Big Moon (Belgian Style Wit Ale) Recipe Tweaks

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MellowToad

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Hey folks,

I'm starting a high gravity Blue Moon clone tonight and wanted to get some feedback on my recipe before I started it. I've taken multiple Blue Moon clone recipes from the net and modified it to a heavier grain bill.

Grains:
3.0 Pounds Pilsner
4.0 Pounds 2 Row Pale Malt
5.2 Pounds Wheat
2.0 Pounds Flaked Oats

Hops:
1.0 Ounce Hallertau
Yeast:
Belgian Witbier (White Labs #400)
Other Adjuncts:
1.0 Ounce Bitter Orange Pill
.75 Ounce Coriander


Any addition or changes? Thanks much.

Josh
 
use fresh zest rather than the dried garbage at the lhbs. I've never had good results with that stuff. Also, that seems like a lot of grain for a witbier.... but you said high gravity. Also if you have the option I prefer to use white wheat over regular malted wheat.
 
I just brewed up a batch of Belgian Wit which is in secondary now. After doing a lot of research on this forum, I found a few people that mentioned blue moon was made by Coors, which uses California Ale Yeast. If it's not too late, drop the belgian yeast & pickup some Cali. If I had to guess, the belgian yeast would make it more of a Hoegarden (Sp?) taste rather then blue moon.

Have fun!
 
I just brewed up a batch of Belgian Wit which is in secondary now. After doing a lot of research on this forum, I found a few people that mentioned blue moon was made by Coors, which uses California Ale Yeast. If it's not too late, drop the belgian yeast & pickup some Cali. If I had to guess, the belgian yeast would make it more of a Hoegarden (Sp?) taste rather then blue moon.

Have fun!

you mean they use the cali ale in just the blue moon? Cause they sure don't use it in any of their watery brews.

Also blue moon is a ****ty example of a wit. Ok beer, but not really what I think of when I think wit. Now Hoegaarden of Alagash white are two tasty wits.
 
you mean they use the cali ale in just the blue moon? Cause they sure don't use it in any of their watery brews.

Also blue moon is a ****ty example of a wit. Ok beer, but not really what I think of when I think wit. Now Hoegaarden of Alagash white are two tasty wits.

I don't know what it is but for some reason I'm real sensitive to the banana esters (as in can't stand) and in Hoegaarden, they stand out a lot to me....not so much as in a hefe, but its definitely there. Just a lil warning incase you do not like the banana flavors either.
 
I'd second the "use fresh" comment from above, but last time I brewed a wit I used the whole peel from a tangerine. Zest is just the outside, shiny part of the peel, and I'm pretty sure that the dried stuff you get in the store is the whole peel, white part (pith?) and all.

Dig Biermuncher's Blue Balls: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=24978&highlight=blue+balls

I've brewed it twice, once following his recipe to the T, the other time with the tangerine peel above. Both turned out awesome!
 
Personally, I like Blue Moon more than Hoegardenn, but that's just me. I made a BM clone a while back that used a blegian yeast AND standard ale yeast and it was pretty tasty.

I can't imagine a high gravity Wit though...
 
There was an recent post from a former Coors brewer (Wayne????) when they first produced Blue moon 13 years ago. The ratio of coriander to orange peel was 3:1. He said best to use Valencia peels. He used dried peels, .33 tspn, last 5 min boil, 1.25 tspn ground corriander last 10 min boil for 5 gallons of brew. Chico ale yeast used. He also did a 90 min single infusion @ 150F, IBU 17.5 w/ Hallertauer.
PLUS:
50% 2 row pale
40% white wheat
10% Flaked oats
 
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