Wheat Stout

[spiderwrangler]

I'm interested in giving a wheat stout a try, there are a few commercial examples... DarkForce by Haand Bryggeriet, Raasted Imperial Wheat Stout by Raasted Bryghus, and Lucky Labrador's Wheat Stout. Has anyone had a commercial example of a wheat stout, or a homebrewed example? Anyone made one? Just looking for input and info.

[telejunkie]

no reason not to...briess currently has a ~500L wheat malt (midnight wheat) out there, part of their brewmasters reserve. Add in some chocolate wheat, flaked wheat if you want super mouthfeel, and maybe some roasted barley and amber malt to round out the specialty grains; 50/50 2-row/wheat malt as a base...I think it could be damn tasty.

[spiderwrangler]

Is the general rule of thumb to drink hefe young due to the wheat that is used or the yeast character from hefe yeast? Just wondering in terms of aging it once I make it.

[edisonst]

drinking a hef young is relative. I lager my standard grav hefs for 1 month and there is little change in yeast character after 3 months in the keg. the yeast character is what changes over time in hefs, not so much the malt. I believe the wheat has an effect on long term stability...but on a commercial time scale.

[spiderwrangler]

I guess what I am asking, is if I were to do an imperial stout using wheat malt and Cal Ale yeast, would I be able to lay it down for a year or so as I might with a regular imperial stout, or if it would lose stability within a couple of months...

[BDawg]

I think a big stout made with wheat will age very nicely if brewed with the Cal Ale yeast.
The yeast character is the thing that goes relatively quickly in a Weissbier.
HTH-