I've been playing a bit with a variation of "White Lady" this last year, and have a recipe that I want to experiment a bit more with. I'm kinda tempted to split it into a slightly heavier winter version, and a lighter summer version.
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Witless
Partial Mash Recipe
Witbier
Yeast: Wyeast Forbidden Fruit 3463
Grains:
- Wheat Malt Extract (Liquid) - 3.3 lbs
- Pale Malt Extract (Dry) - 2 lbs
- Flaked Wheat - 0.5 lbs
- Flaked Oats - 0.5 lbs
- Melanoidin - 0.25 lbs
Hops:
- Willamette - 0.5oz Bittering, 0.5oz Flavor
- Saaz - 0.5oz Finishing
Additions:
- Irish Moss - 1 tsp
- Cumin - 1/4 tsp
- Coriander - 1/4 tsp
- Bitter Orange - 0.75 oz
- Orange Zest - 4 medium oranges
- Grapefruit Zest - 1 grapefruit
Brewing:
30 min steep @ ~170F
60 min boil
Half the Cumin, Coriander, Bitter Orange and Zest at 45 min.
Other half at 58 min.
Fermentation:
Ferment in the high end of the range, ~75F. Ferment until just finished and stable.
Secondary Fermentation:
Add 2.5lbs cranberries and 2.5lbs of peeled fresh navel oranges. Include orange zest as well. Feel free to pasteurize, drain and then add to the fermenter ahead of the beer from the primary. Add pectin enzyme if pasteurizing. Let ferment another week before bottling.
Secondary tends to be volatile with renewed fermentation, so use a 6+ gallon container for the secondary fermentation.
It can take a couple months to clarify, and will clean up the flavors a bit. A tertiary may be a good idea.
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The comments I got was that it was a nice light beer for summer, but they would have liked something heavier during the holidays, which this was kinda intended for. The flavor itself works, especially when the beer is allowed a couple months to clarify, so I don't really want to abandon that avenue either.
So here's what I am thinking... split the recipe into two variations. One aimed at the summer, one aimed at the winter.
I'm thinking of keeping the base recipe untouched for the summer recipe, but alter what I add to the secondary. Instead of oranges and cranberries, use oranges, lemons and limes for a more citrus-focused flavor addition.
For the winter, I want to keep the orange/cranberry secondary additions, but tweak the base recipe a bit, perhaps bring the gravity up by moving to 6.6 lbs of Wheat LME, or 6 lbs of DME. I'm also thinking of attempting to spice it a little more.
Anyone have any thoughts on the winter version, or perhaps other ideas on where to take this?
------
Witless
Partial Mash Recipe
Witbier
Yeast: Wyeast Forbidden Fruit 3463
Grains:
- Wheat Malt Extract (Liquid) - 3.3 lbs
- Pale Malt Extract (Dry) - 2 lbs
- Flaked Wheat - 0.5 lbs
- Flaked Oats - 0.5 lbs
- Melanoidin - 0.25 lbs
Hops:
- Willamette - 0.5oz Bittering, 0.5oz Flavor
- Saaz - 0.5oz Finishing
Additions:
- Irish Moss - 1 tsp
- Cumin - 1/4 tsp
- Coriander - 1/4 tsp
- Bitter Orange - 0.75 oz
- Orange Zest - 4 medium oranges
- Grapefruit Zest - 1 grapefruit
Brewing:
30 min steep @ ~170F
60 min boil
Half the Cumin, Coriander, Bitter Orange and Zest at 45 min.
Other half at 58 min.
Fermentation:
Ferment in the high end of the range, ~75F. Ferment until just finished and stable.
Secondary Fermentation:
Add 2.5lbs cranberries and 2.5lbs of peeled fresh navel oranges. Include orange zest as well. Feel free to pasteurize, drain and then add to the fermenter ahead of the beer from the primary. Add pectin enzyme if pasteurizing. Let ferment another week before bottling.
Secondary tends to be volatile with renewed fermentation, so use a 6+ gallon container for the secondary fermentation.
It can take a couple months to clarify, and will clean up the flavors a bit. A tertiary may be a good idea.
-----
The comments I got was that it was a nice light beer for summer, but they would have liked something heavier during the holidays, which this was kinda intended for. The flavor itself works, especially when the beer is allowed a couple months to clarify, so I don't really want to abandon that avenue either.
So here's what I am thinking... split the recipe into two variations. One aimed at the summer, one aimed at the winter.
I'm thinking of keeping the base recipe untouched for the summer recipe, but alter what I add to the secondary. Instead of oranges and cranberries, use oranges, lemons and limes for a more citrus-focused flavor addition.
For the winter, I want to keep the orange/cranberry secondary additions, but tweak the base recipe a bit, perhaps bring the gravity up by moving to 6.6 lbs of Wheat LME, or 6 lbs of DME. I'm also thinking of attempting to spice it a little more.
Anyone have any thoughts on the winter version, or perhaps other ideas on where to take this?
