Fruit and Spice Beer Blood Orange Belgian Wit

Homebrew Talk

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

jamesjensen1068

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
348
Reaction score
14
Location
Omaha, NE
Recipe Type
Extract
Yeast
White Labs WLP400
Yeast Starter
none
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
none
Batch Size (Gallons)
5
Original Gravity
1.052
Final Gravity
1.011
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
none
Additional Fermentation
none
Tasting Notes
Like a Blue Moon only better. Orange forward taste, nice head, well balanced
Blood Orange Belgain Wit

2.5 gallons water
1/2 gallon water for zest and fruit

Boil
6 pounds Briess DME Wheat (60 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (60 minutes)
5 average sized blood oranges (In another pot)
1/2 ounce (15g) Saaz hop pellets (20 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (10 minutes)
1 oz Crushed Coriander (5 minutes)

In carboy
Cool water to the 5-gallon (19L) mark

Fermentation
Yeast: Wyeast 1214, 3942 or 3944; or White Labs WLP400 or WLP550

Bottling
3.6 ounces CreamyX or other priming source.

STARTING GRAVITY: 1.052
FINAL GRAVITY: 1.011
FINAL TARGET ABV: 5.4%

PROCESS
1. Heat 3.5 gallons of water in the brewpot. As the water begins to boil, remove it from heat. Add the light wheat malt extract. Stir to prevent clumping and scorching on the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to heat.

2. Allow the wort to come up to a boil. Add the first East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir. Start timing the 1-hour boil at the point that you make this hop addition.

3. Zest and save all the oranges. Once the oranges are zested remove the fruit from the rind. The fruit and zest may be placed in a straining bag for easy removal after fermentation. Heat fruit and peels in 1/2 gallon (2L) of water to 160 degrees F (71C) and then turn off heat. Let it steep as it cools.

4. 20 minutes before the end of the boil, add the Saaz hop pellets.

5. 10 minutes before the end of the boil, add the second East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir for 1 minute.

6. At the 60-minute mark, turn off the heat source. Chill the wort in a cold water bath to a temperature of 70F-75F (21C - 24C).

8. Transfer the wort into a carboy or a plastic fermenter. Pour blood orange peels and fruit into the wort.

9. Top up the carboy to a 5-gallon (19L) mark with cool water. Aerate for 1 minute

10. Pitch the yeast

11. In about 12 days, your beer should be ready to package.
 
Pics

blood orange bar 1.jpg


blood orange bar 2.jpg
 
note: in the body of the instructions under "Process" it says to heat 3.5 gallons of water. Correction-it should read 2.5 gallons.
 
It turned out great. Six weeks out the orange has come thru even more. The head has has become thicker and denser. I'll brew it again.

Cheers
 
Looking at doing this recipe. Are you sticking the fruit/zest in the carboy? Or just the steeped water?

Would it be a problem to leave the fruit/zest in the bottom of a carboy for the 2 week fermentation? Or would I need to rack it to a secondary after the initial vigorous fermentation?

Thanks,
Tim
 
3. Zest and save all the oranges. Once the oranges are zested remove the fruit from the rind. The fruit and zest may be placed in a straining bag for easy removal after fermentation. Heat fruit and peels in 1/2 gallon (2L) of water to 160 degrees F (71C) and then turn off heat. Let it steep as it cools.


Tim,

I didn't do a secondary on this, no need. The steeped water and the fruit (Use a straining bag as is makes racking and clean up much easier) are all placed into the carboy/bucket. Report back on your tasting notes on this, would love more feedback.

Cheers
 
Bottling today, tastes fantastic so far! I couldn't find blood oranges, so I grabbed orange blossom oranges. It still came out wonderful.

Can't wait for this to carb/condition. I think I'll be brewing this one regularly. Thanks for the recipe. I'll post once I have one ready to enjoy.
 
I just did this today. OG at 1.052. It's in the primary now, I'm pretty excited about it. This is only my second brew. I will post results when it's ready.

Thanks for the recipe.
 
This recipe caught my eye, but I have to ask, is a step missing? I have only brewed extracts along with specialty grains, so there may be something inferred here that I'm not picking up on.... I see you have the coriander listed, but I don't see it showing up in the directions and I would expect to see that as part of a steeping step if this was an extract + specialty. Can you please touch on how you add this?

Thanks!
 
Coriander is added at the last 5 minutes of the boil. It's listed in the recipe, just not in the body of the directions. Sorry for the confusion.
 
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was wondering how you add the coriander. Do you just toss it in and then strain it out of the wort on the way to the primary or do you put it in a muslin sack? I wasn't sure if the muslin would contain it once you crush it.
 
Just toss it into the boil. It settles out in the fermenting bucket. I've heard that some people recommend roasting the coriander in a pan to extract more flavor.
 
Just a reminder that if you are thinking of trying this recipe....blood oranges are now in season. I live in the midwest and we are coming to the end of when we can get these.
 
Bottled today! This tastes great so far, thanks again for the recipe. Is two weeks long enough for bottle conditioning? I guess you mentioned after 6 weeks, the orange comes through even more so...
 
You are welcome Sudol. Yes two weeks is enough for bottling...but just like any beer, it gets better with some age. Post a pic of your first glass..I'd love to see it and hear your tasting notes.
 
Finally picked up the ingredients to start this beer this weekend. Is there a reason you add the oranges at the very beginning of fermentation rather than after the primary fermentation is done like many other fruit beers?
 
tt0027,

I modeled this recipe off of the "Extreme Homebrewing" by Sam Caglione: Blood Orange Hefe and a Belgian Wit recipe...it's kind of a hybrid of the two. Try it either way, I'm sure you'll get good results.

I just made this again last sunday and I'm looking forward to kegging it this year (last year I bottled)

Cheers Mate!
 
Well here it is!
photo.jpg

I took this picture this past weekend. Tastes great. I'm very happy with this beer. It smells more orangey than it tastes. I imagine as you said, the orange taste will come through stronger after a little while. However, I'm not sure if it will be around long enough.

I ended up with 46 bottles. As I said, I just opened it this weekend, and after the super bowl party I am down to 26 bottles now. (there were only 4 of us)

I'll definitely make this again.
 
Not sure why the picture is sideways. It's normal on my computer.

Tip: for best viewing rotate your monitor/laptop 90 degrees to the right.
 
Sudol,
Awesome....glad you and your buddies enjoyed it. I just kegged mine last night. Thanks for posting a pic too.

Cheers
 
I've actually got this in Primary as my first homebrew! Question though, the krausen has turned a pretty uniform tan/brown color after about 8 days in. Is this normal for this recipe?

Thanks!
 
Finished bottling this brew today.

Took a good 17 days to finish fermentation, but it's in bottles now, and tastes fantastic!
 
Ajpoen, sorry I must of missed your post earlier. The krausen on most beers i've brewed are in the tan/brown color. You should be fine.
 
jamesjensen1068 said:
Blood Orange Belgain Wit

2.5 gallons water
1/2 gallon water for zest and fruit

Boil
6 pounds Briess DME Wheat (60 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (60 minutes)
5 average sized blood oranges (In another pot)
1/2 ounce (15g) Saaz hop pellets (20 minutes)
1/2 ounce (15g) East Kent Goldings hop pellets (10 minutes)
1 oz Crushed Coriander (5 minutes)

In carboy
Cool water to the 5-gallon (19L) mark

Fermentation
Yeast: Wyeast 1214, 3942 or 3944; or White Labs WLP400 or WLP550

Bottling
3.6 ounces CreamyX or other priming source.

STARTING GRAVITY: 1.052
FINAL GRAVITY: 1.011
FINAL TARGET ABV: 5.4%

PROCESS
1. Heat 3.5 gallons of water in the brewpot. As the water begins to boil, remove it from heat. Add the light wheat malt extract. Stir to prevent clumping and scorching on the bottom of the pot. Return the pot to heat.

2. Allow the wort to come up to a boil. Add the first East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir. Start timing the 1-hour boil at the point that you make this hop addition.

3. Zest and save all the oranges. Once the oranges are zested remove the fruit from the rind. The fruit and zest may be placed in a straining bag for easy removal after fermentation. Heat fruit and peels in 1/2 gallon (2L) of water to 160 degrees F (71C) and then turn off heat. Let it steep as it cools.

4. 20 minutes before the end of the boil, add the Saaz hop pellets.

5. 10 minutes before the end of the boil, add the second East Kent Golding hop pellets and stir for 1 minute.

6. At the 60-minute mark, turn off the heat source. Chill the wort in a cold water bath to a temperature of 70F-75F (21C - 24C).

8. Transfer the wort into a carboy or a plastic fermenter. Pour blood orange peels and fruit into the wort.

9. Top up the carboy to a 5-gallon (19L) mark with cool water. Aerate for 1 minute

10. Pitch the yeast

11. In about 12 days, your beer should be ready to package.


James, on step 8, do you pour the water the oranges were steeping in into the fermenter or just the straining bag of fruit and zest? I really appreciate it!

-Ritchie
 
jamesjensen1068 said:
The liquid and the bag of fruit with zest all get poured into the fermenting bucket.

Thanks! I am getting all of the ingredients today, and I will let you know how it turns out. I am brewing this batch on Sunday. Have a great one!

-Ritchie
 
Question, in your ingredient list it says:

6 pounds Briess DME Wheat


There seems to be a variety of the Briess DME to choose from, i.e., Bavarian, Golden Light, Pilsen, etc. etc. Can you tell us which one you used? It might be obvious to some with experience.... but I'm a beginner :eek:

Thanks
 
Wheat is the kind. Briess is the brand. The should have Light, Extra Light, Dark, Wheat... etc. I actually used Muntons brand Wheat DME because my LHBS didn't have Briess.
 
How fast do you pour the 3 pound bag of DME into the kettle? I heard it can harden up. Thanks!
 
I just dump it in while stirring. Keep stirring until its all dissolved. With the amount of wheat it will foam up so stir until it calms down.
 
jamesjensen1068 said:
I just dump it in while stirring. Keep stirring until its all dissolved. With the amount of wheat it will foam up so stir until it calms down.

Thanks!
 
Back
Top