Add some unmalted wheat to IPA?

[Herm brews]

Yesterday I bought some unmalted hard red wheat berries for addition to a vegetarian stew. It seems that I have read that small additions of wheat can aid in mouthfeel and foam stability. As such, I am considering adding just a small amount (2 to 4 ounces) to my Best IPA recipe https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1430556/best-ipa
Do any of you want to say “Yeah, do it!” or talk me off the ledge? This brew day keeps getting pushed back, but tomorrow I am brewing, come hell or high water.
Thanks in advance for any constructive criticism.

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

It certainly wouldn’t hurt. Although the amount isn’t a lot. Raw wheat is often used to increase haze in beer. I used about 1% of malted wheat in beer for better head retention, not sure if it makes a difference, but it doesn’t hurt either.

 

[Minbari]

I would add like 8oz. then you would definately be able to tell what it did. worst case you have a wierd IPA

 

[Sandy Feet]

If I remember, Herm does smaller batches, so 4 might make a little difference. I like to go a pound for 5 gallons of the flaked variety if going the adjunct route, especially for BIAB.

 

[Sandy Feet]

Weird and fruity can be good in an IPA. A brewery here makes a blueberry one that I like.

 

[Herm brews]

I would add like 8oz. then you would definately be able to tell what it did. worst case you have a wierd IPA

I’m trying to make my “best” IPA, not my weirdest. Since my batch size is 2.5 gallons, 8 ounces would be a significant addition. I was thinking more along the lines of 2-4 ounces at most.

 

[Herm brews]

It certainly wouldn’t hurt. Although the amount isn’t a lot. Raw wheat is often used to increase haze in beer. I used about 1% of malted wheat in beer for better head retention, not sure if it makes a difference, but it doesn’t hurt either.

I am not looking to make a hazy IPA, I was really aiming for head retention, and maybe a little mouth feel.
At this moment, I don’t have any malted wheat available to me, just raw hard red wheat.

In my Wheat Ale, I used almost 50% malted wheat. A 1/2 teaspoon addition of Irish moss at 15 minutes resulted in one of the clearest beers I have ever made. It is interesting how little details (like malted vs unmalted) can make such a big difference.

 

[Herm brews]

Weird and fruity can be good in an IPA. A brewery here makes a blueberry one that I like.

Maybe some other time, but tomorrow I won’t be adding fruit to my batch.

Hopefully this batch turns out well enough, and then I can add or subtract with future batches.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yesterday I bought some unmalted hard red wheat berries for addition to a vegetarian stew. It seems that I have read that small additions of wheat can aid in mouthfeel and foam stability. As such, I am considering adding just a small amount (2 to 4 ounces) to my Best IPA recipe https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1430556/best-ipa
Do any of you want to say “Yeah, do it!” or talk me off the ledge? This brew day keeps getting pushed back, but tomorrow I am brewing, come hell or high water.
Thanks in advance for any constructive criticism.

You know I'm gunna say do it herm!
I've used raw pearl barley as well.
I used to use that in soups and such.

Hey nothing ventured nothing gained mate

 

[Herm brews]

You know I'm gunna say do it herm!
I've used raw pearl barley as well.
I used to use that in soups and such.

Hey nothing ventured nothing gained mate

2 ounces in my 5.5 pound malted barley grain bill, or the equivalent of 2.22% of said grain bill.
3 ounces would come in at just about 3.3%
4 ounces would be 4.3%
Unmalted hard red wheat is what I have.
Tomorrow morning is the point of no return!

 

[GFHomebrew]

2 ounces in my 5.5 pound malted barley grain bill, or the equivalent of 2.22% of said grain bill.
3 ounces would come in at just about 3.3%
4 ounces would be 4.3%
Unmalted hard red wheat is what I have.
Tomorrow morning is the point of no return!

It will brew .

 

[Donoroto]

Is head retention the goal? The head comes from protein, which wheat has. As do oats. At least, more than barley I guess.

And no, don't just add protein powder.

In a small amount, it won't hurt and might help. My Hefeweitzen, over 50% wheat, isn't a crazy head-retaining monster. My Ale is around the same.

I speculate that mash temperature has more to do with head retention than ingredients, but I could be wrong, as I so often am.

 

[Herm brews]

Is head retention the goal? The head comes from protein, which wheat has. As do oats. At least, more than barley I guess.

And no, don't just add protein powder.

In a small amount, it won't hurt and might help. My Hefeweitzen, over 50% wheat, isn't a crazy head-retaining monster. My Ale is around the same.

I speculate that mash temperature has more to do with head retention than ingredients, but I could be wrong, as I so often am.

Head retention would be a big plus on my IPA, but it is not make or break. I have the unmalted hard red wheat on hand, and I have quick oats, and also extra thick rolled oats. I am definitely not looking for haze, but if it occurs, that is not a deal breaker either. My intention is to mash for 60 minutes, starting at ~152F. I typically lose about 4 degrees F through the hour long mash.

 

[Zambi]

I only know of unmalted wheat in a weizen and even though it is on my list, I haven't made it yet
Keep us posted about the result @Herm brews

 

[Herm brews]

I only know of unmalted wheat in a weizen and even though it is on my list, I haven't made it yet
Keep us posted about the result @Herm brews

You all will know when I do. I am going to sleep on it, and make the call in the morning.
Monday morning is Brew Day!

 

[Sandy Feet]

You all will know when I do. I am going to sleep on it, and make the call in the morning.
Monday morning is Brew Day!

Because of the brew bag, I don't know how much difference it will make, but I would try it. I don't notice much in mine until I get up to around the 8% range. I have tried the 4% range, but I did not notice a whole lot at that level with the brew bag. It will be a good experiment if nothing else.

 

[Mark Farrall]

Can't see how it would hurt, though it may not help. An all barley IPA is generally pretty good on the mouthfeel and head retention. It will give a bit more of a help to haze, but whether it makes the beer hazy probably depends on when you're hopping.

Also I find raw wheat can be a pain to convert. Even though it's most likely in the gelatinisation range it seems to need a bit of time for it to happen. You could maybe give it a bit more time before adding the barley. Or I sometimes boil it into a wheat porridge before adding it to the mash.

 

[Herm brews]

Can't see how it would hurt, though it may not help. An all barley IPA is generally pretty good on the mouthfeel and head retention. It will give a bit more of a help to haze, but whether it makes the beer hazy probably depends on when you're hopping.

Also I find raw wheat can be a pain to convert. Even though it's most likely in the gelatinisation range it seems to need a bit of time for it to happen. You could maybe give it a bit more time before adding the barley. Or I sometimes boil it into a wheat porridge before adding it to the mash.

I brewed the beer on Monday, adding an ounce each of unmalted hard red wheat and thick rolled oats. My intention is to make a clear, not hazy IPA. For hops, I added nugget at 60 for ~50 IBU’s , Chinook at 5 for about 8 IBU’s and Centennial for a 20 minute hop stand starting at ~180F. For 4 days before bottling, I will dry hop with Mosaic. When transferring from kettle to fermenter, the wort ran clear.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

I brewed the beer on Monday, adding an ounce each of unmalted hard red wheat and thick rolled oats. My intention is to make a clear, not hazy IPA. For hops, I added nugget at 60 for ~50 IBU’s , Chinook at 5 for about 8 IBU’s and Centennial for a 20 minute hop stand starting at ~180F. For 4 days before bottling, I will dry hop with Mosaic. When transferring from kettle to fermenter, the wort ran clear.

Sounds like you made beer!
cheers