WitBier Recipe

[Don Armstrong]

I'd like to try a simple Witbier recipe. What do you think of this I found at Hopville?

4 lbs Torrified Wheat (need to buy)
3 lbs American Pilsner ( I have in stock)
1 lb Marris Otter (I have in stock)
4 oz Flaked Oats (need to buy)
8 oz Rice Hulls (someone want to donate a handful?)

1 oz Orange Peel (need to buy)
0.5 oz Coriander (need to buy)

60 mins - 0.5 oz Cascade (I have in stock)
5 mins - 0.5 oz Cascade (I have in stock)

Ferment with Safale WB-06 @ 68°

Basically, I would like to use cascade hops and keep the recipe simple.

Thanks!

[Don]

Why not use wheat malt. I've used troiffied wheat before.
Remember If you do to:
Use rice hulls (lots)
Mash for at least 90 minutes
Add six row barley malt

or you may end up with a starchy mess. Also, clean it out of your mash tun as soon as you're done or it will turn to cement, rice hulls or no.

[Don Armstrong]

Thanks for the input, Don.

I don't which wheat would be better - Wheat Malt, Flaked Wheat, or Torrified Wheat. I am looking for good flavor & easy to mash.

Why do I need the 6 row malt?

[Don]

Thanks for the input, Don.

I don't which wheat would be better - Wheat Malt, Flaked Wheat, or Torrified Wheat. I am looking for good flavor & easy to mash.

Why do I need the 6 row malt?

"One big difference between wheat malt and torrefied wheat is the diastatic power:

Wheat Malt = 74%
Torrefied Wheat = 0%

So, when switching to an unmalted wheat be sure you've got enough highly-enzymatic base malt to convert it.

US 2-row and either Belgian Pils or Pale should have enough power to convert roughly their same weight in torrefied (or any other unmalted) wheat. British malts typically have less enzymes so are not quite as good in terms of starch conversion in adjuncts."

So I'm told but have yet to experiment with the two different malts. I just remember when I used Torrefied I had a heck of a time getting a good sparge.

[Michael Erwin]

Here's a different take, supposedly a hoegaarden clone, and it does come fairly close, I did this one a few years ago:

5# Wheat Malt
3.5# Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1# Candi Sugar, Clear
1# oat flakes
1oz Crystal (60 min)
1oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 10 min)
1oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 10 min)
1oz Coriander Seed (Boil 10 min)
1oz Crystal (0 min)

[Don Armstrong]

Thanks for the recipe Michael.

I remember when you brewed that but I couldn't find the recipe on your beer blog. I was going to ask about it but now you have saved me the trouble.

Thanks also to Don. It looks like Wheat Malt is the way to go then.