Gladfield Belgian Witbier
Batch Size
30L Kettle Full; ~23L (in fermenter)
Ingredients
Malts
- 2.4kg Gladfield Light Lager Malt (42.1%)
- 1.3kg Harraway’s Flaked Wheat (22.8%)
- 1.0kg Gladfield Wheat Malt (17.5%)
- 0.59kg Harraway’s Rolled Oats (8.8%)
- 0.27kg Oat Hulls (4.5%)
Hops
- 60min – 25g Styrian Goldings 5.0% (12.5 IBU)
- 5min – 25g Bitter Orange Powder
- 10g Freshly Crushed Coriander Seed
Yeast
Preferred: Wyeast 3944 Belgian Wit (1x Smackpack)
Alternatives: Lallemand Abbaye (1x Sachet); White Labs WLP 400
Mash Additions:
4.00g Calcium Chloride
2.00g Calcium Sulfate
2.00g Magnesium Sulfate
4-5mL 80% Lactic Acid (for pH Adjustment - requires pH Meter)
Brewing Process
- Heat Strike Water to achieve a Mash Temp of 67°C (~6°C above strike).
- Add minerals to Strike or Foundation water.
- Begin mashing in. Measure the mash pH (once all the grain is added) to achieve 5.2-5.5 (adjust with 1 mL additions of 88% lactic acid, if required).
- Mash at 67°C for 60 mins. Confirm no residual starches remain.
- Batch sparge with 78°C water until kettle volume is achieved (or stop runoff when the last runnings drop below 1.010 and pH rises above 5.75).
- Boil for 90 minutes adding hops and kettle finings at indicated times.
- At End Of Boil, whirlpool while chilling (immersion style) or for 10 mins, stand 15 mins or until chilled to pitching temperature.
- Transfer to fermenter at 20°C, oxygenating wort (inline or via aeration in fermenter).
- Rehydrate and pitch yeast as per manufacturer's recommendations. Ferment at 20°C for the first 48 hours. Then raise 1 degree per day up to a final temperature of 23°C
- When within 1-2 points of predicted FG, cap the fermentation (spunding valves are great for this) and wait until gravity is stable for 48 hours before deciding to place on cooling.
Fining/ Filtering (Style Tip - Witbier is traditionally unfined and filtered)
- 48-72hrs after FG is reached (i.e. Taste No Diacetyl), crash cool to 0-1°C wait for the yeast to flocculate. Do not allow the beer to chill so long that it clears completely.
- Keg or bottle condition - your choice? Aim for 2.65-2.75 volumes of CO2.