Help with adding orange zest to belgian witbier

[Gagunga]

Hello,

My brew kit has dried orange peel but I wanted to use fresh for a better burst of orange flavor (like a shock top). How much by weight should I add to my wort? At what time during the boil should I put it in? Thanks for your help guys.

 

[owmatooth]

if you want the orange to come through in the finished beer, don't add it till the end of the boil. I've been playing with different additions, and my last go (on tap now) had me up to 2 oz. at 5 min boil and 2 oz after initial fermentation in primary. (i'm basically dry hopping with the orange peel in a hop bag). Still not getting as upfront an orange taste as I'd like. I'm basically looking for orange wedge in your beer flavor- but without having to cut up fresh oranges. next step is to try some orange extract to the finished keg. I tried orange kool aid in the glass to test and that tasted like orange kool aid, not a wedge of orange in the beer. The quest continues...

 

[Morrey]

Hello,

My brew kit has dried orange peel but I wanted to use fresh for a better burst of orange flavor (like a shock top). How much by weight should I add to my wort? At what time during the boil should I put it in? Thanks for your help guys.

For typical low key orange notes such as a beer like you suggested, .75 to 1 ounce of dried orange peels in a 5G batch added about 5 minutes left in your boil is about right. I often leave it sitting for a few extra minutes after the flame is out to let the peels steep.

 

[jalc6927]

I've put fresh orange in after boil on two different brews, first I used 6 fresh cut into 8 slices each, came out great

Next was 5 Valencia oranges and was ok, the small naval worked better

 

[Calder]

I recently made a beer that had too much orange flavor. I wanted it to complement the hops, but it just overwhelmed them.

I used the zest of 4 Valencia oranges. 2 went in the boil at about 20 minutes. The other two spent several weeks in vodka before adding to the fermenter.

High alcohol (vodka) will extract the orange oil from the zest more readily than lower alcohol beer.

 

[jalc6927]

Thats interesting, what orange essential oils?

I add a few drops to my glass before pouring the beer, I wonder how adding oil to the brew would work?

 

[Dcpcooks]

Thats interesting, what orange essential oils?

I add a few drops to my glass before pouring the beer, I wonder how adding oil to the brew would work?

I have added orange extract to my cooled wort in the past. It works but I've found dried orange peel add at the end of the boil @ 5 min produces a little more flavor. It's a bit more smooth and rounded. You may want to read the old blue moon thread on here. It's got some good info and interesting ideas on the use of orange and coriander. I've found that a bit of coriander helps the orange flavors pop. In my experience the coriander added a fruit aroma and the peel offered a bit of bitterness which was a bit counterintuitive.

I use this product at .75-1.25 oz per 5 gallons. https://www.thespicehouse.com/seville-bitter-orange-peel-zest