Arabella Franco
Wheat malt does need to be ground before it can be used to make beer. However, the process is referred to as crushing the malt, rather than grinding it. This process strips the husks from the kernel, leaving them as intact as possible, and crushes the kernels themselves into a coarse grist that exposes the starches to the diastatic enzymes. The grain is usually crushed at the point of sale, but homebrewers can also crush their malt at home using a roller mill, food processor, or coffee grinder.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does wheat malt need to be grinded for making beer? | Yes, wheat malt needs to be crushed or ground for making beer. |
| How fine should the wheat malt be ground? | The wheat malt should be cracked into roughly quarters with the husk almost entirely intact. |
| What happens if wheat malt is not ground? | If wheat malt is not ground, it will be difficult to extract the starches, sugars, and enzymes inside the grain. |
| What equipment can be used to grind wheat malt? | A grain mill, coffee grinder, magic bullet, rolling pin, or food processor can be used to grind wheat malt. |
What You'll Learn
Wheat malt needs to be crushed, not ground
The grain should be cracked into roughly quarters, with the husk almost entirely intact but separated from the grain. This can be achieved with a roller mill, which is what most commercial breweries use. There are also plate mills, such as a Corona or Victoria, that can be purchased relatively cheaply.
If you are using wheat malt in your beer, it is important to note that wheat lacks the thick barley husk, so it absorbs water more quickly and steeping times are shorter. Wheat malt is also relatively less modified than barley malt, and kilning is done at lower temperatures.
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Wheat malt is usually bought pre-crushed
If you want to malt your own wheat, you will need whole, unhulled grains, water, and a bit of patience. The process should take two to three days. The first step is to wash the wheat, and then it needs to be soaked in water for around eight hours. After this, the wheat is drained and left to rest for another eight hours, before being soaked again for a final eight hours. At this point, the wheat should be showing signs of sprouting, with small white buttons or "chits" on the bottom of the kernel. The wheat is then drained and spread out in a wide, shallow container to sprout. This usually takes about three days, and the wheat should be spritzed with water occasionally to keep it moist.
Once the sprouts are 75-100% the length of the wheat kernel, it is time to dry the malt. This can be done in a food dehydrator, an oven, or in the sun. The malt is dried at a low temperature of 95-110°F (35-43°C) until it is crunchy to the bite and tastes slightly sweet.
While it is possible to malt your own wheat, it is a time-consuming process, and wheat malt is usually bought pre-crushed.
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Crushing wheat malt at home can be done with a roller mill
Wheat malt does need to be crushed before brewing beer, and this can be done at home with a roller mill.
- Purchase uncrushed or whole wheat malt: Wheat malt that has not been crushed has a longer shelf life than crushed malt. By crushing the malt yourself, you can ensure freshness and maximise flavour.
- Invest in a roller mill: A roller mill is specifically designed to crush grains while keeping the husks mostly intact. This is important to maintain the quality of the final beer.
- Adjust the roller mill settings: Different types of malt require different settings on the roller mill. For wheat malt, a finer crush is usually recommended, but be careful not to pulverise the grain into flour.
- Crush the wheat malt: Feed the wheat malt into the roller mill according to the manufacturer's instructions. Collect the crushed malt in a container.
- Store the crushed wheat malt: It is best to use the crushed malt as soon as possible. However, if you need to store it, keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until you are ready to brew.
By crushing wheat malt at home with a roller mill, you can achieve the desired consistency while maintaining the integrity of the husks. This process allows you to customise your brew and experiment with different grain varieties to create unique and flavourful beers.
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Wheat malt can be used for up to 50% of the grain bill
Wheat malt takes extra preparation when brewing since it is smaller in size than standard malts. Brewers may need to adjust the gap on their mill when crushing wheat malt, or resort to using a blender. A protein rest is also recommended when brewing with wheat malt (~120°F for 20 minutes), and if the grain bill has more than 25% wheat malt, it is advisable to add rice hulls to prevent a stuck mash.
Wheat malt is traditionally used in beers like Hefeweizen, Bavarian Weisse, and Wizens, where it makes up 40-60% of the grain bill. Wheat malt can also be used in extract brewing as a steeping grain, and adding a small percentage (3-5%) of wheat malt to grain bills can aid in head retention and body.
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Wheat malt can be dried in an oven at a low temperature
The process of malting involves steeping the grains in water to initiate germination, and then halting the process by drying the grains. This can be done using hot air or by roasting the grains in an oven. The correct terminology for this structure is a "malt kiln" or "grain dryer", rather than a "malting oven". The distinction is important because a "malting oven" implies that the malt is made directly in the oven by roasting the barley, which is not accurate.
When drying malt, it is crucial to have a permeable floor for the wet grain to lie on, allowing warm air to pass through the grain bed. The fire should not be lit directly beneath the grain, but rather at a distance, with a long flue to convey warm air to the kiln. This prevents sparks from reaching the almost dry grain and ensures gentle, slow drying over several days.
Malt kilns do not typically have chimneys and are constructed with a wide opening at the top. The temperature for drying malt should be around 55 °C (131 °F). Higher temperatures will kill the malt and destroy the enzymes needed for starch conversion.
In summary, wheat malt can be successfully dried in an oven at low temperatures, but care must be taken to control the temperature and ensure proper airflow to avoid damaging the malt.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the grain needs to be crushed to extract the starches, sugars, and enzymes inside. However, it is important to note that the wheat should be "cracked" rather than "ground" to a flour-like consistency, as this can cause clogging.
The wheat grain should be cracked into roughly quarters, with the husk almost entirely intact but separated from the grain. This process can be done using a roller mill.
Wheat lends a soft, crisp flavor to beer and works well as a background for additions of berries and other fruits. Wheat beers are often hazy with proteins and offer a distinct contrast to brightly filtered beers. Wheat also enhances foam stability, creating a better, longer-lasting head on the beer.
