Wheat malt is used in all kinds of craft beer, and it is important to understand it

Adding wheat malt to craft beer is no longer the patent of white beer. Other types of craft beer have also begun to add wheat malt, and the taste is more fragrant.

Wheat Grain Quality

The amylase produced by wheat is very suitable for making craft beer, and the enzyme activity of wheat is high. Wheat grains are relatively uniform, and the germination status is relatively consistent. In order to select better wheat, we need to learn to distinguish the quality of wheat grains:

(1) Wheat grains should be full, with strong germination ability, good maturity, smooth surface and no disease;

(2) The protein content is low, the highest should not exceed 13%;

(3) The malt extract should be higher, preferably greater than 84%.

Relationship between wheat malt characteristics and craft beer quality

The chemical components of wheat malt that have an important impact on craft beer and brewing process include: starch, protein, peptide, phosphate, polyphenol, polysaccharide, vitamin and enzyme.

The Effect of Protein on the Quality of Craft Beer

Protein is one of the main components of wheat malt, and its content and type affect the flavor, foam, palatability, etc. of craft beer.

The soluble gluten protein in wheat malt has an adverse effect on the turbidity of craft beer, so the white beer (Fujiabai) we see will be a little turbid, and this is the reason.

Pros and Cons of Adding Wheat Germ

advantage:

(1) Wheat malt is rich in enzymes, especially the high content of α-amylase, so the saccharification ability is also very strong;

(2) Wheat germ has no husk, so the leaching rate is relatively high, which can also increase the saccharification yield;

(3) The high content of wheat maltose protein helps to enhance the foam performance of craft beer;

(4) The content of polyphenols and anthocyanins in wheat malt is low, which is beneficial to saccharification and cleaning, and improves the abiotic stability of craft beer.

shortcoming:

(1) Wheat malt has high protein content and low solubility, which can easily cause wort turbidity and affect the non-biological stability of craft beer;

(2) Since wheat germ has no husk and has a high content of β-glucan, it is easy to agglomerate during the saccharification process, and the viscosity of the mash is high, making filtration more difficult.

After reading these facts about wheat malt, I believe everyone understands why wheat malt is added to other styles of craft beer!