Other uses for Belgian Wit Yeast?

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WhatsOnTap

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Hey gang, just got a Wit going a couple days ago, big citrusy/banana notes coming thru the airlock, just in time for SPRING! I used a Fermtech Blanche yeast, a new dry packet wit yeast. This is the first time I've bought a "specialty yeast" or anything else over $0.99 for that matter!

What I'm looking for are suggetions for a brew I can dump on top of the cake, but hopefully a recipe that's not too similar to the Wit I'm brewing now. I figure this is a good springtime yeast and for the price I should use it twice! Here's my recipe for the wit:

7 lbs Wheat/Light LME
1.0 lbs Candi Sugar
1.0 oz Saaz (60 min.)
0.7 oz Coriander (20 min.)
0.5 oz Bitter Orange (20 min.)
1 tsp Irish moss (20 min.)
Fermtech Blanche 12 gm.

One other question. Should I have not used the moss? I want a cloudy wit, so can I still accomplish this, and how? Thanks!

WOT
 
I just did the same thing you are mentioning. I made a Belgian Wit using the White Labs Belgian Wit strain(wlp#400, I believe). Before I racked it to secondary, I just made another wheat beer which I am going to make into a Cranberry Wheat. I don't have my exact recipe with me right now . . . but it is something like this:

5 lbs 2-Row
5 lbs Wheat Malt
1/2 lb Crystal, 40L
1.5 oz. Perle (boil)
0.5 oz. Tettnang (finish)

I am going to add a bottle of Cranberry flavoring (yeah, yeah . . . probably should use real cranberries, but :p ) at bottling time or late in the secondary.

I figured that the phenol and tart flavors might go well with the cranberry flavor.

Let me know soon what you plan to do, because I am thinking about using this yeast cake one more time before I abandon it.

BTW, what is the most times anyone around here has pitched onto the same yeast cake? Won't the yeasties begin to mutate after too much time?
 
How about a nice Belgian Dubbel? A nice huge cake like that would kickstart a high gravity like a dubbel or tripple.

-Todd
 
Oh . . . and about your other question regarding the use of Irish Moss and cloudiness. I used moss in both of my wits. It is my understanding that the particular yeast strain (if it is a good Belgian yeast strain) will be low in flocculation. This will increase the "cloudiness" of the final result. In other words, even with the use of Irish moss, your yeast strain (if it is a low flocculating strain) should result in appropriate cloudiness.
 
HomerT said:
How about a nice Belgian Dubbel? A nice huge cake like that would kickstart a high gravity like a dubbel or tripple.

-Todd

The problem with this will be the resulting cloudiness of the low flocculating yeast strain . . . which, I don't believe, is appropriate for Dubbels. Additionally, the Wit yeast will not impart those "plum" flavors typical of Dubbels made in the abbey or monastic style.

IMO
 
A Biere de Garde?

I seem to recall that the Jenlain clone in Clone Brews lists recultured Jenlain yeast as the first choice, Belgian Wit yeast as the second choice.

Wit is a pretty specific-usage yeast strain, I guess--not much else to do with it.

You could always "harvest" the yeast cake and save it for your next wit batch (or maybe swap yeast with another homebrewer).
 
I've been doing some reading on dunkelweizens and I'm pretty sure I want to do one... They are supposed to have that banana clove taste aren't they? My gut tells me it will be alright to use the Wit yeast in this recipe, but my gut also tells me on occasion that pickled eggs are good with hot sauce on them... Any input is appreciated (on the dunkel, that is :D )

WOT
 
Chairman Cheyco said:
I think it makes a top-notch engine coolant. Oh wait, that was Lil' Lisa Slurry...

Geez, it's that good eh? Now I'm really gonna brew some up, cuz I drive older vehicles and they tend to spring a leak once in a while. That way if I go to a party with a keg and blow a radiator hose I'll have lines and fluid to patch 'er back up!
 
"One other question. Should I have not used the moss? I want a cloudy wit, so can I still accomplish this, and how? Thanks!"

Nope, no irish moss in a wit. Don't think you could add cloudiness to it now unless you're bottling, then you could make sure some extra yeast transfers over to your bottling bucket. Then just swirl the yeast off the bottom of the bottle and pour into your glass. When I want a cloudy wit I add about 100-200 grams whole wheat flour to the mash. Some add a little to their boil.
 
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