Witbier Blue Balls Belgian Wit (Blue Moon Clone)

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Got a buddy who likes Belgians and wants to try out brewing beer, thinking this will be a good batch to let him test the waters with me. I haven't made a belgian yet, not too big on them though they aren't bad. Anything fancy I should know about adding the flavorings or do you just drop them in at the specified boil times? No hops bags or fancy tricks? Do you drain them out or let them sit in the primary?


I'd like to point out I'm planning on only showing him the all-grain method, if you are going to learn how, why not just learn the best way, right? I'm a good friend, that's why...
 
Bad_Horse_Brews said:
Got a buddy who likes Belgians and wants to try out brewing beer, thinking this will be a good batch to let him test the waters with me. I haven't made a belgian yet, not too big on them though they aren't bad. Anything fancy I should know about adding the flavorings or do you just drop them in at the specified boil times? No hops bags or fancy tricks? Do you drain them out or let them sit in the primary?


I'd like to point out I'm planning on only showing him the all-grain method, if you are going to learn how, why not just learn the best way, right? I'm a good friend, that's why...
Click to expand...

Nothing too fancy. Do you have temperature control for your fermenters? The ferm temps can have a pretty big impact on the final flavor depending on a few degrees cooler or warmer.

I like to let the orange peal and spice into the fermenter. Just make sure you crack the coriander seed just before tossing it in.
 
I always use a hop bag, just so they don't clog my system. I put orange and crushed coriander in it as we'll. I didn't put in secondary, only last 10 minutes of boil. Plan on washing yeast to save since I really like the ease of this recipe and the overall taste. It's a great summer beer.
 
image-2071294256.jpg
 
Still a relative newbie here...

So I followed the Blue Moon clone extract recipe (biermuncher) and have a question...

Recipe calls for 3# extra light DME and1# dry wheat extract. My LHBS suggested I flip the ratios and try 3# dry wheat extract and 1# extra light DME. I did a full 5.5 gal boil.

So far so good... until I forgot to add the 1# of extra light DME. Did my full 60 min boil.

I started to chill the wort with my chiller (made it to approx 100 degrees) then noticed the 1# of extra light DME still sitting on the counter. I quickly reheated it on stove (also have immersion heater). Brought it up to 160 pretty quickly, and held it for about 10 min. Then I re-cooled to 80, aerated and pitched my yeast. OG was 1.054.

Should I be concerned with this last-minute wheat extract addition??
 
drums09 said:
Still a relative newbie here...

So I followed the Blue Moon clone extract recipe (biermuncher) and have a question...

Recipe calls for 3# extra light DME and1# dry wheat extract. My LHBS suggested I flip the ratios and try 3# dry wheat extract and 1# extra light DME. I did a full 5.5 gal boil.

So far so good... until I forgot to add the 1# of extra light DME. Did my full 60 min boil.

I started to chill the wort with my chiller (made it to approx 100 degrees) then noticed the 1# of extra light DME still sitting on the counter. I quickly reheated it on stove (also have immersion heater). Brought it up to 160 pretty quickly, and held it for about 10 min. Then I re-cooled to 80, aerated and pitched my yeast. OG was 1.054.

Should I be concerned with this last-minute wheat extract addition??
Click to expand...

I don't think 10 mins at 160F is long enough to sterilize the dme addition. I'd be somewhat worried about contamination. I probably would at least have boiled the addition for 10 mins. Not trying to be mr. negative, though. Let us know how it turns out.
 
Do you use a secondary for this recipe? And if so how long? I ussually do 1 week in primary and 1 week in secondary with previous belgian recipes. Sound good or should I change? Any thoughts appreciated
 
branman said:
Do you use a secondary for this recipe? And if so how long? I ussually do 1 week in primary and 1 week in secondary with previous belgian recipes. Sound good or should I change? Any thoughts appreciated
Click to expand...

That's an ongoing debate around here. I usually just leave it in primary for the 3-4 weeks with good results. I only move to secondary when I'm dry hopping or adding fruit.
 
Got everything in primary... smell great! And a suggeastion to anybody doing this for the first time, use a blowoff or 6 gallon carboy (lots of krausen)
 
RandalG said:
That's an ongoing debate around here. I usually just leave it in primary for the 3-4 weeks with good results. I only move to secondary when I'm dry hopping or adding fruit.
Click to expand...

Same here. 3 weeks in primary for this recipe and it turns out great.
 
Just made an order for my second batch but they were out of belgian pale. Do you think belgian pilsner will be a good sub? Thoughts..?
 
Didn't get an answer so I just pulled the metaphorical trigger, so far everything is about the same letcha know how it turns out in the end
 
I got to brew this on Saturday. Hit the mash temps and OG on the nose! Very excited to taste this one. The stratification of the cold break and yeast was interesting to see in the carboy:

MJHbfPJ.jpg


This picture was taken less than 12 hours after pitching the yeast.
 
branman said:
Hope you got a blowoff tube on standby...
Click to expand...

haha for sure. You can't see it in the picture but I have one on there. The krausen didn't quite rise to the neck and it's already subsided. I was sad to see that beautiful golden color in the first picture turn the murky brown in this picture. But I guess the yeast have to do their thing, right?

hcU05IV.jpg
 
Ok, so I just tasted mine for the first time lastnight, and I have to say "I don't see how you could get any closer to BM". Neighbor really can't tell the difference... it tastes AWESOME! Planning on starting another batch this weekend

Thanks BeerMunchier for the recipe
 
So I brewed this up yesterday, just increased the malt to account for my terrible efficiency with wheat, and used 4942 (Belgian wheat) instead of the 3944 (Belgian wit). I read that a few people on this thread have done this, but didn't see any results. So how much will this change in yeast change the flavor?
 
JimmyN said:
So I brewed this up yesterday, just increased the malt to account for my terrible efficiency with wheat, and used 4942 (Belgian wheat) instead of the 3944 (Belgian wit). I read that a few people on this thread have done this, but didn't see any results. So how much will this change in yeast change the flavor?
Click to expand...

I find the 3942 to be softer on the clove and spice notes and a little more presence of soft fruit. I've done this recipe in extract with 3944 and 3942.
 
I bottled this today and as I was racking to the bottling bucket, there was about a gallon of trub on the bottom. I just decided to stop siphoning and bottle 4 gallons instead of 5. I strained it before going into the fermentor so I don't know if this was just thick yeast or what? The clear picture is the bottling bucket and the other one is what was left in the fermenting bucket.

IMG_20130511_113157_832.jpg


IMG_20130511_113150_640.jpg


IMG_20130511_113138_675.jpg
 
Had to pour my batch out. This for some reason was a nightmare batch for me. Smelled and tasted like wet dog. Everything that could go wrong went wrong with this one. First when I brewed (biab) the bag came out of the boil so large that it overhung my grille that I set it on over the kettle and a lot of the wort spilled down the sides of the kettle and onto my garage floor. My OG came out extremely low (1.013) with a final gravity of 1.006) so I wound up with a beer that barely had any alcohol AND tasted like sheet. All part of the learning process. However, I brewed BM's SWSBO Slayer and everything so far has gone smooth as ice. Looking forward to bottling it tomorrow.:mad:
 
PackerfaninSanDiego said:
just picked up the recipe and they did not have flaked wheat or WLP400....what are my options?
Click to expand...

You can get flaked wheat at some grocery stores - I had to do that on one occasion, it was in the bulk section (and cheaper than the brew shop, I might add). Does your shop sell wyeast? If so, use their witbier strain.
 
PackerfaninSanDiego said:
just picked up the recipe and they did not have flaked wheat or WLP400....what are my options?
Click to expand...

I just bottled this using danstar belle saison. I'll post some results after a month of conditioning. By now I can tell that FG is 1.000, it's quite good but the bittering comes quite through. Interested in seeing how will change with time.

Cheers from Italy! :mug:
Piteko
 
aclark0708 said:
Can anyone give a beginner moving to all grain a step by step directions for this recipe?
Click to expand...

This recipe is pretty basic, so nothing special in regards to making it all grain. Have you already purchased the equipment you'll be using? I'd suggest checking out a general all grain tutorial - there's tons of them here, as well as online in general.
 
Brewed this again last Fri. I love the fact that I can brew 24 gal and only need 31 lbs of grain. It is a very easy beer to make and a lot of people enjoy drinking it this time of year. I also like that this can be a ten day beer from making to drinking:)
 
About to do fourth batch and I have 1 question. Has anyone else noticed when you get to the last gallon or so in the keg the beer is almost clear with no haze and tastes very different? Do you know what would cause this?
 
branman said:
About to do fourth batch and I have 1 question. Has anyone else noticed when you get to the last gallon or so in the keg the beer is almost clear with no haze and tastes very different? Do you know what would cause this?
Click to expand...

The cold conditioning settles out the yeast towards the end of the keg. Shake the keg around to suspend the yeast again. Same thing can happen with a Hefeweizen.
 
Forgot how active a fermenter this yeast strain is. Cleaned up the carboys and airlocks that the yeast came through. Next time I'll use 6 instead of 5 carboys for 24 gal.
 
PackerfaninSanDiego said:
Crap.....brewed this on 6-10, forgot to take a reading, just before I bottled I got a reading of 1.028...if I was even close to the recipe FG....ABV will be under 2%......wtf......another beer going down the drain?
Click to expand...

That's suuuucks! Dont chunk it, might still be good...
 
PackerfaninSanDiego said:
Crap.....brewed this on 6-10, forgot to take a reading, just before I bottled I got a reading of 1.028...if I was even close to the recipe FG....ABV will be under 2%......wtf......another beer going down the drain? I racked to secondary on 6-23,,,took out of fermenter chamber and put in swamp cooler for 6 days...water temp was in the mid 70's.......it was frickin hot out all week. put back in fermenter chamber for 7 days.....
Click to expand...

My 2 cents: pitch some fresh yeast in krausen, let it work and take some readings.

Good luck from Italy! :)
Piteko
 
Ok two questions,

1. What is the purpose of rice hulls?
2. Should I remove all orange and coriander from wort before primary, or transfer them into primary?

Thanks!
 
creekwaterbrew said:
1. What is the purpose of rice hulls?
Click to expand...

To let the wort drain more easily when you are filtering. If you are confident in your filtering method, they are not strictly necessary (I made the recipe without them and had no problem).

creekwaterbrew said:
2. Should I remove all orange and coriander from wort before primary, or transfer them into primary?
Click to expand...

Remove them. They are used just like hops.

Cheers from Italy! :mug:
piteko
 

Similar threads

Zippy123
Feedback on recipe to split mash for two different beers
Replies
2
Views
415
Zippy123
Zippy123
PashMaddle
Brew day #2 is done.
Replies
22
Views
1K
lumpher
lumpher
D
First Recipe: 1 Gallon Maris Otter / Goldings SMaSH (Comments, suggestions?)
Replies
6
Views
352
Northern_Brewer
Northern_Brewer
G
Kolsch recipe - need help
Replies
31
Views
2K
superiorsat
S
H
Citrusy Pale Ale to clean out the freezer
Replies
7
Views
776
lumpher
lumpher

Latest posts

Back
Top