Witbier Austin Homebrew's Blue Moon Clone (AG)

[dmbRedGetta]

Oh, I didn't mean that the recipe itself was complex, but that I've only been exposed to extracts like Lil' Sparky guessed. So you make an extract version of this recipe? I think I'm going to stick with those for now since I have everything to do them and so I can get more familiar with the brewing process.

Thanks for the pointers, though -- I just checked out the site and I see you have a Beck's clone as well! I'll definitely be checking out the site more later. Thanks!

 

[walke2jd]

Could this be brewed using a batch sparge instead of the double infusion? This is going to be my first AG and Im not familiar with double infusions.

Also, would I need to adjust the temps/times any if I did batch sparge?

Sorry for the newb questions, and thanks in advance.

- Jason

 

[Lil' Sparky]

walke2jd - welcome to the forum.

Your terminology is a little jacked up, but I think I understand your question. You can do a single rest at 154' (this would be called a single infusion mash), as opposed to a step mash. I've brewed this both ways and the results have always been great. The temp of the strike water you add to the grains to reach 154' will vary depending on your setup. I'd try 165-167' - that should get you in the ballpark.

Sparging refers to the step when you rinse the sugars from the grains after you're done mashing. You can sparge using any technique you like. I recommend batch sparging, because I think it's a little easier.

 

[walke2jd]

Thanks for the info. And yes, Im still trying to get the lingo down. Im brewing this tomorrow, so Ill update you guys on how it turns out later.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Darwin18]

I'd like to make this for my next brew, however I'm wondering where you got the bitter/sweet orange peel and coriander from? Would I be able to find these at a Trader Joes/Whole Foods/Harris Teeter?

 

[Lil' Sparky]

You should be able to get them from any homebrew shop. I usually order most of my extra ingredients from www.austinhomebrew.com. I'm not sure about the places you mentioned.

 

[walke2jd]

So i brewed this 3 days ago and for my first brew session and first ag attempt, I think it went great. My og was a little low (1.038) but from what Ive read, that isnt the end of the world. I didnt take into account all the heat the mash tun would suck up, so I ended up mashing at around 150' and just upped the time to 1.25 hrs to compensate.

Anyways, It began bubbling great on day two, with constant bubbles through the airlock. Now on day 4, its slowed to a bubble every 5 seconds or so. Is it normal for fermentation to slow down so quicky? Im used to wine which has pretty steady fermentations, so just wondering.

Thanks for all your help. - Jason

 

[KerryD]

I'm 3 weeks in and my final gravity is reading 1.015-016 over the last couple of days.

Should I bottle?

 

[Lil' Sparky]

Yeah, it's probably done. How did the sample taste?

 

[KerryD]

Yeah, it's probably done. How did the sample taste?

I'm not a big fan of this beer... it's for the wife, but damn... it's good!

 

[JMG680]

I just brewed this recipe on the 27th of December. I can't wait for it to get done. I added .5 ounces of both the bitter and the sweet orange peels to give it a tad more orange/tangy flavor. My only concern is that my original gravity came out to 1.036. A bit worried. How long did you leave yours in the secondary?

So how did it turn out. I am looking for a brew like Blue Moon, New Belgium Summer Wheat, or the new DogFishHead

 

[undallas]

Grainbill question...instead of flaked wheat.. Can I use unmalted wheat?
If so, is it the same ratio/weight?

 

[Lil' Sparky]

I'm not sure. I think a substantial percentage of flaked wheat is what traditionally makes it a wheat, though.

 

[Brewkowski]

I was shooting for something like a strong Blue Moon with a little grapefruit to it. Any thoughts on if this will turn out anything like Blue Moon?

Partial - Dim Wit Summer Strong Ale - Home Brew Forums

 

[Stevorino]

This looks great -- may be my first purchase from Austin Homebrew Supply -- I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Stevorino]

A few questions before I brew this sucker:

1) What fermentation temp did you guys use? The instructions claim 72-78, that seems a bit high.

2) Is adding any fresh orange peel zest necessary or is the citrus punch already pretty good?

3) The instructions list adding the special ingredients at 15 minutes -- I've always heard at flameout so the boil doesn't drive off flavors. Suggestions?

I'm pumped up about this beer, last time I did a wit (Hoegaarden Clone), it turned out amazing: arguably my best beer ever.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

I'd follow the instructions. definately add the orange peel - 15 mins worked fine. I don't recall on the fermentation temp, but I'd stick to ~ 70'.

 

[leavitt87]

I see that the recipe calls for corriander seed. I have some crushed corriander, could that be used? If so, should I use a smaller amount? Thanks. Can't wait to get started on this one.:rockin:

 

[Lil' Sparky]

I crush the coriander seeds before I add them anyway. I think most people do.

 

[SpottedDogBrewing]

Could you explain the mashing process on this one again! Not sure if I read it correctly!
Or copy original recipe on here.
Thanks

 

[Lil' Sparky]

I did a step mash, but it's not really necessary. It did yield good results, though.

Protein Rest Add 10.00 qt of water at 131.1 F 122.0 F 30 min
Saccrification Add 7.00 qt of water at 208.0 F 154.0 F 30 min
Mash Out Direct Heat to 168.0 F over 2 min 168.0 F 10 min

The first step was a protein rest at 122'. Read here for more details.

After the protein rest, I added 7 qts of near-boiling water to raise the mash to the sacc rest. You could simply do single rest at this temperature for the starch->sugar conversion.

The final step is the mashout. It's debatable if this is necessary, too. I do it to help with the sparge efficiency.

 

[SpottedDogBrewing]

Thanks much for the detail on mashing!
Cheers

 

[Stevorino]

Mine turned out much different then expected. I hit my OG and attenuated a bit high to have a lower FG then anticipated. I also did everything as suggested.

It turned out much more yellow than Blue Moon -- more along the color of Hoegarden. The citrusy notes are much more lemony than orangey and it doesn't have the same mouthfeel that BlueMoon on tap has.

Overall, I really like the beer and plan on doing a little experimentation with it. But I definitely didn't think the beer I brewed came out anything like Blue Moon -- granted, I do not blame the recipe at all -- it definitely could've been my brewing. Anyone else have similar results?

 

[Lil' Sparky]

Mine was definately oragney, not lemony. Maybe that had something to do with the orange peel you used? I didn't do a side-by-side w/ BM or HG, but I definately will next time. If mine turned out more like HG, I wouldn't care, I really like it, too.

 

[Stevorino]

Mine was definately oragney, not lemony. Maybe that had something to do with the orange peel you used? I didn't do a side-by-side w/ BM or HG, but I definately will next time. If mine turned out more like HG, I wouldn't care, I really like it, too.

I actually didn't end up using anything extra than what was included. I had blue moon on tap two nights before I tried it and from the bottle when I did try it -- very different. Like you are saying, it's still a great beer.

How long did it take yours to hit its prime?

 

[Lil' Sparky]

How long did it take yours to hit its prime?

Not long. This beer was good fairly young.

 

[trebor]

My boil came out darker than expected. Is ths normal or did I "scorch" the sugars? Thanx.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

AG version? I doubt you scorched anything. It'll probably be much lighter than what it looks like now. Here's what my finished product looked like.

 

[trebor]

yeah..all grain....I'll post the results...thanx!

 

[trebor]

PS certainly appreciate the reply!