AG#11 Witbier 2.0

[matt76]

I wasn't totally happy with my last witbier, AG#6 - I followed the GH recipe and used malted wheat and it ended up tasting more like a weizen. Not to be deterred I decided to have another go using what I hope will be a better grain bill:

1kg Flaked Wheat
1kg Pilsner Malt
200g Flaked Oats
200g Flaked Barley

Stepped mash:
5L @ 50degC for 15mins
+ 3L @ 100degC = 8L @ 67degC for 90 mins
Dunk sparge in 9L water @ 80degC
Boil 60 mins
Late hop with 35g First Gold @ 9.16% AAU for 10 mins

BG = 1.040 @ 20degC
OG = 1.048 @ 20degC

My efficiency was really high, more than I expected so I think the final ABV will be a touch higher than I wanted, around 4.7% (I was aiming for 4-4.5). Not sure of the reason for the high efficiency - maybe the long mash time.

One of the sources I read recommended to leave out the coriander and orange peel and just use hops. Personally I found the bitter orange I used last time was a bit much so I decided to use what I had in stock and thought I'd try some late-hopping again.

I recalculated the hop addition on the fly because of the higher efficiency, but got more boil off than expected at the end of the boil - so in hindsight I was a little heavy-handed with the hops and I'm more like 24 IBU's instead of 15-20.

I'd grown a starter over the last 48 hours of Wyeast 3944 using slurry collected from AG#6, so in that went. It's now tucked up in the FV in Brewer's Corner getting ready for action.

 

[HarryFlatters]

Did you add a bittering hop, or just the late add First Gold?

 

[matt76]

Did you add a bittering hop, or just the late add First Gold?

Just the late first gold - you Chuck loads in to get the same IBU's as a small amount at the start of the boil, but you also get the aroma.

I tried it last year in an IPA and it worked really well so I figured what the heck...

 

[matt76]

Finally bottled this last night, it's only been in the FV for four weeks!

Final yield was 36 x 330ml, a few more than expected. I went for 2.4 vols CO2, same as my last Witbier.

Having tweaked the recipe it's definitely different to last time - will have to wait until it's ready and then do a proper side by side tasting, but the taste I had was good.

It's attenuated a little more then last time, plus the mash efficiency was higher than expected, so we're up at 5% ABV rather than 4.5% I was aiming for but it'll do.

FG 1.010 @ 20degC
ABV = 5.0%
SRM = 3.3
IBU = 24.0

 

[matt76]

Update:

So after 4 weeks it's ready to drink.....

Pic below shows 2 x 330ml bottles worth - the 2 on the left are my previous attempt (AG#6) faithful to the GH recipe, without and with sediment.....

and the 2 on the right are this latest brew, again without and with sediment.....

This brew has a more pleasing colour, more yellow-ey straw. Plus it's naturally cloudy, i guess due to the flaked oats.

Taste-wise, well it's quite a simple taste, it's wheaty and there's a little tartness from the yeast. There's some bitterness although I'm not getting any hop flavour (not that i would expect much).

It's good and a definite improvement on the first attempt - it seems like it would be a good base but needs something more, maybe some spices or other flavourings, or maybe even turn it into a sour beer.

Well, i have a more hoppy American wheat (AG#13) in the FV so maybe that'll give me some more inspiration - this one is good but it's not there yet.

Cheers,

Matt