Odd question: Other than anethole, does anyone here know a way to make beer legitimately white? I'd rather not have the anise flavor.
I've used a couple of tablespoons of flour added at flameout to create a very milky hefeweizen, but I wouldn't call it white.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that beer is never legitimately white, but if you want one, there is a food coloring for that. It might not be in every grocery store, but I have seen it used (in a sugar syrup) and it works. http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-603-1236-Liquid-Color-2-Ounce/dp/B0000CFN7X I would probably use it sparingly at flameout, but I am wildly guessing as to whether you should use it before or after fermentation.
On a sidenote: Does that do anything for mouthfeel or flavor? I've considered it and I've heard others say that you're just adding starches to beer and risking infection. I don't think I've had a batch sit around for more than a few months, so I wouldn't worry about infection, but I'm still squeamish to throw flour into the boil.
Microbes survive the processing of wheat into flour and will activate with water (this is how sourdough gets made). If adding to beer sanitize unless you are hoping for sourdough beer.
Hmm... I'll have to experiment with this. In the end, it might be a combination of techniques that bring about the desired effect.
I've done it just so that my hefeweizens don't clear up by the time I'm drinking the second keg. And as Vike points out, I'm throwing the flour into a kettle full of 202F syrup, the bacteria are toast pretty quick.
