Celis White Clone... any reviews on this recipe?

[kuips]

I have not had Celis for a long time and thought I would brew some. I found this recipe on BYO site and wondered who has brewed this recipe and if you have an reviews and how it compare to the original?

Thanks

Celis White Clone
Author Julie Froehlich
Issue July 1998
Online Date Tuesday, 24 July 2001

This beer is a delicious ale brewed with malted wheat, barley, and oats. The style is characterized by the flavors of coriander and orange peel. (5 gallons)
Ingredients:

* 6 lbs. wheat malt extract
* 1 lb. Belgian candi sugar (clear)
* 1 lb. oat flakes
* 1 oz. crushed coriander
* 1 oz. sweet orange peel
* 1 oz. Curacao orange peel
* 2 oz. Crystal hops pellets (3.5% alpha acid): 1 oz. for 60 min., 1 oz. at end of boil
* White Labs pitchable Belgian Wit yeast
* 3/4 cup corn sugar

Step by Step:

Put oat flakes into a grain bag. Add 1 gal. of water and bring temperature to 155° F. Turn off heat and let oats steep for 30 min. Remove bag and drain completely. Stir in malt extract and candi sugar. Add enough water to bring to 2 gal. Bring to a boil. Total boil is 60 min. Add 1 oz. of hops and boil for 50 min. Add orange peel and coriander. Boil 10 min. more. Turn off heat and add remaining 1 oz. of hops. Steep for 10 min., remove hops, cool, and transfer to fermenter. Add 3 gal. cold water. Pitch yeast at 75° F.

Ferment at 68° F for 14 days. Prime and bottle. Age 14 days.

 

[The Blow Leprechaun]

Haven't brewed the recipe, but I know Celis is famous for the "secret ingredient" chamomile.

 

[Bob]

Oats must be mashed. Simply steeping them gives you nothing but sticky goo - it will literally make runny oatmeal, while leaving you nothing worthwhile in your wort. I'd omit it.

IMO, a "true" witbier will have oats - and wheat of various types - but it's really quite impossible to do that with extract-and-steep techniques. That said, you can brew an excellent Witbier with Wheat extracts. I've done it!

I'd also omit the finishing hops. I find hops flavors will negatively impact the spice and yeast flavors.

Cheers,

Bob