The great Hoegaarden clone - in progress

[Danzar]

Ok, new thread for this in its right home. For a background, see this thread http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3174

Credits go to Pixelboy, NTRabbit, Lethal, AussieClaret, Adzmax & Afromaiko. Here it is:

INGREDIENTS
1. 1 can of Blackrock Whispering wheat. Or sub (1) and (2) for 3kg ESB wheat beer.
2. 1.5kg (can) of liquid wheat malt.
3. 250g dry wheat malt.
3. 30g coriander seeds cracked.
4. 20g dried orange rind from the Seville orange, only available in winter months. Grain and Grape can mail this rind to you all year. If you can't find it, do not use standard orange rind. Instead, dry out the peel of 2-3 mandarines.
5. 500g torrefied wheat (consider mashing this with 500g Malted Barley).
6. 3944 Belgian Witbier Yeast (Wyeast) or WLP400 (White Labs Belgian Wit).
7. Fuggles hops (14g).
8. East Kent Goldings hops (14g)
9. 2g Cumin seed (max).

BREWING INSTRUCTIONS
1. In 2-3 litres of water, boil your goldings hops, crushed coriander seeds, Cumin and dried orange/mandarine rind. At the 5 minute mark, add the malt. At the 10 minute mark, add the Fuggles hops. After 5 more minutes remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Steep your torrefied wheat in 3 litres of water that has been slowly brought close to boiling point (but not boiling) for 30 minutes. See note below.
3. Wash the wheat through a grain sock and strain the liquid from the steeped wheat into a smaller pot and boil this liquid for a few minutes ON A LOW HEAT (it's mainly water but it will burn and congeal) - just to kill any nasties.
4. Strain the liquid from the boiled fermentables into your fermenter.
5. Add the boiled liquid from torrefied wheat to the fermenter.
6. Top up fermenter with COLD (I refrigerate as much water as I can the night before as your wort will be pretty hot at this point and needs cooling, particularly in summer).
7. Take your SG reading.
8. Add the yeast. Ideal pitch temp is around 22 degrees max.

NOTES:
The torrefied wheat sucks up alot of liquid, hence you will need to use about 3-4 litres per 500g. I'd even recommend doing this step the night before, as the freshly boiled water will murder your pitch temp, even with all the refrigerated cold water. At least that way you won't have to refrigerate as much.

PRIMING
Use Glucose or Dextrose for priming.

[SUBREW]

RE: Orange flavour.

When I have needed this in the past I have tried all sorts of orange products but the only thing that gives reliable results is Triple Sec Essence (from HBS, spirit flavouring section) 6 - 12ml (half to whole bottle!) depending on taste gives me good repeatable results...

Also can I confirm once and for all that torrefied wheat is nout but 'puffed wheat' breakfast cereal

Cheers

SUBREW

[Boonie]

Thanks Dan for posting this one on a new thread.

I was getting eye-strain from all of the posts I was reading on the original thread.

Sounds excellent.

Cheers

Boonie

[Zuma]

I had my first bottle with the recipe from the other thread.

I was extremely happy with it.

Used Hallertau and Saaz hops.

The citrus is defitnely there but its very subtle.

I wouldn't get to hung up on not being able to taste it. Its a very nice drop regardless..

[Pale_Ale]

So just use puffed wheat in the same quanitities as torrified wheat? Any processing or just steep whole?

Danzar, I'd be interested in your results as this looks like a great recipe. I'm looking to get close to Hoegaarden particularly in creaminess which is something that so many other whats don't have (Redback, for example).

Cheers

[Danzar]

Yeah, I fiddled too much and there wasn't much in the way of orange flavour.

The recipe above has been updated and I've since put another one down (fifth!) which is the best so far (tasted from fermenter, only just in the bottle sorry).

The key is the orange. The torrefied is what gives it the tart flavour but if you use real oranges, it's over-tart.

Use mandarine rind, from at least two, even three.

Stick to the rest of the recipe.

[Tadge]

Gday Guys,

Just in the middle of putting this brew down at the moment. I was out shopping for the final ingredients and came across WINNS CITRUS PEEL in the baking section of woolies. This is the same stuff used in marmalade, however it is a mix of orange and lemon rind, I've used 12g of it. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tadge

[Tadge]

Hey Danzar,
Did you have a poo load of sediment from steeping the wheat? I filtered it three times and still ended up with heaps of (very fine) sediment in the wort. Definatly be racking this one.

cheers
Tadge

[pixelboy]

Thats part of the style Tadge...

The sediment is the good stuff

Sure, Rack to get rid of excess yeast etc but keep the wheat juice

[Tadge]

Understood,
So it is norm to have 15mm of sediment in the bottom of the fermenter?

Tadge

[pixelboy]

yeah I quite often get that much.. rack for 7 days and it'll be lovely

[Danzar]

Understood,
So it is norm to have 15mm of sediment in the bottom of the fermenter?

Tadge

Pixel's right. My last one had over two inches.

Tadge - good find on the rind. I'll check it out. Please let us know how it goes.

[afromaiko]

You'll be happy to find out that Bitter Orange Peel is now available from Grain & Grape in Melbourne at $3.95 for a 30gm pack. They also sell a similar pack of sweet orange peel if that is more up your alley.

"From Curacao Oranges from Belgium. These are dried, not candied & are used in Belgian style ales, especially Wits (Hoegarden). Can be used by themselves or with Sweet peel. Soak/rehydrate in boiling water or wort for 30 minutes approx. Try a total of 10g first time."

I picked up a pack while out there today but haven't tried it out yet. Just thought best to grab some while I was there, after knowing how difficult it is to come by.

[Danzar]

You'll be happy to find out that Bitter Orange Peel is now available from Grain & Grape in Melbourne at $3.95 for a 30gm pack. They also sell a similar pack of sweet orange peel if that is more up your alley.

"From Curacao Oranges from Belgium. These are dried, not candied & are used in Belgian style ales, especially Wits (Hoegarden). Can be used by themselves or with Sweet peel. Soak/rehydrate in boiling water or wort for 30 minutes approx. Try a total of 10g first time."

I picked up a pack while out there today but haven't tried it out yet. Just thought best to grab some while I was there, after knowing how difficult it is to come by.

WELL DONE!

That's it - batch number six is on its way. I'll pick up some 3944 from G & G at the same time.

Good find.

[KEG]

is there anybody on here who frequents G&G who would be kind enough to get me a pack of that and post it to me on their next visit? i can transfer money via direct debit to cover the price + postage, it's just that i'm all the way on the other side of melbourne.

if anyone can help, could they mail me at laserchris (at) gmail.com?

thanks

[afromaiko]

G & G are happy to do internet or phone orders and their postage is reasonable too. Give them a call/email if you can't find the item on their site.

[Tadge]

Gday all,
Still got mine in the secondary. Just wondering if anyone is drinking this one at the moment? What sort of F.G did you get? and Alc%

Cheers
Tadge

[Danzar]

From memory, around 1012

[Ecosse]

I prepared this delicious sounding brew yesterday morning, using a K-97 yeast pitched at 24 degrees. Everything seemed fine during prep but 30 hours later there's zero activity through the air lock, no krausen, nada. Peering through the top of the fermenter, there's only vague sign of the yeasties, looks like a clear brown soup. I've checked for air leaks, can't see any problem. The lid's nice and tight. There's a little condensation under the lid.

I haven't had one fail to go off like a rocket before, they're usually bubbling after a few hours in this Brisbane weather.

I'm suspecting dud yeast Is it to late to pitch a replacement packet or should the broth feed the plants?

Cheers,
Nick.

[Pale_Ale]

Good god! Please don't throw it out it will make me cry!

Just chill out for a while, you're seeing condensation, that's one good sign.

I would suggest leaving it for another 24 hours and taking a gravity reading. If it has moved you'll be fine. If it hasn't, I would lean toward repitching a K97, but rehydrate and proof first! (This is done by putting yeast in warm water then adding a little quarter teaspoon of malt - watch for the activity.)