Blanche | Witbier is our take on a classic Belgian Witbier also known as bière blanche (French), witbiers (Flemish) are aromatic, rustic, spicy and complex. Witbiers are a beautifully complex sensory experience and the perfect summer beer but we think you can Brew Happy and Drink Happier Blanche | Witbier all year round!
Cheers! Santé #brewhappy #enjoyresponsibly
Vital Stats:
Batch & Boil
- Batch Size: 21 Litres / 5.25 US Gallons
- Boil Time: 90 mins
Properties
- OG 1.050
- FG 1.009
- IBU 21
- ABV 5.4%
- Colour 9 EBC
Malt:
Amt Name Colour % Grist
2.20 Kg Malteurop Pilsen Malt 3.8 EBC 43%
1.00 Kg Crisp Wheat malt 4 EBC 20%
1.00 Kg UniGrain Rolled Red Wheat 3 EBC 20%
0.50 Kg UniGrain Rolled Oats 4 EBC 5%
0.15 Kg Crisp Light Munich Malt 20 EBC 3%
0.25 Kg Rice Hulls 0 EBC 5%
5.10 Kg TOTAL 9 EBC 100%
Hops:
- 25 gm Pacific Jade™ HORT1524 NZ Hops - Alpha: 12.5% - 10 minutes from end of boil
Yeast
Dry | Lallemand Brewing
- Lallemand Brewing Belgian Wit-Style Ale Yeast - 2 x 11g Sachets
Adjuncts:
- 50g of fresh Citrus Zest (5 mins) ideally Orange or Tangerines
- 11g of Crushed Coriander Seed (5 mins)
- 1g dried Chamomile flowers (5 mins) or 3 x Chamomile Tea Bags
Water Adjustments (Optional):
- ½ teaspoonful of calcium chloride and
- ½ teaspoon of calcium sulphate added to the mash per 5 gallons of finished beer.
Method:
- Mill the Grains (excluding the flaked adjuncts and Rice Hulls). Mix the Rice Hulls and Adjuncts into the grain post milling.
- Mash In - Dough in your normal mash regime (say 3 Litres of Mash Water to 1 Kg of Grain), mashing at around 50C (122F) for 15 mins then raise the temperature over the next 15 mins to 68C (154F). Hold until conversion is complete, about 60 to 90 minutes.
- Mash Out - Raise the temperature to mash out at 76C (168F).
- Sparge slowly - with 77C (170F) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil volume is around 25 L (6.5 US gal) and the gravity is 1.039 (9.7P).
- Boil - vigorous boil for 90 mins, which helps reduce the SMM present in the lightly kilned Pilsner Malt and results in less DMS in the beer.
- Add the hop addition with 10 minutes remaining from end of boil.
- Add the spices (fresh citrus zest, crushed coriander seeds and dried chamomile flowers (tea)) with five minutes left in the boil. Select tangerines or oranges (that aren’t green) with a nice bold, fresh aroma. If you have a citrus tree, let the fruit ripen longer, building a rich fruit character. Use a citrus zester to peel the very surface of the skin and avoid digging deep into the white pith as it is bitter and lacks citrus character. Measure the zest by weight, targeting about one to two ounces (50 g) in a 5-gallon (19-L) batch. Gently crush the coriander with the back of a heavy spoon to expose the inside of the seeds, which gives it a fairly strong, spicy character versus whole seeds. If you have fresh chamomile, use about 7 g; otherwise, use chamomile tea bags (about 3 ought to do it - open and toss the flowers in 5 mins from end of boil).
- 10 minutes from end of boil: Optional here to add yeast nutrient. Do NOT bother with a tab of Deltafloc or a tsp of Irish Moss (or other Kettle finings)
- Chill the wort rapidly to 20 °C (68 °F), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter and aerate thoroughly.
- Begin fermentation at 19°C (68 °F) for first 3 days then slowly raising temperature to 22 °C (72 °F ) by the last part of fermentation to create esters. When finished, carbonate the beer to approximately 2.5 to 3 volumes of CO2.
Food pairing and Glass Match (American Wheat Beer Glass or Robust Belgian Tumbler Glass aka Hoegaarden Pint)
- Seafood such as crab, mussels, oysters and clams
- Dim sum and other light Chinese dishes such as stir fries
- Light fresh cheeses such as young goat cheese, sheep cheese and feta.
- Brunch Dishes and Spring vegetables such as peas, beans and asparagus