Looking for some advice on this recipe. I'm going for something in the vein of blue moon with some orange flavor/aroma but hopefully not as sweet but a little spicy. I'm thinking of adding another # of malt like 2-row or biscuit to make it less wheat based. I also have about a half pound of crystal 20 I could add. I've never made a beer that is almost entirely wheat like this so I'm just checking to see if anyone has used these ingredients before and how they might interact, especially the yeast which I've never used. Here is the rough draft: Mash in 2 gallons H2O @ 150F for 60mins: 3# Rahr White Wheat Malt 1# Flaked Wheat 1# Belgian Pilsner Malt Strain and Sparge with 2 more gallons @ 170F and bring to a boil for 60mins. Then add: 1oz Hallertau pellets @ 60 3# Muntons Wheat DME @ 10 1oz Hallertau pellets @ 5 1oz Bitter Orange Peel @ 1 1oz Sweet Orange Peel @ 1 Top off Fermenter to 5.5 gallons (~2 gallons) Target OG=1.047 (unless I add another # of malt) Pitch one packet of Safbrew T-58 @ 60F Ferment 2 weeks +/- Dry hop 1oz of Hallertau pellets for 1 week +/- (might skip this) Target FG=1.013 Bottle with 3.75oz of Turbinado Any thoughts/criticisms appreciated Mello
There may be some useful information for the OP at this thread (and another thread listed in this thread): http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/witbier-critique-my-recipe-por-favor.17346/#post-211860 Cheers!
If you want something more spicy you may need to add some coriander, grains of paradise or something like that ...Not sure hops and yeast will do it alone.
Boy, I sure hope it comes out better than blue moon! Or "that beer with the orange slice in it" as many people call it... Thanks for the links Jack. I guess this recipe is a little bit non-traditional for a wit but I'm not quite ready to step up to the more complicated raw wheat process. I will probably lower the bitter orange peels to .75oz and I might leave out the sweet orange peels all together. Maybe dry hop with it? I'm just looking for a little aroma I guess (without putting an orange slice in it Not crazy about coriander either, but I might toss in a few cracked peppercorns.
OK, some thoughts. You state: “ …step up to the more complicated raw wheat process.” Utilizing raw wheat is not complicated. A good grain bill for a Wit would be something like a 50/50 mix of barley malt (I would suggest Belgian Pilsner Malt) and flaked wheat. For example: 4.5 lbs. of Belgian Pils and 4.5 lbs. of Flaked Wheat (this will get you an OG of around 1.049). Coriander will provide a citrus taste to your Wit. I highly recommend that you don’t use too much. My suggestion is 1 tablespoon of coriander seed that you crush. Add this at the end of the boil. I boil my 1 tablespoon of freshly crushed with 10 minutes left in the boil. I personally do not add sweet orange peel to my Wit beers since I obtain citrus from the coriander. I add 0.5 ounces of curacao orange peel. I have no experience with Safebrew T-58 but it sounds ‘good’: “A speciality yeast selected for its estery somewhat peppery and spicy flavour development.” I have always used Wyeast 3944 for making my Wit beers and I have always been pleased with the performance of that yeast (although it does have a dense krausen for a couple of weeks). The flavor that 3944 produce is very pleasant. Good luck with your Wit. Cheers! P.S. I just got done making a Wit. I pitched the yeast 1 hour ago.
I think most wheat beers including Wits are closer to 60% barley and 40% wheat. I may be wrong though.
I can't say for sure for most Belgians (where there are no rules), but german weizens by law have to use at least 50% wheat.
From the BJCP style guidelines for a Wit: “About 50% unmalted wheat (traditionally soft white winter wheat) and 50% pale barley malt (usually Pils malt) constitute the grist. In some versions, up to 5-10% raw oats may be used.” Cheers!
