AG#6 Belgian Wit (Greg Hughes)

[Zephyr259]

Pretty much what I did, the base was 2000g Dingemans Pilsen malt, 2000g unmalted flaked wheat, then a bit of malted wheat, bit of malted flaked barley etc. I did use coriander and bitter orange peel though, and went with Mandarina Bavaria hops rather than Saaz, and it was and is delicious (not fresh any more, but still tasty). Recipe etc here. Wasn't that much work as my boiler is a kettle rims type biab system.

Ah yes, using flaked wheat would be a good half-way house as it's pre-gelatinised, I went straight to the traditional raw wheat which is a massive pain even to crush.

 

[AdeDunn]

Yeah, no need for a cereal mash, I just did a combined protein rest and acid rest. I kid you not, the beer is REALLY nice. Much nicer than Hoegaarden, which is a bit watery in comparison. Of course, you can drink it without rousing the yeast if you prefer your beer thinner etc, and at this point if I drink it like that it's lager pale and clear... My wife likes it like that in fact. Personally though, I like it nice and cloudy, with that silky smooth mouth feel, and plenty of yeast in suspension.

If my wife didn't hate banana flavour, I'd do the Greg Hughes one again happily, only fully intending to producing a German wheat beer... She hated it though, as the CML yeast made it nice and banana flavoured, and doing it with a Belgian type yeast would just seem odd with it for me. Plus I still have a lot of the Librarian's Wit left, as it was a 23 litre batch, and only 2 of us drinking it.... lol

 

[matt76]

I'm really keen to have another bash at this asap - I understand what I need to do different now. Last time was ok, but I reckon I can do it way better now.....

I just need to get some wheat (unmalted!). And some oats. And another FV actually - all mine are either already in use or earmarked for another brew!

 

[AdeDunn]

I'm really keen to have another bash at this asap - I understand what I need to do different now. Last time was ok, but I reckon I can do it way better now.....

I just need to get some wheat (unmalted!). And some oats. And another FV actually - all mine are either already in use or earmarked for another brew!

I can empathise! I actually ended up using one of my old wide neck (the Richies/Youngs style ones sold as for wine) fermenters the other week as ended up doing 3 brew days in 1 week! I NEVER do 2 brew days in 1 week, let alone 3, usually! Just as well though, as I'll be marking it in permanent marker, as used Wyeast Old Ale mix yeast in it, which has brett in it, so that baby will be getting used maybe once a year now if and when I do a bretted old ale again.... lol

 

[FTBM]

I did the Greg Hughes Witbier recipe this last year and think that I'd swap the bitter orange for sweet orange peel to give it a bit less of that citrus bite. Personal preference is to rouse the yeast (actually, with the vols of CO2 it pretty much rouses itself!). Still a nice sessionable beer, but agree that some oats would make a nice addition.

I've done about a dozen of the GH recipes so far and all have turned out to be very drinkable.