First Ag - Wit. Advice Plz

[bluedoors]

G'day all,
So i've finally taken the plunge and moved into AG. Doing it via the BiAB method.

I've found a Hoegaarden clone online and then modified it to match similar grains that i can get from craftbrewer (is this the best place for grains? i'm in sydney)

Would really appreciate some advice as to whether what i've come up with will likely work or not.

You will notice the boil volume is quite low considering the target batch size. This is because i'm going to use the cube cooling method, and have a 15l cube. Therefore i'll have a higher gravity wort and then add top up water at the ferment stage (im assuming this is also fine?)

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Wit and Wisdom
Brewer: Bryn Price
Asst Brewer:
Style: Witbier
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (47.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 18.00 L
Boil Size: 19.88 L
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 6.8 EBC
Estimated IBU: 18.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
2.00 kg Pale Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.9 EBC) Grain 50.00 %
2.00 kg Wheat Flaked/Torrified (Blue Lake) (3.2 EBGrain 50.00 %
28.35 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.4 IBU
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
21.23 gm Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
21.23 gm Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Safbrew WB-06 (Safbrew) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: !-BIAB Single Infusion, Medium body, No MO
Total Grain Weight: 4.00 kg
----------------------------
!-BIAB Single Infusion, Medium body, No MO
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Infusion Add 19.88 L of water at 69.3 C 65.0 C


Notes:
------
lower boil volume as using cube cooling method in 15l cubes

 

[gap]

Hello,

Where in Sydney are you? There are at least 3 good Homebrew shops in Sydney
where you could get all of the grain you may require.

(1 Pkgs Safbrew WB-06 (Safbrew) Yeast-Ale ) this is really a German Wheat Beer Yeast.

If you specifically want someting close to Hoegaarden then you should use one of the Belgian Wit
liquid yeasts.

Regards

Graeme

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

CB is the best and they are site sponsors.

Unless you live closer to a shop that has the grains you need, or you need a rush job (which CB will do if you ask), they are cheaper and more convenient.

 

[Nick JD]

Reculture some Hoegarden yeast from the bottle.

That's the yeast you want!

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

Good luck with it mate. I made a wit for my first ag about a year ago now. great minds i guess.
I had no end of drama because i had such a small pot and was a bit ambitious with my batch size. I ended up with a very thick mash and had to do an improvised dunk sparge.
It was fun none the less, the beer turned out great and i learnt heaps.

My recipe was pretty much the same except for the wheat. I sourced the raw wheat from one of my mates who owns a wheat farm. and i used wyeast 3944.

Have fun :beerbang:

Cheers

MOM

 

[Goat]

I wouldn't bother with the whirfloc - there doesn't seem to be much point in trying for a clear wit.

Also, I'm not sure how BIABs go, but for a traditional mash, I'd be droppping in a few good handfulls of rice hulls.

Good luck with it. Wits and wheats are very forgiving and you should end up with a good result with that recipe I find though that 50% ale malt gives a darker colour than I like.

 

[bluedoors]

Yeh, the dry yeast choice was really as i'd always previously used dry yeasts... I guess a Wyeast 3944 - Belgian Witbier would be a better option.

I had thought AG would work out cheaper, but looks like it will be a similar price per brew as extract brewing... i might need to get into culturing my own yeasts

 

[Screwtop]

- 28.35 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 18.4 IBU
+ 18 IBU of Hallertauer

 

[hazard]

According to Michael Jackson (the dead one - oh, they're both dead) traditional wit, is 50% barley malt, 45% raw wheat, 5% oats - so you may want to sub 200g of wheat for oats. Also, torrified wheat and oats have no enzymes, so you may want to use a longer mash time to ensure that you get full conversion.

How are you going to measure 21.23 gms of coriander and orange peel? Does your scale measure that accurately? I would round this up (or down). Also, instead of using all orange peel, last wit I made I added some lime zest and mandarin zest in addition to sour orange peel. Jamil also recommends 1 g of camomile. I found a teabage of camomile tea in the pantry, ripped it open and tipped the camomile into the kettle last 5 min. Forget the whirfloc as already suggested, and don't crash chill. This is meant to be cloudy. But i find that over time it will clear up in the bottle, I usually pour most of the bottle then stir up the dregs, then tip a bit into the glass to get that cloudy Hoegardeen look.

 

[Swinging Beef]

Why does everyone try to overcomplicate witbier, like it is some beer of legend?

50% pils or pale
50% wheat
15IBU of any hop at 60 minutes
5g of corriander and 5g of citrus peel at flame out

More importantly than anything is getting the right yeast and fermenting at the right temperature.
I recommend Hoegaarden bottles, because then you get to drink all that lovely hoegaarden!

When I have made Hoegaarden starters, the starter tasted of corriander and citrus. It's in the yeast! you only add a tiny amount to accentuate the flavours.

 

[King Brown]

Your recipe would work (Excluding the yeast, use a liquid Wit yeast or reculture from Hoegaarden as the others suggested) some people (including myself) add oats as well. Rice hulls are a good idea to aid with the sparge if you are 3V mashing but probably not necessary with BIAB (though a biab brewer may feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

Other spices may be experimented with also but as this is your first maybe just stick with the trusty old corriander and orange peel.

Why does everyone try to overcomplicate witbier, like it is some beer of legend?

50% pils or pale
50% wheat
15IBU of any hop at 60 minutes
5g of corriander and 5g of citrus peel at flame out

More importantly than anything is getting the right yeast and fermenting at the right temperature.
I recommend Hoegaarden bottles, because then you get to drink all that lovely hoegaarden!

When I have made Hoegaarden starters, the starter tasted of corriander and citrus. It's in the yeast! you only add a tiny amount to accentuate the flavours.

I agree the yeast is important, but when I've made starters using Wyeast 3463 they haven't smelt much like corriander and citrus at all, definetly fruity and herbal but I normally put around 20g of each herb in as well...

 

[katzke]

No need for the Rice Huls for BIAB. Done it several times with no troubles.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

Katzke, I agree, done three BIABs now (not many) without rice hulls and no issues to report :beer:

I also agree with screwwy, the hops stood out as a strange choice but each to thier own.

Just one more thing mate, just make sure you read the no chill thread, it does increase your bitterness a bit.

Most important have fun

 

[black_labb]

I've been wondering about no chill and corriander/orange peel. is it likely to add more flavour from the additions.

 

[haysie]

I've been wondering about no chill and corriander/orange peel. is it likely to add more flavour from the additions.

My recent wit I added half of my coriander and orange to the cube overnight for the first time. In the past I have struggled to "find" these flavours in my wits. This wit I am definitly noticing the subtle differences, its mothers milk in a keg. I use the wyeast belgian wit, I would guess that the wb06 may well throw those german wheat characteristics of banana, clove, bubble-gum etc.

 

[Ross]

WB-06 is totally wrong in this beer - If you want to stick with a dried yeast use K-97, it's a fantastic yeast in a Wit.


Cheers Ross

 

[bconnery]

WB-06 is totally wrong in this beer - If you want to stick with a dried yeast use K-97, it's a fantastic yeast in a Wit.


Cheers Ross

Backing up Ross on this one.
We had two fantastic Wits in a club comp a couple of years ago. Different brewers, very slight variations on the same recipe.
One liquid and one K97. The liquid one scored about a point higher I think but they were both very good beers.

 

[amiddler]

Is 75% efficiancy set a little high for a BIAB with what looks like no sparge and a concentrated brew. I do not BIAB and average just under 80% with a fly sparge. Just thinking 75% might be a strech and a little more grain might be needed.
All the best with your brew day.

Drew

 

[Hargie]

WB-06 is totally wrong in this beer - If you want to stick with a dried yeast use K-97, it's a fantastic yeast in a Wit.


Cheers Ross

...hehehe...told ya...

Scott