Fruit Beer Toecutters Brewery Blood Orange Belgian Wit

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Toecutter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
560
Reaction score
17
Location
Riverside, ca
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
WPL-400
Yeast Starter
None
Batch Size (Gallons)
11
Original Gravity
1.052
Final Gravity
1.009
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
13
Color
9 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14@65dg
Tasting Notes
Nice smooth, Creamy head, easy to drink, summer beer
Ingredients:
9 Lbs 2 row
2 lbs Vienna
11 Lbs White Wheat
1/2 Lb Flaked Barley
1oz Cascade 5.5% @60 min
1oz Cascade 5.5% @ 10 Min
10 Blood oranges (or whatever you have)

Mash in 1.25 qts per pound of grain. 60 minutes at 151DG. Recirculate until wort runs clear. fly sparge for 30 minutes. boil 60 minutes adding hops at intervals as noted.
prepare blood oranges by slicing and scooping out the insides. Use a potato peeler to remove as much skin as possible. boil 1 qt water. cool to 180dg, add oranges, peel, and juice. prepare a hop bag. add orange pieces, and peel. Pour all this into the fermenter. Ferment for 14 days. the WPL-400 will produce a very active fermentation

cold crash for 2 days, keg, and carbonate to 3.5-4 volumes.


I just put this in the kegerator. Drinking it at day 22. i filtered this, most witts are unfiltered.

Smells slightly sour, but taste is not sour. very slight bittering, tapers to smoothness that slides right down the throat. nice mouth feel, nice creamy head

this is a wonderful beer. it will be a staple.

belgian.jpg
 
timely post.. i was just discussing my wit plans for october (thinking ahead) and the blood orange idea came up. My recipe is a bit different but I am now sold on the blood orange. sounds delicious.
 
Just pulled a glass of this from my latest batch. been aging/carbing for a month. nice beer. even the wife likes it
 
Picked up some blood oranges on a whim today, already had the ingredients for an Allagash White clone... thinking that I'll probably be doing this instead, looking forward to it!
 
Picked up some blood oranges on a whim today, already had the ingredients for an Allagash White clone... thinking that I'll probably be doing this instead, looking forward to it!

a good choice. I was down to 1/2 keg so I brewed yesterday, first of the new year. I dropped 12 gallons of this into the fermenter with some fresh oranges off my tree. watch out for the WLP 400 yeast its very active. I just checked the fermentation chamber, I am locked on at 68 dg ferm temp and its erupting out of the blowoff tube like a volcano spewing Lava.
 
Well, I'll be doing this with small substitutions, I've got the Wyeast Belgian Witbeir yeast on hand, and no Veinna so subbing Munich... also was thinking about subbing some Hallerteau... we'll see, it will be an adventure.
 
I got the ingredients to brew this today. Looks like a good one. Do you save peel, remove the "skin" between peel and the heart of the orange, then add it all to 180 Deg water? And do you put it in hop bag and add juice (using bag like strainer)to the fermenter or everything?
 
I got the ingredients to brew this today. Looks like a good one. Do you save peel, remove the "skin" between peel and the heart of the orange, then add it all to 180 Deg water? And do you put it in hop bag and add juice (using bag like strainer)to the fermenter or everything?

I have 10 gallons of this in the fermenter right now.

Heres how I do it. Boil about 2 quarts of water. cut oranges in half. scoop out insides with a spoon over a bowl to catch juice and pieces.when complete, use a good potato peeler to peel skins, takeing care to not get much of the white matter (pith),its bitter. The flavors and oils are in the peel.

Let water in pan sit a couple of minutes to cool slightly . Then dump all your orange stuff into the pan, let it soak a few minutes. then dump it all into the fermenter on top of you wort.

I have used a hop bag, but prefer not to so I get all the flavors mixed into the wort
 
Just got the ingredients and noticed the vile of yeast said good for 5 gallons. I'm ready to brew a 10 gallon batch tomorrow. Am I screwed?
 
Just kegged a batch of this on Friday...it's very orangish in flavor; almost like a screwdriver. Hoping it mellows out a bit...any suggestions to help it along?

How many oranges did you use ? The recipe I posted was for 10 gallons. I just popped a keg on easter that I brewed in January, and I think its the best batch so far.
 
I did a 10 gallon all grain batch. Ended up using 12 oranges since they were pretty small, and I used your technique of squashing all the orange bits into the fermenter on top of the wort. Hit all the gravities very closely, but I think it still got too much orange flavor..tastes "hot" like it has more alcohol than normal. I don't think it will be bad eventually...just might need some time.
 
Toecutter said:
Hmmm.........your way off. I consistantly hit 1.052 with 22-23 lbs of grain for 12 gallons. I take my measurement right after hot break

The same thing happened to me with a dunkelweizen. This will likely turn out to be a refreshing light beer, keep with it! Just in time for spring weather!
 
Just bottled this Monday night and had a little taste. It's going to be delicous! This was just my second all grain, my numbers were not exact, but pretty close. My OG was 1.056 and FG was 1.007. Very orange in color. I can't wait to drink.

Thanks so much for sharing!!! I am sure this will become an annual summer brew for me.
 
I have 10 gallons kegged, and i'll brew another 10 in a couple of weeks to stock pile for the summer. I still have quite a few Blood Oranges hanging on my tree that need a home.
 
Mine finally mellowed out perfectly...brought a 5 gallon keg to a wedding and it was gone in 3 hours. Women especially seem to love it in the summer. Thinking it needs to be done again ASAP.
 
Delicious! Popped one open last night. Wasn't as much orange flavor as I expected, but the smell was incredible. I did add coriander seed, which added a nice spice, but probably added too much. I bottled half in bottles and half in plastic bombers for the pool. It's going to be a great summer!
 
I used naval oranges as blood oranges were not available. It turned out great. I've never had it with blood oranges so I cannot compare.
 
Blood oranges in the store, this is happening tomorrow!!! I used the recipe but subsititued Naval Oranges as Blood Oranges were out of season. I also added coriander seed. It wasn't one of the best beers I have ever had. Very refreshing with a bit of spice.

I'm brewing this tomorrow with Blood Oranges. The question is, should I add Coriander or not?
 
I brewed up a batch of this recently as blood oranges were in season and it came out great. My whole family loved it and the keg i brought to a family function was finished off quickly. I've done a few orange witbiers now and this one is probably my favorite. Thanks for the recipe, I'll definitely do it again when blood oranges come back around.
 
I know the author is inactive but just thought I would drop by to say that I brew this every year and it's always a big hit.
 
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