How much Wheat Malt to give good head?

[sweatysock]

Hi,

I am on my 10th AG and none have had as good head retention as my first. Having looked through my notes it was the only one with torrified wheat. (All my brews have been kits from WHS)

I have chosen to include wheat malt in my forthcoming brews as it seemed favourable to torrified wheat having scoured the forum.

My question is how much. I have currently planned to use 7 - 8%. Is this enough or do I need more?

Grateful for your input.

Scott

[Matt12398]

I don't think you need that much. I've had a good head with wheat at just under 5% pale wheat.

[jimp2003]

I don't think you need that much. I've had a good head with wheat at just under 5% pale wheat.

+1 to this in my experience. I don't think that 7 or 8% is going to do you any harm however...

[Underground Joe]

Around five percent is fine. Alternatively you could try carapils.

[Jackthehat]

Will I get banned if I say give her all the wheat malt that she wants!

[Subsonic]

Another thing you can also try is cornmeal, (polenta will do) about 5% is great in Weissbierre, you get a better beer foam density and also more beer foam stability. Sub

[Nofolkandchance]

Not that it matters at all but there are clarity issues with too much wheat malt.

[Underground Joe]

Not that it matters at all but there are clarity issues with too much wheat malt.

I've used 12% with no problems at all.

[orlando]

I've pretty much stopped using it as I found getting my mash pH in the right range transformed the beer to the point that when kegging the beer and force carbonating it gave me a good head and good retention. The glass you serve in needs to be squeeky clean as well though. Flaked barley will do the same and add a little creaminess (from the lipid content) and you only need a handful, say 50g, I usually use it in darker beers though.

[Dave S]

I've done several Yorkshire style bitters with anything up to 500g Torrie and they've all turned out great, with excellent HR.

[6470zzy]

Another thing you can also try is cornmeal, (polenta will do) about 5% is great in Weissbierre, you get a better beer foam density and also more beer foam stability. Sub

Corn has a low protein content so I suspect that the good foam density and stability on your weissbierre actually came more from the wheat than the corn addition.

Cheers

[Capped]

Or just chuck in some common-or-garden plain domestic flour. I use neither wheat malt or torrefied wheat 'cos I don't like the taste, but I wanged in the last of a pack of plain flour I found in the cupboard a few weeks back just out of spur-of the-moment curiosity - can't have been 200g in it. Hey,I dare do anything,me. Anyways, that amount affected clarity and flavour not one iota, nor can I say that it did anything for head formation and retention ( I don't have a problem attaining either), but it did leave a heavy,impressive lacing of foam right down to the bottom of the glass which I thought was pretty cool. I did check the protein content of the flour (Asda's 'chosen by you' stuff - well of course I bloody chose it otherwise it wouldn't be in my larder in the first place) and it was 10%,FWIW.

[Eric]

I've pretty much stopped using it as I found getting my mash pH in the right range transformed the beer to the point that when kegging the beer and force carbonating it gave me a good head and good retention. The glass you serve in needs to be squeeky clean as well though. Flaked barley will do the same and add a little creaminess (from the lipid content) and you only need a handful, say 50g, I usually use it in darker beers though.

The glass and the way a beer is dispensed as well as the recipe have great influence on heading. However, as Orlando has indicated, there are other factors of significant influence, suggesting you might wish to examine more closely all your procedures.
That said, I've been drinking two beers tonight, both getting down to their dregs, one with a head and one without. The former was made with 7.5% wheat malt, casked on September 15th that laces the glass from top to bottom. The other was all barley malt casked a week earlier that headed well for a good month plus, now looking comparatively sad after being given time to settle.