First thoughts about Witbier.. some questions..

[guyb]

I've done a few AG's now and getting itchy feet for something other than Ale, not a masive fan of lager, but I do like witbier, - my experience of supping it is limited to Hoegaarden, BlueMoon and something I forget in Brittainy last year.

I have read with interest an number of threads, mainly by Pittsy about the technique, although some of the stepped mashes and decoctions confuse me somewhat.

So, I have some q's:

Is witbeir and stepped / decoction more suited to HERMS?
Can I do a single infusion mash with good enough results for a first attept?
I found the following recipe, I was going to make it a 90m boil (for no other reason than I've never done anything else):

Batch size 5.2gal (probly US gal)
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.2 SRM) Grain 50.0 %
4.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 50.0 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (60 min) Hops 17.0 IBU
0.75 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.75 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400) Yeast-Wheat

I need to convert to metric, being a 70's child :-)

Should I stay with the EKG's?
And is the 2row Pale Malt Bel - Belgian Malt?

This wheat stuff is a bit new to me etc! :grin:

 

[guyb]

Having read a few other threads about witbeer etc, I understand that the temps for fermentation are much lower, and I've looked at Aleman's Effin Erdinger etc.

Just wanted some advice on decoction - I understand that this involves having a range of temps (or is that stepped :wha:), taking some of the mash (or is it sparged wort? :wha: ) and increasing the temp and then adding it back to the mash? Sometimes once, but perhaps twice (depending on style?).

I am using a picnic box mashtun, and wondered whether this is practical for this style? Or am I overthinking it? The mashtun has no way of increasing the temps unless I add hotter wort etc.

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[pittsy]

i have brewed witbier a few times and i didn't do decoction and it was really nice , i would use sazz hops but that's me, mash in at 41c 20 mins more water to 50 c, 20 mins , more water to 64c , 20 mins then 72c for another 30 mins , pale ale malt(2kg) , pale wheat malt(2kg) , flaked wheat(500g) , torri wheat (500g), orange peel (take 2 large oranges , peel and cook in oven until a little crisp) and around 20g of rolled/ cracked corriander seed .

 

[Dave1970]

+1 on what Pittsy said. I did Aleman's Erdinger recipe with a straight 90 min, 67 C mash and was very happy with the result