Best Wheat beer/Witbeer?

[Templar]

God alone knows why I'm asking this shortly after buying so much from Wilko, other than it's about the only type of beer they don't do!

I am a real fan of light wheat beers, and right now I have a real hankering for one. I brewed a Coopers Wheat as my first brew, which was very easy drinking but sadly at my mate's house, so I can't have one right now. I've had a little dig around to see what other wheat beers are available but I have no idea which are the best.

I'm specifically a fan of Witbeer, like the Einstok White Ale (http://www.beertutor.com/beers/index.ph ... &t=details), and can only find one, from Brupacks. Problem is, it's hideously expensive (From the link at the top of the page at least, not seen it elsewhere) for how much it brews (£20 for 10 litres!), so I might have to slum it and drink 'normal' wheat instead.

So...

What's the best Wheat beer out there? I prefer a nice light one, not one of those German ones that is more brown than white. It would have to be in kit form sadly - I don't have the skill/time/patience to go AG just yet.

 

[Pinchy]

I've got a Brupaks West Riding Wheat Beer kit I'll be starting soon. I've heard nothing but good things about it :thumb: . Cost me £25 so quite an expensive one! But like you I really wanted to try a wheat beer kit and this looked like my best option.

Edit: this kit also comes with special wheat beer yeast and a hop "tea bag" to add to the flavour.

 

[Monte Cristo]

I've recently done the Brewferm Tarwebier which has turned out really well, it is nice and light with a good flavour. i made it with 750g candi sugar as the instructions suggested, so i had to buy 2x 500g bags. I think the kit was about £13.50 so with candi sugar was under £20.

Only draw back with brewferm kits is the wait 6-8 weeks, but that said it was worth it!

 

[Templar]

Thanks - I was looking at the Tarwebeir, but am put off by the need for candi sugar, unless I can buy it.

I hadn't considered the Brupack West Riding - I wonder how light it is? Dark wheat beers really aren't my thing, so if it is fairly light it could be worth a shout!

Otherwise I might just suck it up and buy one of these http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/bru ... p-795.html

Anyone tried it?

 

[zgoda]

You can sub candi syrup with eg dark muscovado sugar. It wouldn't be the same but close enough. Later you can make candi syrup on your own, using plain table sugar and yeast nutrient (dap).

 

[Pinchy]

A guy told me in another thread the West Riding Wheat just like Erdinger. That being the case it would be a fairly light one :thumb:

 

[Pearlfisher]

I have to make my OH the Milestone Raspberry Wheatbeer , she prefersto drink it rather than any commercial beers or wines she's tried :shock:

I'm not keen on it though ,I find the raspberry flavour too overpowering.

 

[Templar]

Raspberry Wheatbeer.

Should be outlawed. What a way to ruin a good wheat...

 

[morethanworts]

I think I'd just add golden syrup to the Brewferm Tarwebier, rather than anything darker. That's usually an acceptable replacement for candi sugar, from what I've seen.

 

[pittsy]

If you fancy doing extract it's as simple as 3kg of wheat dried malt (which is 50% wheat 50% barley) and if it's a german wheat beer (hefeweizen) you would want hersbrucker hops and a german wheat yeast (that gives you clove and banana) or if you wanted a belgian white beer (wit bier) then saaz hops and 30g of corriander seeds crush with a rolling pin and 30g of orange peel cooked in oven to help make bitter (unless you can get curico oranges) and a belgian yeast (crisp and fruity but not banana ) . I have yet to taste a good wheat kit (not saying there isn't , i just haven't) and the 1 i did do was terrible and brewing extract with a good yeast (key to success , i recommend liquid yeast like wlp380/300 for hefe, and wlp400 for wit )
Hope it goes well for you .

 

[Templar]

I'd love to try extract, and one day I hopefully will, but I can't right now. I can't brew at home, as I'm in a pokey little studio flat and SWMBO won't allow it because of the smell. Instead, I have to brew at a mate's house, and his SWMBO is also funny about the smell, so when we use the kits we even have to heat them up outside on the gas BBQ. I think I can get away with it with kits, but it would be too much for extract or all grain.

I've always used the kit yeast, so what I might do it trade up to a better yeast and try tinkering with coopers or one of the other ones that isn't too expensive, just to improve it a little. Thanks for the recipe though - I wonder if I can drop some of those things into a kit to improve it?

 

[Monte Cristo]

The candi sugar was purchased from the local home brew shop, so I would think any shop that sell Brewferm Kits will have it. Alternatively I think there is a guide to make your own in here.

 

[Templar]

I'm hesitant to try making my own at this stage, at least until I have more of an idea of the difference it makes, but thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye out for it - I don't have a LHBS, as London seems to have a dearth of them, but I can order online at least.

Cheers all!

 

[Mark-h]

The 2 kits I would recommend are brupaks west riding wheat which you can get for £22.50 on art of brewing or muntons connoisseur wheat which I do with there beer enhancer. Both are excellent.