Low Gravity Wit for the summer. Thoughts?

[KyleWolf]

hey all.

I am wanting to make a nice really low gravity wit for easy drinking (session and calorie intake alike) wit for the summer. Just wanted to get some feedback before I brew, but I think it is pretty standard minus one or two things.

Estimated OG-1.037
Estimated FG-1.004
SRM- 3
IBU-13

4.00lb Pilsner
3.25lb Wheat Malt
0.13oz Citra 60min
0.20oz Citra 10min
0.20oz Citra 5min

0.25oz Coriander
0.25oz bitter orange peel
0.25oz grains of paradise OR peppercorn
(Since it is such a low gravity beer, are these additions too much?)

Wyeast 3944 Belgian Wit.

I am thinking I want to mash in a bit high (152) compared to style so I can maintain a bit of grainy flavor since it is so low gravity.

Would love to hear opinions.
Thanks
Kyle

 

[MNDan]

Looks good. I've had great luck replacing the orange peel with ginger - 1-2oz's of ginger peeled, cut up small, then blenderized with a few ounces of water & added in the last 10 minutes gives it a nice ginger flavor.

Oh - and use flaked wheat to get the desired cloudyness.

 

[MJDore]

I just did a Summer Rye back in March that is similar except, obviously, I used some Rye in place of some of the wheat....and I used a neutral yeast (US-05, I believe). It turned out wonderful. Regarding your note on the spices, use the GOP and coriander in moderation. A little goes a long way in a low gravity beer like this.

 

[KyleWolf]

So, I ended up brewing this on Saturday. I am a little worried I added too much spice. This thing just reeks of coriander, pepper, and orange peel. Looking forward to trying it.

For such a low gravity beer, think I really need to wait the ordinary two weeks before kegging, or do you think this thing could finish out in a week?

 

[MJDore]

I kegged mine after 14 days. The spices were very strong after my 6-7 day carbonation period. They stayed that way for another two weeks really. I actually started adjusting my recipe at this point because I thought the spices in combo with the Rye Malt were just too much. Now, though, the spices have diminished significantly and the beer is really hitting its stride. So, I think it will finish very quickly for you but you'll need a long cold aging period for the spices to hit their mark. Just my experience.

 

[KyleWolf]

what was your gravity and how much spice did you add?

 

[MJDore]

what was your gravity and how much spice did you add?

Here is my recipe for this particular version. It was partial mash. My mash temp was a coupla degrees higher (152) than what I targeted (149). I was thinking I may do without the Seeds of Paradise next time but now that the beer has aged I think I'll leave the recipe alone.


_____________________________________________________
Recipe: Two Piece Summerfest Ale NEW

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.84 gal
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 5.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
2.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.5 SRM) Dry Extract 13.79 %
2.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 27.59 %
1.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 13.79 %
1.00 lb Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 13.79 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 6.90 %
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 6.90 %
0.25 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 3.45 %
0.25 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (60 min) Hops 6.4 IBU
0.25 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (30 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
0.25 oz Sterling [7.00 %] (10 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep Hops)
1.00 oz Saaz [5.10 %] (5 min) Hops 3.7 IBU
0.50 tsp Gelatin (Secondary 3.0 days) Misc
0.75 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.75 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
2.00 gm Seeds of Paradise (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-05) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 5.25 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
90 min Mash In Add 7.98 qt of water at 161.3 F 149.0 F


Notes:
------
NOTE: didn't have Pilsen Light DME which is preferred. Mash temp was high at 152. OG was 1.044 at 4.8-ish gals. Added 1 quart of water to get to OG of 1.042.

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