Witbier is a really weird style that's easy to approximate but damned difficult to nail.
Sorry to burst your bubble, guys, but it's impossible to brew traditional Witbier using extract/steep methods. Why? You cannot steep flaked grains and extract anything worthwhile out of them. Not mouthfeel, not nuthin'. They must be mashed. It's also damned difficult to get the milky white color with extracts; extract-based beers usually end up too dark.
But don't let that get you down! Just don't use flaked grains and ignore the color!
I've had good success using wheat malt extract and a bit of maltodextrin at bottling time added to taste for the body-enhancing qualities of the flaked grains.
Really, brewing tasty Wit can be pretty simple:
1. Enough Wheat extract to get to OG 1.050. For color's sake, I recommend as much DME as is convenient.
2.
One addition of noble hops, like Saaz or Hallertau, no more than 18 IBU. By no means add flavor/aroma hops. Not only is such an addition not true to style, not only does it always mask the delicate flavors and aromas of the spices, it screams "I'm a homebrewer who doesn't know any better, so I overhop things". Don't be that guy.
3. Get creative with spices. You can use the good ol' Coriander and Orange Peel combo and be fine. But things get really, really interesting when you start adding hints of different spices. I like Paradise Seed and Star Anise (be really careful with that one; it's easy to go overboard).
4. Use the correct yeast. This is not a place for Nottingham. Use a true Wit yeast.
5. Drink it young. Homebrewed Witbier is so delicious because it's fresh. Don't waste time in a secondary. When the ferment is finished (confirmed by hydrometer), bottle it up and drink it when it's ready.
Those are my thoughts on Witbier. You should be able to read through the HBT database with those thoughts in mind; hopefully it'll help you select the right recipe for you.
Cheers!
Bob
