Malt
Torrified wheat
Puffed unmalted wheat, traditional in British brewing for head retention and body.
What it does
Torrified grain. Grain heated rapidly until it puffs, gelatinising the starch. Traditional in British brewing for head retention.
Unmalted wheat heated rapidly until the kernel puffs, gelatinising the starch so mash enzymes can reach it without a cereal cook.
Specification
| Colour | 2–3°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | wheat |
| Enzyme activity | none — needs a base malt to convert it. |
| Fermentability | moderate |
| Typical share of grist | 2–20% |
| Flavour | neutral grain, light bread |
Substitutes
- Wheat malt — The malted alternative, which also brings enzymes.
Used in
- Witbier
A Belgian wheat beer brewed with unmalted wheat, coriander and orange peel — soft, hazy, citrusy and lightly spiced.
- Lambic
Spontaneously fermented Belgian wheat beer, matured in oak for years — funky, acidic, dry and unlike any other beer.
- Gueuze
A blend of young and old lambic, refermented in bottle — intensely complex, bone dry and Champagne-like in its carbonation.
- Fruit lambic
Lambic refermented on whole fruit — traditionally sour cherry or raspberry — producing a dry, tart, intensely fruity beer.