Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Wheat varieties  (Read 2298 times)

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Wheat varieties
« on: January 31, 2014, 06:48:05 am »
Anyone know what kind of raw wheat is preferred for brewing? Homebrew shops usually have wheat berries labeled white and red. But my local baking shop has red and white, winter and spring, hard and soft. For baking, hard spring has the highest protein (gluten) and usually becomes bread flour. Hard winter has lower protein, usually becomes all purpose flour. Soft wheat is cake and pastry flour. Red vs white affects flavor and color more than protein I believe.
 
Anyone know which is preferred for brewing?
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2014, 07:08:39 am »
This is from memory, a long time ago, but I think Celis used soft red winter wheat. Do you have Brewing With Wheat by Heironymus?

Google found this.
http://byo.com/belgian-and-french-ale/item/328-brewing-with-wheat
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2014, 07:16:51 am »
No, I should get that one. The bookshelf's getting crowded!
 
The club used hard red wheat in a beer several years ago. It was a pain to mill!
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2014, 07:18:20 am »
Of course ...
 
Quote
Clear enough, but things are never so simple: The terms are not used worldwide. In Western Europe the term “hard” wheat refers to durum wheats, which are grown for pasta production. “Soft” wheats are any cultivars of a common genus, Triticum aestivum. Elsewhere, the terms are understood to mark distinctions within T. aestivum.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2014, 07:41:18 am »
The Brewing With Wheat book was a good read and highly recommended. Stan is a great beer writer.

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3778
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2014, 08:14:22 am »
I am probably wrong but I thought winter wheat was always red and spring is white?

I prefer using red wheat in beer because I think it has better flavor than white wheat. It's cheaper at the local specialty grocer than the LHBS. What I get sure isn't soft going through the mill but I'm not sure if it's actually labeled soft or hard.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2014, 08:38:26 am »
I am probably wrong but I thought winter wheat was always red and spring is white?

I prefer using red wheat in beer because I think it has better flavor than white wheat. It's cheaper at the local specialty grocer than the LHBS. What I get sure isn't soft going through the mill but I'm not sure if it's actually labeled soft or hard.

It is just when it is planted, either can be red or white, hard or soft.
http://sustainableseedco.com/soft-white-winter-wheat/
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline chumley

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1208
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2014, 10:15:18 am »
I use soft white low protein winter wheat that I source from a buddy of mine who is an eastern Montana wheat farmer.  It is easy to mill, and the low protein content results in a crystal clear beer.

I occasionally make an all-Montana summer blonde that is 65% Malt Europ 2-row, 35% said winter wheat, and homegrown Cascade hops that is tough to beat for a lawnmower beer.  I do a two-step cereal mash and the beer is brilliantly clear.

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Wheat varieties
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2014, 10:54:55 am »
That low vs high protein point makes sense. So high protein wheat might be better for a hazy beer like hefe or wit.
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958