All-grain Hoegaarden Clone Recipe/First time mash questions

[akira7799]

Hey Everyone,

I am new to the forum. I found these sites looking for a Hoegaarden clone recipe. I found this recipe elsewhere and would like to give it a shot. The recipe calls for:

Category - Belgian and French Ale
Subcategory - Witbier
Recipe Type - All Grain
Batch Size - 5.5 gal.
Volume Boiled - 6.5 gal.
Mash Efficiency - 70 %
Total Grain/Extract - 10.00 lbs.
Total Hops - 2.5 oz.
Calories (12 fl. oz.) - 176.9
Cost to Brew - $25.35 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.) - $0.43 (USD)

- 5.25 lbs. Belgian Pils
- 0.25 lbs. Oats Flaked
- 4.5 lbs. Wheat Flaked
- 1 oz. Hallertau (Pellets, 2.6 %AA) boiled 60 min.
- 1 oz. Hallertau (Pellets, 2.6 %AA) boiled 27 min.
- 0.5 oz. Hallertau (Pellets, 2.6 %AA) boiled 9 min.
- 1 ounces Crushed coriander pods
- 1 ounces Bitter orange peel
- Yeast : White Labs WLP400 Belgian Wit Ale info

So, now I have a list of ingredients off which to work, but unfortuantely for myself, have no idea when to add the coriander or bitter orange peel. I'm assuming that they are both flavors, and being such, they would be added with the flavoring hops with 27 minutes left in the boil. Does anyone else know when to add these other ingredients?

Also, I have several questions concerning the first time mash I will be performing with these grains.

1. I will have 10 pounds of grain. 10 pounds of grain will require 12.5 quarts (little more than 3 gals) for the mash. I would then need 1.5 times as much water for the sparge, which would be 18.75 quarts (a bit more than 4.5 gals). 3 gals plus 4.5 gals = 7.5 gals. This 7.5 gals is a pre-boil total and the recipe calls for a mash of 6.5 gals to be boiled. Does that additional water get absorbed by the mashed grains?

2. I am going to perform a single temperature infusion mash at about 160 to 165F, but would multiple temperature infusions benefit a Belgian Witbiers more?

3. In Chapter 17.0 of How to Brew, Jon Palmer says

For a thicker mash, or a mash composed of more than 25% of wheat or oats, a mashout may be needed to prevent a Set Mash/Stuck Sparge. This is when the grain bed plugs up and no liquid will flow through it.

He then goes on to explain mashout. I'm having a fairly difficult time understanding what he is talking about. Can someone else explain it differently?

4. I see that mash-lauter tuns are fairly expensive on their own, are there solid plans that are sold anywhere? Even better, are there solid plans that free?

Thanks again,
Dave

 

[Orfy]

Hi dave,

Some of that I can help you with. (The easy bits)

1.
10 lbs of grain will absorb around 1 gallon of water plus you'll get a bit of loss in the mash tun its self. (O.1 gallon per lb)

2.
(Don't know)

3.
Mash out -This is simply adding the sparge water at 170F which helps stop the enzyme activity turning fermentables into sugar (Thus helping keep the body of the beer) and also loosens the grain bed to aid draining the of wort.

4.
Mash Tun - take alook at my link for how I made mine., heres another El' cheapo mash tun. http://cruisenews.net/brewing/infusion/page1.php