Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS)
The most widely grown wheat class in Western Canada, CWRS is regarded for its superior milling and baking quality. This hard wheat has high protein content and high protein quality which means it can improve the quality of a blend if milled with lower-quality wheat.
Top 5 varieties grown this year
- AAC Brandon
- AAC Viewfield
- AAC Wheatland
- AAC Starbuck
- CDC Landmark
2023 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PRODUCTION
20.3 million tonnes
% of TOTAL WHEAT GROWN IN CANADA
63%
Advice from an Expert
Sound wheat with a balance of gluten strength and extensibility.
Grading Factors
97% of the 2023 CWRS crop has graded No. 1 and No. 2.
Protein
13.8% protein content, which is similar to the 10-year average of 13.7%.
Milling Quality
Sound wheat with good test weight and low ash content.
Application Performance
Baking: Very good bread quality
Noodles: Good colour retention and texture
CWRS
Milling Quality
No.1, Western Composite
TEST WEIGHT
82.4 kg/hL
Lower than last year
WEIGHT PER 1,000 KERNELS
34.0 g
Similar to last year
ASH CONTENT
1.36%
Lower than last year
MILLING FLOUR YIELD
75.1%
Comparable to last year
Milling Quality
No.1, Eastern Composite
TEST WEIGHT
82.9 kg/hL
Slightly lower than last year
WEIGHT PER 1,000 KERNELS
37.2 g
Higher than last year
ASH CONTENT
1.41%
Lower than last year
MILLING FLOUR YIELD
75.1%
Lower than last year
Milling Quality
No.2, Prairie Composite
TEST WEIGHT
81.8 kg/hL
Higher than last year
WEIGHT PER 1,000 KERNELS
36.1 g
Higher than last year
ASH CONTENT
1.36%
Lower than last year
MILLING FLOUR YIELD
75.8%
Similar to last year
CWRS
Applications
Bread Analysis
CWRS is ideal for the production of high-volume pan breads. It produces bread with high loaf volume, bright crumb colour and fine and uniform crumb structure. It’s equally versatile in the production of hearth breads and flat breads, and it produces dough with a good balance of elasticity and extensibility. It has good mixing and fermentation tolerant in all baking processes.
CWRS from the 2023 crop year has balanced gluten strength, with good elasticity and extensibility producing pan bread with very good quality.
Baking (No-time Dough Using Straight Grade Flour)
No. 1, Western Composite
ABSORPTION
64%
MIXING TIME
6.4 min
SPECIFIC VOLUME
7.7 cm3/g
TOTAL SCORE
9.3 / 10
No. 1, Eastern Composite
ABSORPTION
65%
MIXING TIME
6.6 min
SPECIFIC VOLUME
7.5 cm3/g
TOTAL SCORE
9.2 / 10
No. 2, Prairie Composite
ABSORPTION
65%
MIXING TIME
6.7 min
SPECIFIC VOLUME
7.9 cm3/g
TOTAL SCORE
9.2 / 10
Baking (Sponge & Dough Using Straight Grade Flour)
No. 1, Western Composite
ABSORPTION
63%
MIXING TIME
7.6 min
SPECIFIC VOLUME
7.1 cm3/g
TOTAL SCORE
9.2 / 10
No. 1, Eastern Composite
ABSORPTION
64%
MIXING TIME
7.1 min
SPECIFIC VOLUME
7.2 cm3/g
TOTAL SCORE
9.4 / 10
No. 2, Prairie Composite
ABSORPTION
64%
MIXING TIME
6.5 min
SPECIFIC VOLUME
7.2 cm3/g
TOTAL SCORE
9.5 / 10
Noodle Analysis
Flour milled from CWRS is suitable for a wide range of noodles, including white salted, yellow alkaline, egg, and instant noodles. Dough produced from flour milled from CWRS is well-balanced, having both elasticity and extensibility which assists with the formation of a uniform gluten matrix and ensures smooth sheeting during processing. Flour milled from CWRS can also be used for pasta production in markets that prefer pasta made from common (non-durum) wheat.
CWRS from the 2023 crop is a good choice for white salted and yellow alkaline noodles, providing good colour retention and texture.
Fresh Yellow Alkaline Noodles (Using 74% Extraction Flour)
No. 1, Western Composite
MAX CUTTING STRESS
(3.5 min cooking time)
38.5 g/mm2
COLOUR (3 h / 24 h)
L*: 72.8 / 68.6
a*: 0.09 / 0.69
b*: 25.9 / 24.9
No. 1, Eastern Composite
MAX CUTTING STRESS
(3.5 min cooking time)
35.0 g/mm2
COLOUR (3 h / 24 h)
L*: 72.0 / 68.0
a*: 0.21 / 0.67
b*: 25.7 / 24.8
No. 2, Prairie Composite
MAX CUTTING STRESS
(3.5 min cooking time)
36.4 g/mm2
COLOUR (3 h / 24 h)
L*: 73.3 / 69.4
a*: -0.05 / 0.56
b*: 24.9 / 24.4
Fresh White Salted Noodles (Using 74% Extraction Flour)
No. 1, Western Composite
MAX CUTTING STRESS
(3.5 min cooking time)
28.3 g/mm2
COLOUR (3 h / 24)
L*: 74.9 / 71.8
a*: 1.66 / 2.16
b*: 25.2 / 24.7
No. 1, Eastern Composite
MAX CUTTING STRESS
(3.5 min cooking time)
25.1 g/mm2
COLOUR (3 h / 24h)
L*: 74.3 / 71.6
a*: 1.72 / 2.15
b*: 24.7 / 24.2
No. 2, Prairie Composite
MAX CUTTING STRESS
(3.5 min cooking time)
26.7 g/mm2
COLOUR (3 h / 24h)
L*: 74.4 / 71.7
a*: 1.45 / 1.81
b*: 24.2 / 23.3
More than just cooked noodles
Udon noodles
These thick, wheat-flour noodles are a staple in Japan where they are most often served in soup or stir-fries.
Instant noodles
Eaten in countries around the world, these dried noodles are a fast meal for many. Add hot water and seasoning and they are ready to eat.
Alkaline noodles
Alkaline noodles, such as Hokkien, are used in various local cuisines throughout Asia and enjoyed around the world.
Advice from an Expert
ELAINE SOPIWNYK
Vice President of Technical Services
The 2023 CWRS crop has high protein content, low ash content and good test weight, providing the high quality that millers and end-product processors expect. The gluten quality of the 2023 CWRS crop provides a good balance of elasticity and extensibility, making it an excellent choice for various end-products.
Good Baking Quality
Flour milled from the 2023 CWRS crop results in dough that has good processing and fermentation tolerance due to its strong, yet extensible gluten properties. Bread will have good end-product quality, including loaf volume and crumb characteristics.
Good Noodle Quality
Noodles made with flour milled from the 2023 CWRS crop have good colour, colour retention, and texture.
Have a question for our experts?
Brought to you by:
