference between animal-grade and food-grade wheat is.

About -$85% per tonne, usually caused by too little early rain or too much late rain causing stunted growth and low proteins or the latter rust etc. Cheers Scomet

 

[Sadfield]

Use all un-malted grains from local growers.

All would be 100%. There website states.

"So we ventured into the world of beer science and after years of beer crafting we pioneered how to create tasty craft beers using up to 75% raw barley."

10% distilling malt would do it.

https://crispmalt.com/malts/high-diastatic-power-hdp-malt/
Science!

I like it as an idea though.