I brewed 5 gallons Belgian Wit six weeks ago and bottled 3/4 of it in 12 oz brown plastic bottles for a party at a park. 1/4 of it I bottled in glass, and it tasted just like any wit you would get at the store. Today I cracked open one of the plastic bottled beers to test it, and noticed a mild but distinct bubblegum flavor. Searched the flavor wheel and didn't find it, so I googled "bubble gum flavor in beer" and found this thread.
Anyway, the wit in the plastic bottle has a definite mild bubblegum flavor, a little bit like the bubblegum inside a blowpop. The bubblegum comes across in the odor as a mild spicy/alcoholic scent.
Not really sure if the flavor difference between glass and plastic is from the bottle material or that I was drinking the glass bottled about 2 weeks earlier than the plastic bottled...
This is a BIAB at nice warm summer temps.
EDIT: I should probably note that I pitched this onto yeast that I used for a previous batch of the same recipe. The only difference between the two was I used Strisselspalt in the first batch and the second batch was over-pitched from the cake. For this batch, visible fermentation started very quickly and it began blowing-off within 4 hours. Visible signs of fermentation were gone after about 30 hours but I let it sit for 2 weeks anyway before dry hopping.
Whitey Deux
Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines
16A-Belgian And French Ale-Witbier
Minimum OG: 1.044 SG Maximum OG: 1.052 SG
Minimum FG: 1.008 SG Maximum FG: 1.012 SG
Minimum IBU: 10 IBU Maximum IBU: 20 IBU
Minimum Color: 2.0 SRM Maximum Color: 4.0 SRM
Primary 2 weeks
Dry-hopped in the primary 1 week
Bottled 3 weeks
Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 3.50 US gals Wort Volume After Boil: 3.25 US gals
Volume Transferred: 3.25 US gals Water Added To Fermenter: 1.75 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.00 US gals Volume Of Finished Beer: 5.00 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.046 SG Expected OG: 1.050 SG
Expected FG: 1.009 SG Apparent Attenuation: 81.8 %
Expected ABV: 5.4 % Expected ABW: 4.3 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 9.8 IBU Expected Color (using Morey): 3.9 SRM
BU:GU ratio: 0.20 Approx Color:
Mash Efficiency: 61.0 %
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 74 degF
Fermentables
German Pilsner Malt 3.25 lb 35.1 % 0.8 In Mash/Steeped
German Wheat Malt 3.25 lb 35.1 % 1.0 In Mash/Steeped
Belgian Aromatic Malt 0.25 lb 2.7 % 0.9 In Mash/Steeped
US Flaked Soft Red Wheat 0.25 lb 2.7 % 0.1 In Mash/Steeped
US Rice Hulls 0.25 lb 2.7 % 0.0 In Mash/Steeped
Extract - Light Dried Malt Extract 2.00 lb 21.6 % 1.2 Start Of Boil
Hops
German Hallertauer Mittlefruh 3.8 % 1.00 oz 9.8 Bagged Whole Hops 60 Min From End
German Hallertauer Mittlefruh 3.8 % 1.00 oz 0.0 Bagged Whole Hops Dry-Hopped
Other Ingredients - From the bulk section of the Co-Op
Orange Peel, Sweet 0.50 oz In Boil 60 mins
Orange Peel, Sweet 0.25 oz In Boil 10 mins
Irish Moss 0.01 oz In Mash
Coriander Seed 0.50 oz In Boil 60 mins
Coriander Seed 0.25 oz In Boil 10 mins
Yeast
Wyeast 3942-Belgian Wheat
Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Extract with Mini-mash
Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (66C/151F)
Step Type Temperature Duration
Rest at 151 degF 75
Recipe Notes