Belgian Wit

[paraordnance]

One of the best brews I have done! Very quick one too. From grain to glass in 14 days flat (if kegged), needs no conditioning, actually probably best when enjoed fast. Amazing color, smell and unique taste, so smooth and refreshing I just can't help myself reaching for more. Very close to Hoegaarden I will have to do side-by-side sampling.

4.5 lbs 2-row (RAHR)
4.5 lbs Flaked Wheat
0.5 lbs Flaked Oats
1 oz Goldings East Kent - 60 min
0.5 oz Cascade - dry hop last 5 days

0.5 oz Coriander Seed - 5 min
0.25 oz Coriander Seed - dry hop last 5 days

0.75 oz Bitter Orange peel - 5 min
Peel of 1 fresh orange dry hop last 5 days

I did this one BIAB, fermented from 1.044 down to 1.010 in 5 days with WLP400 (4.43% ABV). Let it sit for 9 more days, transfer to keg, 30 psi for 48 hrs, ready to serve. Amazing

 

[eastoak]

wow. i love that color. i have a wit that is ready to bottle and can only hope i got the same color as you did, recipe looks similar anyway.

 

[paraordnance]

oh boy, I think this one going to go fast, washed yeast, looks like will be brewing this again in a week or so. Next time will omit dry hopping with Cascade (almost can't smell any of it) and fresh orange peel, just stick with curacao bitter orange will be closer to the style, may be will do just 1 oz of coriander and 1 oz of bitter next time. More beer porn

 

[KYB]

Very nice. What yeast are you using? I have really enjoyed brewing my "Americanized" Witiber. Just some American grains and some late citrusy american hop additions, but nice and balanced.

Not to steal your thread, but figured I'd throw mine in . Beer porn is beer porn.

 

[paraordnance]

I used WLP400 Belgian Wit yeast. Love that yeast, used in Belgian Pale Ale before and it turned out really good

 

[bierhaus15]

Here's mine.

 

[android]

damn, you guys are making me itch to brew up a wit. it's been over a year since i last brewed one. i remember not liking the bitter orange peel after drinking it, what are your thoughts on sweet vs bitter orange in the wit?

 

[paraordnance]

damn, you guys are making me itch to brew up a wit. it's been over a year since i last brewed one. i remember not liking the bitter orange peel after drinking it, what are your thoughts on sweet vs bitter orange in the wit?

@ 0.75 oz for bitter the taste is so faint I can hardly pick it up, its just adds a nice touch to the beer. I personally think bitter peel goes better with this brew compare to sweet.

 

[bruin_ale]

You guys are making me thirsty! those are some delicious looking beers

 

[eastoak]

oh boy, I think this one going to go fast, washed yeast, looks like will be brewing this again in a week or so. Next time will omit dry hopping with Cascade (almost can't smell any of it) and fresh orange peel, just stick with curacao bitter orange will be closer to the style, may be will do just 1 oz of coriander and 1 oz of bitter next time. More beer porn

did you shoot those pics with a prime lens?

 

[paraordnance]

did you shoot those pics with a prime lens?

yes I did. Its cheapest Canon lens you can find, EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Good, old "plastic-fantastic"

 

[eastoak]

i bought my D7000 with the kit lens but i find myself shooting with my 50mm f1.8 95% of the time. love the primes.

 

[Mermaid]

You mentioned doing this via BIAB.. what size kettle did you use for the mash and/or what was your boil volume? Looks like the mash is totally doable in a 5 gallon kettle, but I'm curious about your boil and final volume.

 

[Toecutter]

Just tapped this Wit yesterday using Blood Oranges. 22 days grain to glass.

 

[Pivzavod]

yes I did. Its cheapest Canon lens you can find, EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Good, old "plastic-fantastic"

Hehe, I guess I will have to take some pictures of my beer porn. I have Canon 50mm 1.4 as well as 100mm 2.8 macro.

My next 2 brews are with American Wheat yeast. I never used this yeast, used 3944 in the past.

 

[Hellfish76]

I just brewed a Wit a couple of days ago (it is happily bubbling away), but this thread is making me impatient! Those all look really good.

 

[KYB]

Hehe, I guess I will have to take some pictures of my beer porn. I have Canon 50mm 1.4 as well as 100mm 2.8 macro.

My next 2 brews are with American Wheat yeast. I never used this yeast, used 3944 in the past.

Nice. I am saving up for a T2i and those exact lenses, and then a telescopic lens, and then a wide angle (thinking a Sigma). Had to sell my Nikon D3000, but here it is with it's own nifty fifty 1.8.

It's not as light colored since it's in a large Duvel glass, and of course the wider the glass the darker it looks. I think I've finally nailed down a recipe. It's damn near perfect IMO. .75oz coriander, .5oz bitter orange peel, wit yeast, 2-row and white wheat (not typical i know), .5lb flaked oats and wheat, and a .5oz of amarillo and citra at 20min and 5min left in boil (definitely not typical for the style, but works great).

 

[Pivzavod]

I <3 the color

 

[paraordnance]

You mentioned doing this via BIAB.. what size kettle did you use for the mash and/or what was your boil volume? Looks like the mash is totally doable in a 5 gallon kettle, but I'm curious about your boil and final volume.

I use 10 gal brew pot. I really don't think you can do it in 5 gal pot. Mine is almost full to the top. Ideally with 11 lbs of grain you need to start with 31 quarts of water, add grains to that and BIAB away I cheat a little. I always start with same amount of water regardless of a grain bill (just did a maibock with 18 lbs of grain) and top up later to required level sparging my grain bag after mash with some 170 F water. This way my grain to water ratio is always different depending on recipe.

 

[Unibrow]

I'll jump in here - in case this thread gets resurrected. I just did my first PM ever, and it was a wit


Mash water amount: 2 gallons
Sparge amount: 2 gallons
Top off with spring water for a 5 gallon batch

For the Mash:
4 oz flaked oats
4 oz biscuit malt
4 oz white wheat malt
4 lbs pale 2 row

After the Mash/Sparge, add while heating to boil:
3.5 lbs wheat DME

Hops:
2 oz Czech Saaz (3.3%) for 60 mins

With 5 minutes left in boil:
1.5 oz fresh cut Valencia orange peel (no white pith)
.5 tsp coriander (powdered from spice island)

Yeast
WLP 400


After about 52 hours of fermenting at 66-70 degrees the bubbling is still VERY active. About 1 BPS going into day 3. The smell out of the airlock is actually very good. Many people have reported the WLP400 being extremely nasty with sulphur so I'm trying to avoid that.

Hope to have this in the bottle in about 2 weeks - these pics are makin' me JEALOUS