Belgian Wit Thread Request

[dogbar]

I've searched every way I can think of, but no dice.

I'm looking for a thread I once bookmarked that showed someone's day-of process for brewing their belgian wit. I thought it was from BierMuncher, but it's not his blue moon clone.

The thread has pictures I remember very well. One with all the spices. Another one looking down into a paint strainer bag.

There were discussions of the black pepper used, as well as the tablespoon of flour for cloudiness. Oh, and many, many oranges were zested.

This was next on my "to brew" list -- and pre-promised to the SWMBO -- but I've lost the bookmark.

If you remember the thread, thanks for the help.

 

[McKBrew]

I'll bet it is this one. It is from Biermuncher, but a different thread from his brewday.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/just-another-brew-day-pics-99893/

 

[dogbar]

That's the one. Thanks man.

 

[SumnerH]

Oh, and many, many oranges were zested.

Sweet oranges in a wit makes Iron Eyes Cody cry:

 

[Bob]

+1. Next thing, someone will suggest flavor/aroma hops.

Every time someone brews with without bitter peel and with late hops additions, God kills a kitten.

Bob

 

[dogbar]

Yeah, well, I'm responsive to a higher power -- my wife.

 

[farmbrewernw]

Oh come on guys, don't knock it until you've tried it, it's a good beer I just made up a batch a couple of weeks back.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I'm planning on butchering the style a bit with a load of sweet orange peel, and making it at a very low gravity so I have a nice summer beer. I'll save the authentic Wit for fall when I want something a little more tart.

I suspect that more folks besides me will drink my Tejas wit. Most folks who tried my El Segundo Grado didn't like all the spices in there.

 

[SumnerH]

I'm planning on butchering the style a bit with a load of sweet orange peel, and making it at a very low gravity so I have a nice summer beer. I'll save the authentic Wit for fall when I want something a little more tart.

+1 on this. A true wit has never seemed like a summer brew to me (with the right balance of spices they make a wicked fall/winter brew), but a wheat beer with a lot of fruit in it is a great one!

 

[IrregularPulse]

I did a search for black pepper trying to find this recipe ad this thread came up. woohoo. Ordering ingredients today I believe.

 

[Grinder12000]

I'm brewing one this weekend with Anise Seed going in the last 5 minutes along with Sweet Orange Zest.

But I'm expecting it to be ready to drink next winter.

 

[flyangler18]

A true wit has never seemed like a summer brew to me (with the right balance of spices they make a wicked fall/winter brew), but a wheat beer with a lot of fruit in it is a great one!

Guess I'm in the minority here - but a wit always says summer quaffing to me.

The spicing should be delicate and subtle - the brasher spicing of some commercials like Allagash and Bells I find off-putting.

 

[Grinder12000]

brasher spicing of some commercials like Allagash and Bells I find off-putting.

Do you?? I've never had either but after reading reviews on Beer Advocate it seemed the closest to Ale Asylum Mercy (even though one is Pale and one is Dark).

The Anise Seed sort of put up warning lights as the recipe calls for 1/4 oz at 5 minutes along with 1/2 oz Sweet Orange peel.

 

[Bob]

Guess I'm in the minority here - but a wit always says summer quaffing to me.

The spicing should be delicate and subtle - the brasher spicing of some commercials like Allagash and Bells I find off-putting.

+1. Like most American interpretations of, well, anything, those beers are BFLM.* That's why I opt for Blanche de Chambly or Ommegang Witte if I can't get Weyerbacher Blanche - fresh warm-weather sucking down of nourishing Witbier.

A fresh, well-brewed Wit defines warm weather to me.

Bob

* Bigger Faster Louder More

 

[BeerPressure]

Anyone here make the wit from brewing classic styles book? I've got that in primary right now.

 

[IrregularPulse]

To all the comments about sweet orange peel, I didn't see once in BM's thread mention "sweet" orange peel. Just orange peel. I'll be brewing this Friday or Saturday weather permitting.

 

[Hokie]

To all the comments about sweet orange peel, I didn't see once in BM's thread mention "sweet" orange peel. Just orange peel. I'll be brewing this Friday or Saturday weather permitting.

You can tell from the pictures he posted what kind of oranges they are. While I haven't seen them myself, I hear the bitter oranges are pretty gross looking and look different than regular oranges most people are used to eating.

 

[IrregularPulse]

So basically whatever orange I grab at teh grocery store is going to be a sweet orange?

 

[flyangler18]

So basically whatever orange I grab at teh grocery store is going to be a sweet orange?

Yep. Dried bitter orange peel (Curacao) is the cardboard looking stuff you get from the LHBS and one of the two traditional spices in Witbier, ugly looking greenish-grey chunks. And for the record, the Curacao peel doesn't add any citrus character, but a soft herbal note. The citrus comes from the coriander (the other spice!). I know, brain-bender.

Do you??

Yes, I do. I find them brash and bold in the spicing - and nothing is in balance. The spicing should be complementary to themselves, not jockeying for attention on my palate.

 

[dogbar]

I brewed this the day I requested the thread. Super fast ferment with WLP400, even at temps in the mid-60s. Not sure why my experience was so different than for these guys: White Labs - WLP400

Anyway, hydrometer sample tasted great last night (wanted to make sure it wasn't stuck). The in-laws are in town so I offered them a taste. They couldn't get past that fermentation smell

The only sad thing about this beer is how good the bubbles coming out the airlock smell. All that wonderful orange aroma being carried away...

 

[farmbrewernw]

I just tapped my keg of BM's Wit last night, it has a nice floral flavor from the chamomile, maybe a bit too much coriander but other than that it's a keeper. I didn't have a Wit yeast when I made it so I used Nottingham, next time I will use a Wit yeast to get some tasty belgian yeast flavors, as always the Nottingham finished super clean even with a higher ferment temp.