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Wheat Malt

Malted wheat, used for body, a fluffy head and haze, and the base of wheat beers.

What Wheat Malt is

Wheat malt is malted wheat rather than barley. It has no husk, so it is usually used alongside barley malt, and it contributes proteins that give a fuller body, a lasting fluffy head and, in large amounts, a hazy appearance.

A large proportion of wheat is the base of German hefeweizen and other wheat beers; a small amount is a common trick in many styles to improve head retention and mouthfeel.

Colour and flavour

Colour: 2 to 3 degrees Lovibond. Malt colour is measured in degrees Lovibond, or the metric EBC, and is a rough guide to flavour intensity as well as to the shade the malt lends the beer.

Flavour and character: Soft, bready and lightly tart, with a smooth, full mouthfeel..

How much to use

Typical proportion of the grist: 5 to 60% of the grist. Adjust to taste and to the style you are brewing; the figures here are a starting point, not a rule.

Wheat Malt is a wheat malt. Having no husk, it is mashed alongside husked barley malt, and it contributes body, head and, in quantity, haze. It is central to styles such as Hefeweizen, Gose, Berliner Weisse and Witbier, where it does much to define the flavour and colour, and it can be used in smaller amounts in many other beers. As with any grain, the right amount depends on the beer you are building, so treat the proportions here as a tested starting point rather than a fixed rule.

Related

Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines · How to Brew (John Palmer), malt reference