Celis White recipe clone

[DJG42]

it's summertime, so that means I need a wit in the pipeline. I started trying to make a Celis White clone, but got stuck on the yeast.

any suggestions between Wyeast Belgian Witbier 3944 or White Labs Belgian Wit Ale WLP400?

for anyone who has done one before, how much coriander and bitter orange peel did you use?

 

[Homercidal]

AG or Extract?

I use White Labs and the WLP400 was pretty good.

I've used a variety of amounts of orange peel and coriander, and I think 1.5 ounces is as high as I would go. Maybe 1 ounce of coriander and 1.25 or so of orange peel. And that's fresh orange zest, not the dry bitter peel.

 

[DJG42]

AG. not that I wouldn't consider doing this as an extract, I just don't think I'll get the near white color needed for the beer.

I'm favoring the WLP400 as I generally prefer WL over WY. Just a preference I've developed over the years.

I'm thinking 0.75 ounce of each of coriander and bitter orange peel to keep it as close to Celis's recipe as possible. This might take a few generations to dial in the spices and yeast, but I got nothing but time and a good notebook.

 

[Homercidal]

Yeah, that's a good plan. Everyone's taste in spices is different, and .75 is not too low I think, for starters.

I've done AG a couple of times and am still trying to get just what I want. I've used different wheat due to supply constraints and I'm thinking flaked wheat has worked well for me. I want to think that they use raw wheat for Celis. I'd have to read up on it to remember.

The Extract recipe was very easy:
50% extra light pilsner DME
50% Light Wheat DME
yeast
peel
coriander

IIRC the color wasn't too bad. I've done it with full boils and late extract additions and I've been very happy with the outcome. Some of those batches tasted better than some of my AG batches (still dialing in my AG recipe).

Normally for AG I use 50% 2-row, 50% wheat, yeast, peel, spices. I am pretty sure I read that Celis himself added some chamomile at the end to give it an hard to find flavor. I don't care to get that close. MBC's Celis White is one of my favorite beers, and one of the best Belgian Wit's I've had. At home I like to turn up the flavors just a tad though.

 

[aldousbee]

Is there a good or acceptable Dried Yeast that we can use?

Also I was able to ranch the yeast out of a Hoegaarden - I wonder if I can use that one

 

[Homercidal]

I don't know of any good dry yeast for a Belgian Wit, but I use a clean ale yeast, NOTTY or US-05 for my wit. I just prefer the clean flavor more than the funky Belgian twist.

I'd try that Hoegaarden yeast. Since you live in the Philippines, it might be hard to get liquid yeast in good health.

 

[smokinghole]

I think the closest you'll get with a dry yeast is t-58. I am currently fermenting some wit with the T-58 strain and the other half with some WLp410.

 

[SimBrew]

I did a wit with S33 dry and the result was pretty good, keep temp around 68

 

[TarheelBrew13]

3954 is the same yeast as wlp400 which is the same yeast in Hoegarden which is the beer that made Celis White, the man, famous.

I would start with .75 oz Crushed Indian Corriander and 1.25 oz Orange Peel. Curaçao Orange Peel is traditional but lots of American Wits are made with Sweet Oranges. Also, a little Chamomile is great in Wits and rumored to be the secret ingrediant in Hoegarden's original recipe.

50% Pilsner and 50% Unmalted wheat is traditional (ie: Flaked wheat)

Good luck. This beer is my white whale.

 

[step]

3954 is the same yeast that made Celis White, the man, famous.

I REALLY think you mean 3944

 

[aldousbee]

i read the fermentis site and i found out that k97 is a wheat beer yeast, specially for belgian wheat beers, im guessing this is for wit.