Malted Wheat: The Magic Behind Delicious Beer

Wheat malt is the second most common malted grain used in brewing, after barley malt. Wheat beers are light in colour and hazy in appearance, offering a crisp and refreshing taste.

To malt wheat for beer, you will need raw wheat, water, and a bit of patience. First, weigh out the amount of wheat you want to start with. Next, wash the wheat by placing it in a container, filling it with water, letting it sit for a minute, skimming off any floating debris, and then draining. Repeat this process a few times. Then, soak the wheat by placing it in a container with a lid and filling it with water about 2 inches above the wheat. Let it sit at room temperature for about 8 hours. After soaking, drain the wheat and put it back into the container to sit for another 8 hours. Repeat this process of soaking and resting for a total of three times.

After the final soak, the wheat should start to show signs of sprouting, with a small white button or chit on the bottom of the kernel. At this point, drain the wheat and spread it out in a wide shallow container to sprout. Cover the container and let it sit at room temperature for about 3 days, spritzing the wheat with water occasionally to keep it moist.

Once the wheat has sprouted, it is ready to be dried. There are several methods for drying wheat, including using a food dehydrator, an oven, or the sun. The key is to maintain a low temperature of around 95-125°F to dry the wheat thoroughly.

Once the wheat is dried, it is ready to be used in your beer-making process.

Cleaning and washing the wheat

The first step in malting wheat for beer is to clean and wash the wheat. This process helps to remove any dirt, debris, or contaminants from the wheat grains before they are soaked and germinated. Here is a detailed guide on how to clean and wash wheat for malting:

Begin by sourcing your wheat grains. It is important to use raw, unhulled wheat grains for malting. Look for soft wheat berries, as they are much better for homebrewing than hard wheat. Health food stores are a good place to find soft wheat berries.

Once you have your wheat grains, place them in a large container or bucket. The container should be clean and free of any debris or residue. Fill the container with cool, clean water, ensuring that the wheat grains are completely submerged. You can use spring water or dechlorinated tap water for this step.

Let the wheat grains soak in the water for 8 hours. This step helps to rehydrate the grains and initiate the germination process. After the first soak, drain the water and spread the moist grains out to air-dry for another 8 hours. During this time, the grains should not be covered with water, as they require oxygen to sprout.

After the initial 8-hour drying period, fill the container with water again and soak the wheat grains for another 8 hours. This second soaking will further stimulate the germination process.

At this point, you can optionally rinse the grains with water two to three times (or more) per day, draining off all water each time. This helps to keep the grains moist while preventing mould from forming.

After the second soaking, you may begin to see rootlets or "chits" emerging from the wheat kernels. These rootlets indicate that the wheat is beginning to sprout and that the cleaning and washing process is complete.

It is important to note that the timing mentioned above may vary slightly depending on the temperature of the water and the ambient temperature. Warmer temperatures may require shorter soaking and drying times, while cooler temperatures may require longer periods.

Once the cleaning and washing process is complete, you can move on to the next steps in the malting process, such as sprouting and drying the wheat grains.

Soaking the wheat

Place the washed wheat in a container with a lid that has enough room to hold the wheat filled with water about 2 inches above the wheat. It will expand a little so leave a little extra room. To give you an idea of size, 5 pounds of wheat takes up about 3 quarts of space. Cover the container and let it sit at room temperature for about 8 hours. Most guides will say that 8 hours is a must, and it is what you should aim for. However, if you miss the 8-hour mark, it is not the end of the world. Soaks that have lasted between 6 and 12 hours will also work without a noticeable change.

After the first 8-hour soak, drain the wheat and put the drained but still wet wheat back into the container and let it sit for another 8 hours or so. After this resting period, fill the container with the wheat and water again in the same manner as before and let it sit again for 8 hours.

The soaking process is important as it helps to initiate the germination process. The wheat will absorb water, which will allow it to sprout. However, it is important to not soak the wheat for longer than 8 hours at a time without a rest, as the kernels might "drown" and never sprout.

Sprouting the wheat

To malt wheat for beer, you'll need to sprout the wheat. Here's a detailed, step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Washing

Washing the wheat is optional but recommended. Simply place the wheat in a container, fill it with water, let it sit for a minute, skim any floating debris off the top, and then drain the water. Repeat this process a couple of times to ensure the wheat is clean.

Step 2: Soaking

Place the wheat in a container with a lid and add enough water to cover the wheat by about 2 inches. Let the wheat soak for 8 hours. After soaking, drain the water and leave the wet wheat in the container, uncovered, for another 8 hours.

Step 3: Second Soak

After the resting period, fill the container with water again and let the wheat soak for another 8 hours. This extended soaking time helps to activate the wheat, encouraging it to sprout.

Step 4: Draining and Sprouting

After the second 8-hour soak, drain the wheat. At this point, you should start to see signs of sprouting. Look for small white buttons or "chits" on the bottom of the kernels—these are the emerging roots. Transfer the drained but still wet wheat to a wide, shallow container for sprouting. Spread the wheat out to a thickness of about 1-3 inches. The thinner the layer, the easier it will be to manage during the sprouting process.

Step 5: Sprouting

Cover the container and let the wheat sit at room temperature for about 3 days. Spritz the wheat with water occasionally to keep it moist, and stir it regularly to ensure even sprouting. Wheat tends to sprout faster on the bottom, so stirring helps to promote even growth. After a day or so, you should see rootlets and small sprouts emerging from the wheat kernels.

Step 6: Monitoring Sprout Growth

To determine when your wheat is ready, you'll need to monitor the growth of the sprouts. You want the sprout (the small shoot growing from the bottom of the kernel) to be 75% to 100% the length of the wheat kernel. Pick up 10 random wheat kernels and examine them. When 8 or 9 out of 10 kernels meet this guideline, your wheat is ready for the next step.

Drying the wheat

One method is to use a food dehydrator. A cheap dehydrator from a discount store can be effective for drying small batches of wheat malt. The number of trays in the dehydrator determines the amount of wheat that can be dried at once, with each tray typically holding 3–5 pounds of wheat. The drying time varies depending on the amount of wheat and ambient conditions but usually falls between 8 and 14 hours.

Another option is to use an oven. This method is less suitable for drying wheat malt due to the lower temperature requirement, but it can be done if no other options are available.

For larger batches of wheat malt, the sun can be used as a natural dryer. This method involves spreading the wheat malt on a sheet of porous fabric and placing it in direct sunlight. Pests and animals can be an issue, so it is essential to protect the wheat or cover it with the fabric. In hot and arid climates, this method can dry a large batch of wheat malt in about a day.

Regardless of the drying method, the goal is to reduce the moisture content of the wheat malt to 2–6% of its starting weight. One way to check if the wheat is sufficiently dry is to bite into a kernel; it should be crunchy and slightly sweet. If it is rock hard with a glassy interior, it has been over-dried and should not be used.

Kilning the wheat

There are several ways to dry the wheat. One way is to use a food dehydrator. Depending on how many trays your dehydrator has, you should be able to dry 3-5 pounds of wheat at a time. This method will take 8-14 hours. Another option is to use an oven. This method is harder for wheat than for barley because of the lower drying temperature. If you have an older oven with a pilot light, you can leave the wheat in the oven all day to dry at a temperature of around 100°F (38°C).

A third option is to dry the wheat in the sun. This method is best for larger batches (25 pounds or more). Spread the wheat out on a sheet of porous fabric and lay it on the pavement in the hot sun. You will need to protect the wheat from pests or fold the fabric over the wheat. If you live in a hot, arid place, the wheat should dry in about a day.

After the wheat is dried, you will need to separate the sprouts and roots from the wheat. You can do this by shaking the wheat in a bucket to knock off most of the roots and sprouts. Then, pour the wheat from one bucket to another in front of a fan or vacuum, which will blow the roots and sprouts away.

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