Wit

Classification: wit, Belgian ales, wheat beers

Source: Martin Lodahl (malodah@pbgueuze.scrm2700.PacBell.COM), r.c.b., 10/19/94

This is a test recipe that I especially liked, while writing the article in Brewing Techniques, Jul/Aug 1994 on this style.

Ingredients:

4 lbs DeWolf-Cosyns "Pils" malt
3 lbs flaked (unmalted) wheat (cracked wheat works fine)
6 oz rolled oats
1 oz Saaz hops (3.2% AA)
1 oz bitter Curacao orange peel
3/4 oz sweet orange or tangerine peel
3/4 oz fresh ground coriander seed
1/2 oz fresh ground anise seed
A pinch of ground cumin
10 ml 88% food-grade lactic acid (at bottling)
1 cup corn sugar (priming)
BrewTek "Belgian Wheat" yeast

Procedure:

Dough-in grains with 3 gallons of soft water at ~90F. Protein rests:
30 minutes @ 117F
30 minutes @ 122F
30 minutes @ 126F (at this point, the wheat appears dissolved)
Pull first decoction; thickest third of the mash
Heat decoction to 160F, rest 15 minutes
Heat decoction to boiling, boil 15 minutes
Return boiling decoction to rest mash and stir.
Mash temperature should be near 145F. Rest 15 minutes.
Pull second decoction; thickest third of the mash
Heat decoction to 160F, rest 10 minutes
Heat decoction to boiling, boil 10 minutes
Return boiling decoction to rest mash and stir.
Mash temperature should be near 162F. Rest 15 minutes.
Check starch. If not converted, rest longer.
Mash-out: 10 minutes @ 170F
Sparge: 5 gallons @ 170F
Boil 60 minutes, adding hops at the beginning. Spices are added in the last 10 minutes of the boil or at knockout. I used a single- stage ferment (as I usually do). OG: 1.038. TG: 1.002.

Adding the lactic acid rather than biologically souring the beer is definitely a shortcut, and one that adds time to the processing, as it takes longer after bottling for the flavors to "marry" than for conditioning to develop. If you have a lactobacillus culture in your possession that will do the job, have at it.