Beer has existed longer than wheat has. Think about that for a minute. This ingredient that we use all the time has an incredibly complicated genome that resulted from the combination of three different parents, but what we know as modern wheat appeared only 6,000 to 8,000 years ago.
Wheat is a deliberate ingredient, so when you’re using it, it’s best to have your objective in mind. Do you want to brew with wheat so it stands out, or do you want to use it as an attribute? First-timers, or even those who use it a lot, need to be prepared. When you’re talking about wheat, you’re talking about the options of malted or unmalted, raw or flaked. Know what you want to use, what results they produce.
Remember that wheat shows up without a husk on it, so there is a limit on how much you can use and lauter easily. Because you will have a mash that is a little sticky, thanks to the beta-glucans of the wheat, you’ll want to treat the mash gently but still be prepared for a day of lautering. You’ll want to have some tools to help you with wheat, such as rice hulls.