Belgian Wit

Whelk · 03-27-2007, 02:02 AM

Quick wit question--should I stick my usual 1tsp gypsum and 2 tbs Irish moss in there? I usually put them in to help clear proteins, but...do I want that in a wit? Thanks.

It's my first wit, in case you couldn't tell.

rdwj · 03-27-2007, 02:07 AM

I wouldn't bother

**Yuri_Rage** · 03-27-2007, 02:08 AM

Neither would I. Haze and cloudiness are acceptable in a wit.

homebrewer_99 · 03-27-2007, 02:20 AM

Don't bother. A Wit is essentially a Belgium version of a German Hefe Weizen. Cloudiness is a preferred characteristic.

Whelk · 03-27-2007, 02:22 AM

Yeah, I know about the haziness, I just wasn't sure if there were other reasons to be using that stuff (besides water hardness, for the gypsum). But thanks for the advice guys, this will be a gypsum and Irish moss-free beer.

**BierMuncher** · 03-27-2007, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whelk

Yeah, I know about the haziness, I just wasn't sure if there were other reasons to be using that stuff (besides water hardness, for the gypsum). But thanks for the advice guys, this will be a gypsum and Irish moss-free beer.

No need for either...however...

I used two tsps of gypsum and Irish Moss in my most recent batch.

I think the gypsum gave me a crisper beer and the IM did a nice job of lightening up the color. It was still a bit cloudy but not murky.

It appealed to a lot of BMC drinkers cuz it looked like a bright pilsner.

Just FYI.

sirsloop · 03-27-2007, 10:35 PM

I use irish moss in all my batches. The yeast is stubborn... likes to stay in suspension no matter what. I actually had one batch where the yeast never actually settled to the bottom. The yeast cake was dried up around edges of the container above the beer!!! Irish moss helps the cold break, which is something you want.