Bad Cat Wit

[Shawn Hargreaves]

2 lb US 6 Row
1 lb Flaked Wheat
0.5 lb Acid Malt
0.25 lb Flaked Oats
(mashed for 60 minutes @ 150 degrees)

3 lb Dry Wheat Extract
1 lb Dry Light Extract
(late extract addition, boiled 5 min)

1 oz Czech Saaz [2.7%] (boiled 60 min)
0.5 oz Czech Saaz [2.7%] (boiled 15 min)
0.5 oz Czech Saaz [2.7%] (boiled 1 min)

0.7 oz Bitter Orange Peel (boiled 15 min)
0.3 oz Bitter Orange Peel (boiled 1 min)

0.25 oz Coriander Seed (boiled 15 min)
0.5 oz Coriander Seed (boiled 1 min)

0.1 oz Black Pepper (boiled 15 min)

This came out a little darker than I was hoping (I guess I need to go AG to get it properly white) but smells really good so far at least. I have high hopes for the acid malt introducing a pleasant level of sourness. Ah, the waiting...

 

[maui808]

How did this work out? I am planning a wit and wondering about the acid malt. I am planning 2oz.

 

[Shawn Hargreaves]

I've brewed this a few times since with minor variations, but always including the acid malt. A half pound is about right for my taste: enough to contribute a noticable tang in the finish, but not so much acid as to mess up the mash or fermentation chemistry.

 

[Shawn Hargreaves]

I thought I should update this as I've refined the recipe over the last couple of time I brewed it. Only minor changes:

- Simplified the hop and spice addition schedule
- Increased the amount of grain, as I got more confident with my partial mash setup
- Added a protein rest to the mash schedule

My latest version:

Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol: 5.04%
IBU: 14.1
SRM: 5.5

Mash:

• 2.5 lb 6 Row
• 1.5 lb Flaked Wheat
• 0.5 lb Flaked Oats
• 0.5 lb Acid Malt

Protein Rest: 20 min @ 122F
Saccrification: 45 min @ 154F
Mash Out: 10 min @ 168F

Hops:

• 1 oz Saaz (5.50%) @ 30 min

Late extract addition (@ 5 min):

• 3 lb Dry Wheat Extract
• 2 tbsp Wheat Flour (for haze)

Spices (@ 5 min)

• 1 oz Bitter Orange Peel
• 0.75 oz Coriander Seed
• 0.1 oz Black Pepper (or Grains of Paradise)
• 1 teabag Chamomile

WLP400 (Belgian Wit Ale)

Ferment for 2 to 3 weeks at 70F, agitating the carboy every couple of days.

I'm extremely happy with this recipe now. It's pretty much my house ale: the only recipe I can never allow to run out.

I can't decide whether I prefer it with black pepper or GoP. Both are pretty subtle contributions, very much at the subliminal background complexity end of the spectrum.

I brewed this once with Wyeast 3942 (Belgian Wheat) yeast instead of the WLP400. This was very different but also very drinkable: much less spicy and more fruity, but not objectionably so, and it was kind of a subtle blended fruitiness rather than over the top banana. Overall I think I prefer the WLP400, but plan to experiment more with 3942, which strikes me as rather than underused strain. I think the main thing is since this yeast is so naturally fruity, I'd probably drop the coriander down to a half oz and add some more spices: maybe more GoP or perhaps some ginger.