Crushed Wheat Malt

Wheat Malt is the second most common malted grain used in brewing, after barley malt. When used in beer, wheat malt imparts a lighter body than barley malt, together with a gently refreshing touch of acidity. Wheat has been used for brewing beer nearly as long as barley and has equal diastatic power. Malted wheat typically makes up  5-70% of the mash/grist depending on the actual style being brewed.

Weissbiers (“white” beers) of Bavaria are heavy users and are often brewed with up to 60 to 70% % wheat malt, combined with 30 to 40% barley malt. In the US many craft breweries offer at least one wheat beer in their range, and they tend to brew with a lower portion (40 to 50%) of malted wheat.

When used as an adjunct for ales, up to 40% of the grist can be Wheat malt, although this often produces a cloudy beer. Alternatively, Wheat Malt can be added at 5% to most light beers and IPA’s to increase foam stability without affecting haze or flavour. Used at up to 70% as a base malt for Wheat Beer, it imparts a bready flavour and characteristic citrus notes.