Hoegaarden color

[shuie]

I've used the search here and tried Hoegaarden based AG clone brews two different times using both recipes posted in the AG forum and advice from my LHBS. The flavor profile I've gotten is good enough for me, but the color is really off. I care about the flavor more than the color, but I can't help but wonder what I'm missing or why I'm that far off on the color.

FWIW, in a 5gal batch, I used 1lb of rice hulls, 5lb of white wheat and 5lb of pilsner malt w/5gal of mash water at 155 for 1hr, and a 1 hr boil w/1oz of Millenium and Saaz at 60min and 15min respectively, plus the coriander, orange peel, & irish moss with the aroma hop dump. It's still in the primary, but the color isn't even close. It looks like a Brown ale. See below.

I've also used 8oz of torrified wheat & 8oz of flaked oats in a 50/50 mix of Bohemian Pils/Wheat mix, & a similar hop schedule with similar results. It tastes fine, but it's too dark.

Gratuitous pic. Guess the Brown Ale vs. wannabe Hoegaarden clone

 

[weirdboy]

Try a shorter and/or less vigorous boil. Of course you'll have to adjust your hops additions as necessary.

 

[jpc]

It's very hard to judge the color of a beer in a carboy; they always appear darker in the carboy than in the glass.

I'm no expert, but you may want to investigate a couple things. Do you know the mineral make-up of your water? This can have an effect on color. Additionally, it's possible that the pH of your mash is off, leading to color issues.

 

[weirdboy]

It's very hard to judge the color of a beer in a carboy; they always appear darker in the carboy than in the glass.

He said he's made it twice before, so I have to assume he's seen it in the glass.

Checking the water chemistry is a great suggestion, though.

 

[jpc]

He said he's made it twice before, so I have to assume he's seen it in the glass.

Sure... But my point was that I can't tell much from the picture he posted of the carboys. The first real indication I get of the color (and clarity) of my beer is when I rack it, either from the brew kettle to the fermenter or the fermenter to the keg.

 

[shuie]

Thanks guys. The boil was a short 60 minutes (most of the Hoegaarden clone recipes I've looked at call for 90 minutes), but was more vigorous than it should have been. I'm using 2-10pH strips I bought from the hardware store, but best I could tell from them was that I was somewhere between 4-6 for this batch. I'm still new to AG brewing and am learning a little more with each batch.

I'll get the water report from the water company and re-read the section of Palmer's book about measuring pH properly before my next batch. Should I try 4.6-6.2 pH strips or buy a pH meter?

Thanks again.

 

[BeerPressure]

show us the color in a glass.

 

[shuie]

okay, give me two more weeks. I'll post a pic. Do you want me to force carb it?

 

[BeerPressure]

okay, give me two more weeks. I'll post a pic. Do you want me to force carb it?

take your time. I was just asking for a pic of the final product because beers are always looks darker in a carboy.

 

[wonderbread23]

I do a wit that is basically 50/50 unmalted wheat and pilsner. It comes out super white and cloudy with a touch of an orange tint....color is spot on. I'd blame the color on too vigorous a boil...

 

[leedsbrew]

I've just done a belgian whit recently and it's ended up really good. It's not a hoegarrden clone but here's the recipe and pics anyway. Hope its of some help.

Lothlórien Mist

Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % MCU When
UK Lager Malt 2.811 kg 50.0 % 1.8 In Mash/Steeped
UK Wheat Malt 2.249 kg 40.0 % 1.4 In Mash/Steeped
UK Flaked Wheat 0.281 kg 5.0 % 0.1 In Mash/Steeped
German Caramel Pils 0.281 kg 5.0 % 0.2 In Mash/Steeped

Hops
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When
US Willamette 4.5 % 25 g 11.1 Loose Whole Hops All Of Boil
US Willamette 4.5 % 12 g 2.5 Loose Whole Hops 15 Min From End

Other Ingredients
Ingredient Amount When
Orange Peel, Sweet 45 g In Boil
Coriander Seed 15 g In Boil

Yeast
DCL WB-06 Safbrew

here are the Wit pics

Ingredients

Mash in

90 mins later

Sparge

Very pale looking runnings!

 

[leedsbrew]

28L on the nose!

Goodies!
(had to split the post cos of the restriction on images per post!)

Chilling!

VERY clear coming out of the kettle!

Filth :shock:

Sample

 

[shuie]

show us the color in a glass.

pic in a glass, as requested. The lighter one is Hoegaarden. You were right. It looks different in a glass. It's still too dark, tho.

The coriander spice is really, really strong in this batch. It tastes more like Shocktop than Hoegarrden. I used some irish moss, so it's a little clearer. I'll make sure I boil less vigorously next batch. Any other pointers, advice, etc..?

 

[redalert]

Remember, you will get a lighter color once fermentation is complete and most of the yeast and trub have settled out.

 

[shuie]

Understood. This batch bubbled steadily in the primary for 7 days and was transferred to a secondary where it sat for more than two weeks. OG was ~1.070, final was 1.015.

 

[ghpeel]

Just drinking the first bottle of my first stab at a Wit. For color, i'd say its exactly like a Hoegarden. Pale yellow, like straw or lemonaide. Mine was almost half Pils, half flaked wheat (NOT malted wheat) and a little extra flaked oats. I did a very low boil, more of a really strong simmer. Can't taste any DMS at all or anything like that right now. Not very carbed (only bottled a few days ago) but its not bad. The citrus and coriander is a little strong, but that will fade in a bit. Full recipe in my sig if needed.