Well it wouldn’t be wet zest. ;D
Ha! I get it.
I also use fresh zest. I find the bitterness harsh and unpleasant when the white pith of the citrus is used and I’m pretty sure that is still on the peels you get it at the store. To me, it has a taste reminiscent of spoiled fruit.
I’m actually gonna enter a couple bottles of this into a homebrew competition as “Chamomile Wit”. It’s not a BJCP event so something like this that isn’t too style but is sort of unique may do pretty well. Who knows. Like I said, it’s good, just not what you’d expect.
Thanks to MDixon for the mash schedule and to Jeffy for advice on flavours and to everyone else for their comments. It’s probably gonna be a while before I get to do this again anyway (darn work!)
MDixon,
Any thoughts regarding different raw wheat types for use in witbier (e.g. soft white winter, hard red, etc.)?
Hard wheats have more protein and so tend to give more haze. I think soft wheat is better for less hazy american wheat beers. That said, most use whatever is at the LHBS.
FWIW, I usually make Mike’s recipe using flaked wheat. For me it’s easier to deal with.
Not sure you’ll get Mike to reply but I use Bulgur which is cracked red wheat from Bob’s Red Mill simply because its so much easier to get at the grocery store. Boil it and mash, seems to work for me. I doubt the wheat is that critical as long as you’re using unmalted wheat.
FWIW, BJCP says unmalted soft winter white wheat is traditional.
I just brewed a wit and didn’t realize that unmalted wheat was necessary. I used malted white wheat. Oh well…I guess I am not much a traditionalist…
I make it that way quite often since I usually have wheat malt on hand, but the flaked stuff I have to special order for the recipe.
I can’t say I’ve ever noticed a difference to when I’ve used flaked. YMMV.
I never noticed that in the guidelines.
I had heard that Belgians use soft wheat. Problem is in Europe ‘soft’ wheat refers to all our normal varieties and hard refers to durum wheat. I was never sure if it got translated correctly.