After teaching myself to make a decent sourdough boule, ciabatta and challah with Peter Reinhart's BBA, I finally got his Whole Wheat Breads and tonight made a loaf of the spent grain bread, using grains from a pale ale brew we whipped up earlier in the day.

The bread came out with delicious flavor -- so I know there's potential here -- but it had crummy rise.  It's very dense and disappointing because it pretty much reminds me of the beginner wheat bread experiments I've suffered through in the past.  

I have never attended a class (though I'm trying to rectify that) and this is really my first try at WW bread since I've been making bread regularly.  And I admit that I jumped in without reading all of Reinhart's leadup in the book, so maybe I missed something elementary.  But I would love it if this great community could help by suggesting the  points where this could have gone awry?  The knead?  The proofing?  Could I have made the dough too dry?  I have trouble distinguishing between "sticky" and "tacky," I guess.  Would it help if I "cheated" by tossing in some diastatic malt, or KAF's "whole wheat improver?"

I used KAF WW, btw

I can try again later this week.  I've never had this problem with other Reinhart breads, so I'm guessing it's just that I'm missing something in the WW transition.

(I do have photos btw and will try to figure out how to post them -- doing this on my ipad so it's a bit wonky).

Thanks!