I’m going to brew a Belgian style Witbier tomorrow and have a question about the various spices and their appropriate concentrations.
At the moment I have 1oz of Bitter orange peel (dried) and 2g of Paradise seed. That sound about right for 5 gallons? Also, while I am absolutely not a fan of coriander in a beer- about half an oz looks good.
Considering an addition of one or two dried chile de arbol towards the end of the boil.
How about you guys?
Looks good. I’m not a fan of much (if any) coriander in beer either. One the local brewpubs specializes in Belgian beers, and they use bitter orange peel and chamomile in their Wit, and I prefer it. As for the chile, not sure. If it sounds good, go for it !
I like to put a very small amount of chamomile in to keep 'em guessing, about a half ounce at the end of the boil. I don’t know much about the peppers you mentioned, but I’ve been adding poblanos to my wit for years. It makes a great beer.
Hooray! ;D
Should I crack the grains of paradise? And Hmm chamomile… I may pick some up tomorrow. And Jeff- how do you prepare the poblanos and when do you add them?
When I used grains of paradise, I put them in a Ziploc back, a rough cracked with a rolling pin. I never found a definitive answer on cracking it, so I went with the rough crack. That is a very underrated spice. I used orange peel, grains of paradise, and chamomile in my last Wit. No coriander. Best Wit I ever made.
Roast them, then peel off the char and the skins, remove the stems and seeds, then cook them at 200F for 20 minutes to kill off any bugs. Add two or three peppers per 5 gallons after fermentation is done and let them “steep” for two or three days. You can add a little heat with some hotter peppers as needed. I usually use a half a habanero in five gallons.
Thanks that is good to know. I find it unpleasant when I’m like- “oh that’s coriander.” Love it in food. Not in my beer. I’m thinking not this time either! ;D
The coriander seeds are harvested from the garden though. Amazing how many a single plant produces.
Dry chile-ing ? Thought that might be the route. Poblanos are in season too!
Just made a wonderful Wit Bier. Some Indian coriander, chamomile tea, and the zest from about a dozen oranges. Heaven.
I really like grains of paradise. Havent brewed with them yet but had some good beers with it in it. I also like the peppers idea. I had a few beers with pepper at the NHC and really enjoyed them. A pepper beer may be coming up. I used lemon zest, coriander and chamomile in a wit a few years ago and it came out great. Can’t remember the amounts. I also used 1oz of coriander in my summer ale last year and it was too much and .5oz in my summer ale this year and it wasnt noticable. I think .75oz next time will be good, but if you dont like coriander in your beer I wouldnt add it.
Through a dried chile in the keg (or two if you want it to be a dominant flavor).
Did this to a ‘meh’ blond/cream ale a few summers back - AWESOME result. One of my very few successes in making a truly interesting ‘summer beer’. Pairs great with all things cooked by fire.
I use lime leaves, ginger and a little chamomile.