Herb/Spice additions

This weekend i am brewing up an extract recipe Belgian wit something or other. I don't want to pin down a specific style, but it's based on a few Hoe/Blue Moon clone recipes just to keep things simple. I want to have a heartier beer, so i think i'm on the right track and i have a few questions.

What i am starting with is 8lbs wheat LME from AHBS, 1lb belgian candi sugar, as much coriander as i need, a ton of dried orange peel, and 2oz of camomile flowers. Yeast is a wheat friendly dry yeast as yet undetermined (i have a few varities). Hops on hand are: 2oz hallertauer, 2oz palisades, and roughly an ounce each of nugget and simcoe. I was thinking the hallertauer would work well with 1oz split throughout the boil and fermentation.

So my question is simple. For a 5gal recipe, how much coriander, dried orange peel, and camomile should i use? When would YOU add it? Should i crack, powder, or lightly crush the herbs/spices? Should i do some during the boil? At flameout? In the secondary? The flavor i'm looking for is citrusy with a medium flavor off the coriander and camomile. Not strong, but noticeable.

This is what i have on hand right now and i welcome all suggestions or links to a recipe with similar ingredients. I'm likely brewing Sat. or Sun. and could use some suggestions as i've search high and low and came up with some confusing results. In other words, i used the search and found mentions of what i needed, but nothing definitive.

So forgive my noobness if you will, and help a brother out if you can.

I'm not too experienced with herbs, but generally I understand them to be added in secondary. I'd go light -- you can always "dry herb" with some more if it's too weak, but it's real hard to make a strong flavor more mild.

For a wit-like beer, I'd consider just using 1-2 oz of Hallertauer for the full 60, and nothing later. Although... it's unusual, but a dry-hopped wit can be tasty if done right. YMMV. And I really should look things up in a book before posting my opinions on formulating recipes that I've never brewed myself, but hey...

great podcast on this style. I followed a lot of this advice and the witbier i made turned out to be one of my best beers.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/The-Jamil-Show/Witbier-The-Jamil-Show-03-13-06

oh and biermunchers take on it. (looks like he uses a good bit of the techniques from the podcast too)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/just-another-brew-day-pics-99893/

LordHedgie said:

I'm not too experienced with herbs, but generally I understand them to be added in secondary. I'd go light -- you can always "dry herb" with some more if it's too weak, but it's real hard to make a strong flavor more mild.

For a wit-like beer, I'd consider just using 1-2 oz of Hallertauer for the full 60, and nothing later. Although... it's unusual, but a dry-hopped wit can be tasty if done right. YMMV. And I really should look things up in a book before posting my opinions on formulating recipes that I've never brewed myself, but hey...

Click to expand...

I actually was questioning if i should dry hop or not. I taste tested the sample i'm currently brewing (Pliny The Elder clone) and if i never dry hopped, it would have been outstanding. I don't want the wit to be overly hopped as i doubt my girl or any of the ladies would enjoy it. I would, but i like hard-hopped stuff.

isleofman said:

great podcast on this style. I followed a lot of this advice and the witbier i made turned out to be one of my best beers.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/The-Jamil-Show/Witbier-The-Jamil-Show-03-13-06

oh and biermunchers take on it. (looks like he uses a good bit of the techniques from the podcast too)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/just-another-brew-day-pics-99893/

Click to expand...

Thanks for this! I wasn't aware it existed. :rockin: DLing this and the wiezen episodes now.

Anyone else got something? I'm feeling really good about this brew so far.