Well to be honest I have never used a yeast starter… I know that sounds crazy but I have never brewed a big ABV beer that I think would need one. I know its probably safer to make one but I have good brews without using them. This winter I plan starting to use them for some bigger beer. As far as this brew what do you think could have caused this? Could be just my untrained tongue with an unfamiliar yeast but who knows. After talking with a few people who tried it they did not find it sweet but tangy.
No starter will ABSOLUTELY give you some extra flavors such as bubblegum, especially with a Belgian yeast like this one. You need to make a starter for the cleanest flavors. If you want a lot of yeast character, then you can skip it. If not, starter.
Perhaps this depends on where you get your sweet orange peel. The times I have used sweet orange peel I have gotten negligible bitterness but nice orange flavor. I do agree that it can have s scary amount of pith, but I just haven’t ever gotten a lot of bitterness from it. And I have used it for several beers.
On that note, where do you suggest getting lime leaves for homebrew scale? How many for a 6 gallon batch to be noticed but not a leading role?
I get mine off Amazon. Some place in CA.
Asian grocery stores often carry lime leaves especially if they specialize in southeast Asian ingredients (as opposed to Japanese, Chinese or Korean). Some spice shops carry them. Not sure if you have access to either type of shop in your area.
Yes, this is also another source we use when it is last minute.
No, only mac-n-cheese stores in my area. But I’ll keep it in mind when I head to the big city.
I enjoyed them in Keith’s beer so much that this spring I’m going to try some in my saison
Jim, this might be helpful. The suggestion here is 3 grams for 5 gallons.
Edit: This method involves making a lime leaf “tea” and adding it to the fermenter, which I believe differs from Keith’s method.
SO my local brewmaster and instructor for beer/wine/spirits of the world at a local college argues that Blue Moon is a Hefeweizen not a Wit bier… any comments?
It doesn’t taste like either to me but if I had to pick it would be a wit. Wits and Hefes do not appeal to the american masses the way Blue Moon does. My wife loves Blue Moon but would not like a Belgian Wit or a Hefe. I would consider it an ‘Americanized’ wit although they refer to it as Belgian White. It doesn’t have a belgian yeast character which is key.
Malts: Pale, White Wheat, Oats
Hops: Blend of Imported and Domestic
Our Twist: Valencia Orange Peel , Coriander
IBUs: 9
Original Gravity: 13º Plato
ABV: 5.4%
A Hefe would not use oats and would not be spiced.
Ya, if I remember right he adds to the boil late. It won’t be till spring when I use them in a saison. I’ll probably go with an ounce in whirlpool and about the last 15 minutes of that.
It’s a witbier. Snobs don’t like it but it’s still a witbier. Tastes good to me. It’s part of what got me into homebrewing in the first place, so from that viewpoint it’s a winner.
Agreed. Even by American hefeweizen standards it’s still well outside the category.
I’d wonder what this guy thinks is a hefeweizen.
24 grams of lime leaves per 372 gallons of wort (you do the math). I spin them in a food processor with enough wort to cover them (and in my case the ginger) and add them to the WP right at flame out. WP for 10 minutes and then a 10 minute rest before running through heat exchanger.
1/3 gram per 6 gallons? Good thing I asked. I was thinking 1 ounce per 6 gallons. There probably is a minimum limit though, and no doubt its style dependant. When Saison season comes I will try 1 gram pulverized in whirlpool for ten minutes. Thanks Keith
Could it be 24 oz per 372 gallons?
I suspect it’s ounces not grams but hopefully Keith will clarify that
Grams not oz. when I homebrewed this recipe I used about 2-3 leaves per 5 gallons. A little goes a long way and you can get a very unpleasant aftertaste if you use too much. Also, there is a higher utilization of ingredients on larger batches such as hops/spices. I don’t know why exactly that is but it doesn’t always scale so you will have to find your balance.
Thanks again Keith