Help me choose! Pineapple Pale or Belgian White

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Which one??

  • Pineapple Pale

  • Belgian White


Results are only viewable after voting.

culaslucas

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Hey guys,

I'm finally brewing something that the SWMBO would like. I had her go through my recipe book (The Homebrewer's Recipe Guide) and she picked a couple out. Based on these recipes, which do you think would be better for nice refreshing summer drink? Have any of you happened to make/try either of these? (FYI, I'll be converting to AG once I decide). Neither of these are anything I'd prob ever brew so I need some help.

Pineapple Pale
5lbs. Extra-Pale Malt extract
1lb Crystal
2 oz Cascade (bittering)
1oz Hallertauer (Aroma)
1oz Hallertauer (dry)
Belgian ale yeast
4lbs Pineapple (in 2ndary with dry hop)
OG: 1.035

ORRRRRRRRRRRRR

Bitchin' Belgian White
3.33lbs Wheat Malt Extact
2lbs Dry Wheat Malt Extract
1/4 lb whole wheat flour (wtf?)
2tsp Coriander
1.5 oz Hallertauer
1.5 oz Cascade (dry)
Belgian white yeast
OG: 1.036

I've never done a wit or white or hef before - what's up with the flour?
 
I'd go with the Belgian White. The pineapple one sounds like there is too much of a risk of it tasting like ass. No idea what the flour is about (maybe find a recipe on here or get a kit?)
 
Flour will give you a starch haze which will ensure that the beer doesn't clear. My dad is an extract brewer and the only clear beer he has made was a wit. Clear wits just don't look right.

I vote for a wit but I wouldn't do THAT wit. A dry hopped wit? And with american hops? Then again, not everyone is super in to brewing to style. Still, I bet your swmbo would like it more if you removed the dry hop at added some chammomile at flameout.
 
so if I am AG, I can skip the flour? I'm not comfortable putting flour in my beer...

Here's the caption for the Belgian in the recipe book:

"This is one of the best homebrews we've ever sampled...It is best served very cold. A slice of lemon is a great addition"

I don't particularly care about brewing to style.

I've never converted a bill with wheat to AG. What's going on with the "Wheat Malt Extract" and "Dry Wheat Malt Extract"
 
No, the flour isn't an AG vs extract thing, it is usually more of a bottled vs kegged thing. The yeast gets stirred up in pouring each bottle, but when kegging the beer has a tendency to clear. If you're, uhh...not comfortable with it...then don't do it. It is by no means mandatory.
 
No, the flour isn't an AG vs extract thing, it is usually more of a bottled vs kegged thing. The yeast gets stirred up in pouring each bottle, but when kegging the beer has a tendency to clear. If you're, uhh...not comfortable with it...then don't do it. It is by no means mandatory.

haha okay, I'll give it a run. Just struck me as weird and artificial at first.
 
Okay, I'm going the Belgian, can anyone help me out with the conversion to AG? I've never worked with Wheat Malt Extract before....
 
It's difficult to convert an extract wit to all grain, because there really isn't a way to make an authentic wit with extract/steeping grains alone - it would lack the qualities of the unmalted grains. I wouldn't add more than a tablespoon of flour to this recipe. IBUs are Ragar. Pretty much any bittering hop can be used in place of the Magnum. You can also combine Hallertauer with the Cascade for your aroma addition, but I think the Cascade fits the style nicely. This beer tastes like a full-bodied wit with appreciable complexity, slight tartness from the unmalted wheat and just a hint of "gin-character" from the juniper berries.

I suggest something along these lines:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.049 SG
Estimated Color: 3.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.20 lb Wheat - White Malt (Briess) (2.3 SRM) Grain 59.62 %
3.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 33.65 %
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 4.81 %
0.20 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 1.92 %
0.25 oz Magnum [13.00 %] (60 min) Hops 13.2 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40 %] (5 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
0.50 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.50 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1.00 items Celestial Seasonings Chamomile Tea Bag (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 oz Juniper Berries (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Belgian Witbier (Wyeast Labs #3944) [StartYeast-Wheat


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 10.40 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
45 min Witbier Mash Add 20.80 qt of water at 159.8 F 152.0 F
 
so if I am AG, I can skip the flour? I'm not comfortable putting flour in my beer...
Just out of curiosity, why are you reluctant to add flour to your beer? It can't be a "beer purity" Reinheitsgebot thing because a wit beer is practically the opposite of German concepts of beer purity with the addition of spices, herbs, and citrus zest. Also, 1 tablespoon in five gallons isn't going to affect anything but the clarity. So it's hard for me to imagine any possible disadvantages to its use.
 
Just out of curiosity, why are you reluctant to add flour to your beer? It can't be a "beer purity" Reinheitsgebot thing because a wit beer is practically the opposite of German concepts of beer purity with the addition of spices, herbs, and citrus zest. Also, 1 tablespoon in five gallons isn't going to affect anything but the clarity. So it's hard for me to imagine any possible disadvantages to its use.

At first thought it was just bizarre...I would want a wit to be naturally cloudy, not by adding freaking flour.

In hindsight, I suppose I'm not opposed, just hesitant.

FYI, we decided on a wit - not the recipe above. Didn't brew it on Sat because SWMBO was busy and she wanted to brew it with me. So I went with BM's SWMBO Slayer instead....heh
 
Good thing going with the Wit. I know Jamil said he did a Pineapple IPA that ended up tasting like ass. I can't imagine a pale ale would be much better.

As for the flour issue. You aren't necessarily clouding up the beer with flour. All flour does is contribute a lot of haze causing starch. Think of its as a way to ensure permanent haze to your beer.
 
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