Other cereal grains besides barley can be malted successfully. Wheat, lacking a husk, takes up water rapidly during steeping. Root growth is enthusiastic and acrospires stick out so grains tend to clump together. Gentle turning, as in a drum malting, is needed to minimise acrospire damage and water is added by sprinkling to a moisture content of 41%.

In general, kilning temperature is lower than for barley malts to avoid generating too much colour. Wheat malts characteristically have high extracts and high levels of enzymatic activity, but friability and wort viscosity may be relatively poor. The absence of husk impedes run-off and necessitates the use of a mash filter.

They are used extensively in Germany as the principal ingredient in the production of traditional Weissbier, and elsewhere to enhance beer foaming properties. Wheat flour is also used for this purpose.