jpsloan

Recipes 

My bud has a strawberry witbier that is very popular... so much so that he pretty much doesn't brew anything else. Anyways... SWMBO has requested that I give his recipe a shot. I've attempted to convert his recipe to an all-grain version, and made a couple adjustments.

Let me know if you see anything glaringly wrong with it!

5 lbs Belgian Pilsen
3 lbs flaked wheat
1 lb white wheat
1 lb flaked oats
1/2 oz. coriander
1 oz Liberty hops (60 min)
1 oz Liberty hops (15 min)
4 lbs strawberries (in secondary)

White Labs Belgian Wit Liquid Yeast #WLP400

Mash in 11qts @ 156d for 60 min. Batch sparge in 14 qts @ 170d.

(Edited to reflect changes in recipe.)

__________________
"An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold on to a blade of grass, and keep from slipping off the face of the Earth."

Desert Monkey

Recipes 

Interesting about the 5lbs frozen strawberries in the secondary, I'm looking at doing a Strawberry wheat and it mentioned to put pureed strawberries in the end of the boil for 20 mins or so.

Does it seem to make more sense to add to the secondary?

Wrathbone

Recipes 

That probably has to do with the assumption that the strawberries are fresh and need pasteurizing. If bought frozen, they are already pasteurized.

jpsloan

Recipes 

In point of fact, his original extract recipe called for adding a puree in at the end of the boil.

In reading through comparable recipes, I've found several people add fruit to the secondary after fermentation (which I like, since an alcohol content is already established, and errant bugs on the berries won't be such a headache).

Also, he complained to me about the puree fruit pulp clogging up both his autosiphon and his airlock/blowoff tube. I figured adding berries to the carboy would reactivate a minor fermentation process, but would certainly be easier on the blowoff tube than having the belgian yeast kicking their crud with it.

What I don't know is which process imparts a better taste.

__________________
"An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold on to a blade of grass, and keep from slipping off the face of the Earth."

Desert Monkey

Recipes 

That makes sense - I do have to add pectic enzyme to the batch I'm looking to brew.

Desert Monkey

Recipes 

I'm going to add the mix in, boil it into the wort for 20 mins, then remove it before the primary. Might not carry much of the taste over, that's my only concern....

might have to add lots

__________________
"Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence"

—General Jack D. Ripper

Wrathbone

Recipes 

Go for it. Give it a taste after fermentation, and if the strawberry taste isn't pronounced enough you could add them in the secondary.

Desert Monkey

Recipes 

I love that idea, I'll have to remember to taste it on the way to the secondary -

jpsloan, sorry, didn't mean to hijack your thread! I'm brewing this up Monday, so I'll make sure to put on here big a mess it created.

I'll even try to remember some pics -

__________________
"Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence"

—General Jack D. Ripper

HBDrinker008

Recipes 

Most often it is recommended to add fruit to the secondary. During the process of boiling and fermenting alot of the aroma and flavor of the fruit is lost. Depends on what you are going for though. But with strawberries I would go with the secondary because I have heard that strawberries do not impart a very strong flavor and what flavor it does tends to fade rather quickly. I have no personal experience though so take it as you will.

jpsloan

Recipes 

Do keep us posted on this. I might try my recipe in a couple weeks.

__________________
"An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold on to a blade of grass, and keep from slipping off the face of the Earth."