Hoegaarden & Blue Moon Wits

[suhornet84]

Maybe someone can help me out with this. I love the sweet, citrusy flavor of Blue Moon and I plan on brewing a Belgian Wit soon. The other day I had my first Hoegaarden and there is an underlying spice, aftertaste I am trying to pinpoint because I don't particularly enjoy it. Is it the ground orange peel? Maybe the coriander? All I know is that both of those ingredients are used in most Belgian Wits but I don't detect that in the Blue Moon.

Any thoughts?

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Both of those ingredients are used in ALL belgian wits. It's required. You're tasting the Coriander though. The reason you don't get much in blue moon is because they use more orange to offset the spicyness.

 

[Bobby_M]

You might be tasting lactic acid which is also typical of real Belgian Wit. Blue moon is pretty far off from the style and might even use cali ale yeast for all I know. In fact, I'd call that an American Wheat with a touch of orange zest.

 

[suhornet84]

Thanks for that thoughts, I do understand that Blue Moon in not in the traditional Belgian Wit style, being of the Miller brewing company and all...

 

[Zen_Brew]

Blue Moon is brewed by Coors.

There was a thread a while ago where an HBT member who I think used to work for Coors claimed that Coors uses a CA ale type yeast for Blue Moon. It is a popular beer and likely acts as a bridge from Coors towards a Belgian style.

Hoegaarden is brewed with the traditional Belgian yeast which is known fro thowing some spice and esters into the finished product.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

The closest I ever got to cloning a Blue Moon was using a typical grain and hops bill for a Belgian wit, US-05 for yeast and 1/2 oz. of orange extract (grocery store, baking isle) for flavor. Now Blue Moon uses a different citrus extract, more like mandarin orange or red orange, but still, it was pretty close...
PS. You will need to use a blow-off tube for this one..

 

[suhornet84]

Blue Moon is brewed by Coors

MillerCoors.... we're both correct.

I do remember seeing that feed you're talking about, maybe it is the yeast... We make the wort, yeast makes the beer....