jamesjensen1068
Well-Known Member
I have been excited to brew the Blood Orange Hefe since I saw it posted lasted year. Well my local Whole Foods had the Blood oranges for sale so I decided I would give it a whirl....in the end I decided to brew a Blood Orange Belgian Wit instead. :rockin: I'll post a pic in the future if I can.
Instead of using just the zest I went with the zest and fruit as is called for in the Blood Orange Hefe recipe. What I came up with is fantastic. It's like a Blue Moon only better. The orange flavor, corriander and slight phenolic/tart from the White Labs WLP400 (Belgian Wit) meld perfectly to my taste. I did change the hops as I wanted to use what I had on hand. This beer is still very young....but my god it's tasty. Here it is written up in the similar format as the hefe recipe.
Blood Orange Belgain Wit
2.5 gallons water
1/2 gallon for zest and fruit
Boil
6 pounds Briess DME Wheat (60 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (60 minutes)
5 average sized blood oranges (In another pot)
1/2 ounce (15g) Saaz hop pellets (20 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (10 minutes)
1 oz Crushed Coriander (5 minutes)
In carboy
Cool water to the 5-gallon (19L) mark
Fermentation
Yeast: Wyeast 1214, 3942 or 3944; or White Labs WLP400 or WLP550
Bottling
3.6 ounces CreamyX or other priming source.
STARTING GRAVITY: 1.052
FINAL GRAVITY: 1.011
FINAL TARGET ABV: 5.4%
PROCESS
1. Heat 2.5 gallons of water in the brewpot. As the water begins to boil, remove it from heat. Add the light wheat malt extract. Stir to prevent clumping and scorching on the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to heat.
2. Allow the wort to come up to a boil. Add the first East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir. Start timing the 1-hour boil at the point that you make this hop addition.
3. Zest and save all the oranges. Once the oranges are zested remove the fruit from the rind. The fruit and zest may be placed in a straining bag for easy removal after fermentation. Heat fruit and peels in 1/2 gallon (2L) of water to 160 degrees F (71C) and then turn off heat. Let it steep as it cools.
4. 20 minutes before the end of the boil, add the Saaz hop pellets.
5. 10 minutes before the end of the boil, add the second East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir for 1 minute.
6. At the 60-minute mark, turn off the heat source. Chill the wort in a cold water bath to a temperature of 70F-75F (21C - 24C).
8. Transfer the wort into a carboy or a plastic fermenter. Pour blood orange peels and fruit into the wort.
9. Aerate for 1 minute.
10. Pitch the yeast into the carboy and aerate for another minute. Top up the carboy to a 5-gallon (19L) mark with cool water.
11. In about 12 days, your beer should be ready to package.
Instead of using just the zest I went with the zest and fruit as is called for in the Blood Orange Hefe recipe. What I came up with is fantastic. It's like a Blue Moon only better. The orange flavor, corriander and slight phenolic/tart from the White Labs WLP400 (Belgian Wit) meld perfectly to my taste. I did change the hops as I wanted to use what I had on hand. This beer is still very young....but my god it's tasty. Here it is written up in the similar format as the hefe recipe.
Blood Orange Belgain Wit
2.5 gallons water
1/2 gallon for zest and fruit
Boil
6 pounds Briess DME Wheat (60 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (60 minutes)
5 average sized blood oranges (In another pot)
1/2 ounce (15g) Saaz hop pellets (20 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (10 minutes)
1 oz Crushed Coriander (5 minutes)
In carboy
Cool water to the 5-gallon (19L) mark
Fermentation
Yeast: Wyeast 1214, 3942 or 3944; or White Labs WLP400 or WLP550
Bottling
3.6 ounces CreamyX or other priming source.
STARTING GRAVITY: 1.052
FINAL GRAVITY: 1.011
FINAL TARGET ABV: 5.4%
PROCESS
1. Heat 2.5 gallons of water in the brewpot. As the water begins to boil, remove it from heat. Add the light wheat malt extract. Stir to prevent clumping and scorching on the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to heat.
2. Allow the wort to come up to a boil. Add the first East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir. Start timing the 1-hour boil at the point that you make this hop addition.
3. Zest and save all the oranges. Once the oranges are zested remove the fruit from the rind. The fruit and zest may be placed in a straining bag for easy removal after fermentation. Heat fruit and peels in 1/2 gallon (2L) of water to 160 degrees F (71C) and then turn off heat. Let it steep as it cools.
4. 20 minutes before the end of the boil, add the Saaz hop pellets.
5. 10 minutes before the end of the boil, add the second East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir for 1 minute.
6. At the 60-minute mark, turn off the heat source. Chill the wort in a cold water bath to a temperature of 70F-75F (21C - 24C).
8. Transfer the wort into a carboy or a plastic fermenter. Pour blood orange peels and fruit into the wort.
9. Aerate for 1 minute.
10. Pitch the yeast into the carboy and aerate for another minute. Top up the carboy to a 5-gallon (19L) mark with cool water.
11. In about 12 days, your beer should be ready to package.