Wheat Beer From The Grand Ridge Brewery

[maxy007]

Hi All,
I tried a few different beer styles tonight just to see what I actually like and discovered that I really liked a natural blonde wheat beer from the Grand Ridge brewery. sam adams boston larger sucked!!
Anyway do all wheat beers taste so smooth? and if so what kit will make a similar style to this?

Do you need to add hops? I don't use a secondary and don't even want to think about boiling anything hops wise. I'm probably ok with putting a hop tbag in primary if that's needed but that's as techo as it gets for me at the moment

Thanks for reading

Cheers,

Maxy

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Hi All,
I tried a few different beer styles tonight just to see what I actually like and discovered that I really liked a natural blonde wheat beer from the Grand Ridge brewery. sam adams boston larger sucked!!
Anyway do all wheat beers taste so smooth? and if so what kit will make a similar style to this?

Do you need to add hops? I don't use a secondary and don't even want to think about boiling anything hops wise. I'm probably ok with putting a hop tbag in primary if that's needed but that's as techo as it gets for me at the moment

Thanks for reading

Cheers,

Maxy

Maxy,

The Natural Blonde from Grand Ridge is more or less a Belgian Witbier. People sometimes call them Wits or Whits. It all stands for White in the local lingo. There is a fair bit of variation in the style, but most of them will be at least similar to the natural blonde. Probably the most famous example of the style is Hoegarden. You will find it on tap at quite a few places nowadays.

The other major type of wheat beer is the German type. They are called Weiss or Weizen beers, which means whet or white in german. They share some of the characteristics of the Witbiers. Light body, smooth, crisp and easy drinking and of course wheat flavour. But they are also quite different in a few ways. One of thier most common attributes is that they have an aroma and flavour of Bannanas and Cloves. I think they are delicious (and I also love the Witbiers)

I'm not a kit brewer, so the only thing I can do to help you brew a wheat beer is to point you at a recipe from my homebrew shops web page

Grain and Grape kit recipe for Shoferhoffer (HefeWeizen)

ESB - Wheat Beer - 3Kg (kit)
Safwheat Yeast
No extra hops

Of course that is a recipe for the German wheat beer, not the belgian one you tasted.

If I was to hazard a guess, I would say that you could make something resembling a Witbier by using the same ESB kit and replacing safwheat yeast with the Safale T58 yeast.

You wont have to add hops, but unfortunately, most Witbiers also have other additions. You will need to add the zest from 2 or 3 oranges and maybe 1.5 teaspoons of crushed corriander seeds. Its an important part of the flavour profile. I'd boil the zest and spice in 300ml or so of water for a couple of minutes and dump it into your fermentor. I know you dont want to boil, but you have to add a few litres of boiling water to your kit anyway dont you... just toss the stuff in that water and call it done. Dont worry about a bag or trying to get the chunks out, it'll all settle to the bottom.

For both sorts of beer, when you bottle, add just a little bit extra priming sugar. These beers are meant to be quite fizzy.

Anyway, I dont kow what I am doing handing out kit brewing advice, I know bugger all about it. Somebody out there is making nice wheat beers from kits.. Help this man out.

Thirsty

PS: If anyone tries to tell you that you should be drinking your wheat beer with a slice of lemon or lime shoved in it .... punch them immediately in the nose and then buy them a VB. Its all they deserve.

 

[DarkFaerytale]

PS: If anyone tries to tell you that you should be drinking your wheat beer with a slice of lemon or lime shoved in it .... punch them immediately in the nose and then buy them a VB. Its all they deserve.

:super: your the man Thursty

-Phill

 

[maxy007]

Maxy,

The Natural Blonde from Grand Ridge is more or less a Belgian Witbier. People sometimes call them Wits or Whits. It all stands for White in the local lingo. There is a fair bit of variation in the style, but most of them will be at least similar to the natural blonde. Probably the most famous example of the style is Hoegarden. You will find it on tap at quite a few places nowadays.

The other major type of wheat beer is the German type. They are called Weiss or Weizen beers, which means whet or white in german. They share some of the characteristics of the Witbiers. Light body, smooth, crisp and easy drinking and of course wheat flavour. But they are also quite different in a few ways. One of thier most common attributes is that they have an aroma and flavour of Bannanas and Cloves. I think they are delicious (and I also love the Witbiers)

I'm not a kit brewer, so the only thing I can do to help you brew a wheat beer is to point you at a recipe from my homebrew shops web page

Grain and Grape kit recipe for Shoferhoffer (HefeWeizen)

ESB - Wheat Beer - 3Kg (kit)
Safwheat Yeast
No extra hops

Of course that is a recipe for the German wheat beer, not the belgian one you tasted.

If I was to hazard a guess, I would say that you could make something resembling a Witbier by using the same ESB kit and replacing safwheat yeast with the Safale T58 yeast.

You wont have to add hops, but unfortunately, most Witbiers also have other additions. You will need to add the zest from 2 or 3 oranges and maybe 1.5 teaspoons of crushed corriander seeds. Its an important part of the flavour profile. I'd boil the zest and spice in 300ml or so of water for a couple of minutes and dump it into your fermentor. I know you dont want to boil, but you have to add a few litres of boiling water to your kit anyway dont you... just toss the stuff in that water and call it done. Dont worry about a bag or trying to get the chunks out, it'll all settle to the bottom.

For both sorts of beer, when you bottle, add just a little bit extra priming sugar. These beers are meant to be quite fizzy.

Anyway, I dont kow what I am doing handing out kit brewing advice, I know bugger all about it. Somebody out there is making nice wheat beers from kits.. Help this man out.

Thirsty

PS: If anyone tries to tell you that you should be drinking your wheat beer with a slice of lemon or lime shoved in it .... punch them immediately in the nose and then buy them a VB. Its all they deserve.

Awesome!! Thanks for your info Thirsty. I really appreciate it. :beer:
I had no idea about wheat beers so your info is fantastic for me.


Cheers,

Maxy.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Awesome!! Thanks for your info Thirsty. I really appreciate it. :beer:
I had no idea about wheat beers so your info is fantastic for me.
Cheers,

Maxy.

My pleasure,

But looking back at that post, I actually think you need more orange than I said. Make it 3 or 4 rather than 2 or 3. And perhaps start with just 1 teaspoon of corriander seeds and see how you like it. Its a strong flavour and can easily overpower the other flavours in a Witbier. You can always add more to your next batch.

Glad I could help

Thirsty

 

[Ross]

If I was to hazard a guess, I would say that you could make something resembling a Witbier by using the same ESB kit and replacing safwheat yeast with the Safale T58 yeast.

I'd recommend S-33 if you want to use a dried yeast .

cheers Ross