Critique my Wit

Beer Recipes
1

Traditional Wit
Witbier
Type: All Grain Date: 9/26/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal Brewer: Copper TrÖff Brewing 
Boil Size: 8.01 gal Asst Brewer: 
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My AG Setup
End of Boil Volume 6.76 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal Est Mash Efficiency 76.8 %
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes: 
Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8.0 oz Rice Hulls (Briess) (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 1 4.5 %
5 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 45.5 %
2 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 3 22.7 %
2 lbs Wheat - White Malt (Briess) (2.3 SRM) Grain 4 18.2 %
8.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.5 %
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (Briess) (1.4 SRM) Grain 6 4.5 %
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 13.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg Belgian Witbier (Wyeast Labs #3944) [124.21 ml] Yeast 8 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.045 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.6 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 13.1 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 3.3 SRM 
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs
Sparge Water: 5.77 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 13.75 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (1.77gal, 4.00gal) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 4.12 oz Carbonation Used: Bottle with 4.12 oz Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F
Notes

1 liter starter per mr malty

8 0z acid malt per ez water calc to get PH to 5.4

2

If you really want a genuine wit, go with raw wheat and a cereal mash. Its not that much more work.

Take into account about a 5% drop in efficiency due to the raw wheat.

IMO, wheat malt/torrified wheat doesn’t cut it in this style. I do like torrified wheat for an easy sparge and popcorn-like flavor contribution.

I know there will be conflicting opinions on this - its just my opinion.

Also temp control is important on this one. Witbier (and hef) yeasts can throw off some nasty phenols with uncontrolled spikes in fermentation temps.

3

What’s the thinking behind the oats?

not really traditional in a wit. If they are there for head retention you don’t need them as the wheat will give you plenty of that. for mouthfeel I would say to go with a slightly higher mash temp rather than oats but it’s your beer.

4

I use raw flaked wheat, not wheat malt. About 1/2 pils malt and 1/2 unmalted wheat.

Also - orange? corriander?

5

I second the flaked wheat instead of raw wheat. No need for a cereal mash with the flaked pre gelatinized stuff.  I use oats in mine as well, mash at 154. I also recommend MORE acid malt. You want your pH around 5.1-5.2 to get that classic Wit tartness imo.

6

Ok, thanks for all the comments so far.  As for the torrified wheat, I have a bunch sitting around and want to start using it up a little faster and I do not have access to any raw wheat right now(not needing to order online at this time, no LHBS).  In relation to the corriander and the orange, totally forgot to add them in BS but planning on .75 oz of bitter orange peel and fresh crushed corriander at 10 min.  For the flaked oats, all the research I came across stated that oats are common, including the BJCP guidelines.

I am thinking of fermenting around 70F for this strain, I believe it is listed as 68-75, so maybe a bit higher, undecided at this point.  So if I was to delete the torrified or the wheat malt and sub flaked wheat, which would you get rid of?

7

hmm, I guess I hadn’t read the ingredients section on that style closely enough. It does say that they can be used, I wouldn’t call that common. but that’s nit picking to some extent.

As I said, it’s your beer but I think it is a good idea to really think about each ingredient and what it is going to bring to the show. Don’t add an ingredient just because BJCP says you can or because other recipes do. Wit is a pretty open style so I am sure it will be fine.

8

oats are very traditional in a wit. I’m pretty certain the are used in hoegarten as well. you want a large portion of starch in the grain bill.

9

I’ve been doing wits lately with only late (-10min) or whirlpool (flameout) hop additions. It’s such a lightly bittered beer it doesn’t really matter if you skip the bittering addition, especially if using spices since bitter orange peel will provide a bit of bitterness, or if you’re adding acid post-ferment for a bit of sharpness.

10

Search for a string about mdixons wit recipe. That’s what I use and it’s great. Step mash is a bit more time consuming but I like the results although I did find it troublesome at first.
Last wit I just used Bob’s Red Mill bulgar which is just cracked wheat. Grocery store not LHBS.
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=8193.0

11

I shall consider that next summer!