AG #3 - Belgian Wit

[BrewerBen]

Yesterday was my 3rd All grain.
This time it was a Wit based on Adm's 'Wits end' recipe. I reduced the grain bill a little as i wanted a lowish gravity beer, unfortuneately this back fired as the efficiency was lower than expected. I also did not have any of the Oat Husks.

2.00 kg Lager Malt
2.00 kgWheat Malt, Bel
0.60 kgWheat flakes, Torrified

25.00 gm Perle [6.90 %] (boil 90 min)
15.00 gm Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 min)
20.00 gm Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 min)

Wyeast #3944 Belgian Witbier

Target OG 1.044

My first go at a liquid yest. It added an extra 3 days to the brew day to get the pack to swell and then ferment out.
Smack pack pics



Made up 2 litres of wort with 200g's of light spray malt as per the pack's instructions


Starter fermenting.

[BrewerBen]

Grain bill


Hops, smallest qty ive used for a brew yet.


The bitter orange peel and cracked coriander seeds


The Mash, the thermometer is attached to some cotton this time after losing it in the last one.

[adm]

Nice one Ben! I'll follow this with interest to see how it tastes for you. I really enjoyed it when I did it

You can probably drink this one young too

[BrewerBen]

Batch Sparging with a spare fermentor and grain bag as ive not yet fitted an tap and manifold to the cool box.




Hops in at the beginning of the 90 min boil


Grain and coriander in for the last 10 min's. I did soak them in some wort before putting them in.

[BrewerBen]

Colling the wort, i made the cooler to fit the 14 litre stockpot i used for extract brews, still works a treat for the big boiler


Draining


There was a fair bit of wort left so i ended up pouring the last bit through the sieve. I'll get some hose that fits the tap next time for a bit more of a siphon effect


OG. Lower than expected. I did add 200g's of sugar to get it up a bit as once i put the 2 litre starter in it would drop some more

[BrewerBen]

The next morning the yeast was trying to make a break for it.

[Alcopup]

Looking forward to updates on this one - it looks very interesting!

Alco

[kevthebootboy]

nice pictures mate, looks like your fermenters being sick!

[Alcopup]

Any news on this one BB?

Alco

[BrewerBen]

I just bottled it today and is tasting pretty good its not very bitter but has a kind of dry tartness to it, i guess that would be the orange peel. It has a fruity smell to it, it did have a very distinct banana aroma but that seems to have now gone now.I'm certainly looking forward to tasting it once it has conditioned for a while and been chilled a little.

The FG is 1.006 - it just kept on fermenting and kept a head on the beer throughout.

I bet i give in and try a bottle in a week.

[adm]

I just bottled it today and is tasting pretty good its not very bitter but has a kind of dry tartness to it.

Well....for a Belgian Wit, that sounds just about right!

[BrewerBen]

Thats good to hear, its been a while since i had a hoegaarden and i've not tried any other wheat beers. I'll buy a couple of bottles and do some comparisons when its ready. It's certainly going to be a refreshing pint and i may have to brew some more for the summer.

[adm]

Don't keep it too long - it's best drunk fresh.

I don't know how you primed, but in my book, it's also really good if it's cold and heavily carbonated too.

[yashicamat]

Don't keep it too long - it's best drunk fresh.

I don't know how you primed, but in my book, it's also really good if it's cold and heavily carbonated too.

Yep I always like wheat beers to be heavily carbonated so they almost "melt" in your mouth.

[MartialAnt]

BrewerBen - Did you put that full smack pack of yeast in that 1 brew?