Belgian Witbier

This Belgian Witbier is a fluffy, citrus-charged classic, brewed with a hefty dose of wheat and oats for body, and spiced up with bitter orange peel and crushed coriander seed for that zingy, signature Witbier twist. Fermented warm with LalBrew Wit yeast and finished with a mountain of carbonation, this cloudy 4.9% quencher pours with a snowy white head and drinks like pure summer.

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Specs

• Style: Witbier
• Batch Size: 25 L (6.6 gal)
• OG: 1.048
• FG: 1.011
• ABV: 4.9%
• IBU: 12 (Tinseth)
• Colour: 7 EBC (3.5 SRM)
• BU/GU: 0.30
• Carbonation: 3.0 CO₂-vol

Grain Bill (4.82 kg / 10.6 lbs)

• 2.169 kg (4.78 lbs) Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt – 45%
• 1.928 kg (4.25 lbs) Gladfield Rolled Wheat – 40%
• 482 g (1.06 lbs) Gladfield Rolled Oats – 10%
• 241 g (0.53 lbs) Light Munich Malt – 5%
• 280 g (0.62 lbs) Rice Hulls – not included in % (lautering aid)

Water & Mash

• Mash Water: 16 L (4.23 gal)
• Sparge Water: 16 L (4.23 gal)
• Total Water: 32 L (8.45 gal)

Water Profile:
Ca 70 | Mg 5 | Na 16 | Cl 80 | SO₄ 81 | HCO₃ 57
(SO₄ / Cl ratio: 1.0)

• Mash pH: 5.37
• Sparge pH: 5.5

Water Adjustments:

• Mash:
  • 4.48 g Calcium Chloride
  • 5.57 g Epsom Salt
  • 4.51 g Gypsum
  • 1.82 ml Phosphoric Acid
• Sparge:
  • 1.32 g Calcium Chloride
  • 1.64 g Epsom Salt
  • 1.33 g Gypsum
  • 0.43 ml Phosphoric Acid

Mash Schedule (Step Mash)

• 50°C (122°F) – 10 min – Protein rest
• 64°C (147°F) – 30 min – Beta-amylase
• 70°C (158°F) – 30 min – Alpha-amylase
• 77°C (171°F) – 10 min – Mash out

Hop Schedule (48 g / 1.69 oz total)

• 60 min – 20 g (0.71 oz) Tettnang – 10 IBU
• 5 min – 28 g (0.99 oz) Tettnang – 3 IBU

Spice Additions (Boil – 5 min)

• 11 g (0.39 oz) Crushed Coriander Seed
• 14 g (0.49 oz) Bitter Orange Peel
• 20 g (0.71 oz) Sweet Orange Peel

Yeast

• 1 pack Lallemand (LalBrew) Wit – Belgian Witbier strain

Fermentation Schedule:

• 20°C (68°F) – 9 days Primary
• 22°C (72°F) – 2 days Diacetyl Rest
• 1.5°C (35°F) – 2 days Cold Crash

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Step by step process

1. Prep Water

• Heat 16 L (4.23 gal) of mash water in your BrewZilla.
• Adjust with:
  • 4.48 g Calcium Chloride
  • 5.57 g Epsom Salt
  • 4.51 g Gypsum
  • 1.82 ml Phosphoric Acid
• Set temperature to 50°C (122°F).

2. Mash In

• Add grains:
  • Pilsner, Wheat, Oats, Munich, and Rice Hulls
• Stir to break up any dough balls.

3. Step Mash

• 50°C (122°F) – 10 min – Protein rest
• Raise to 64°C (147°F) – 30 min – Beta rest
• Raise to 70°C (158°F) – 30 min – Alpha rest
• Raise to 77°C (171°F) – 10 min – Mash out

4. Sparge

• Sparge with 16 L (4.23 gal) of 77°C water.
• Add sparge salts:
  • 1.32 g Calcium Chloride
  • 1.64 g Epsom Salt
  • 1.33 g Gypsum
  • 0.43 ml Phosphoric Acid

5. Boil – 60 Minutes

• Start a 60-minute boil.
• At 60 min: Add 20 g Tettnang
• At 5 min:
  • 28 g Tettnang
  • 11 g Coriander Seed (crushed)
  • 14 g Bitter Orange Peel
  • 20 g Sweet Orange Peel

6. Chill & Transfer

• Chill to 20°C (68°F).
• Transfer to fermenter.
• Aerate well.

7. Pitch Yeast

• Pitch 1 packet of Lallemand Wit.
• No starter needed.

8. Ferment

• 9 days at 20°C (68°F)
• Raise to 22°C (72°F) for 2 days (diacetyl rest)
• Cold crash at 1.5°C (35°F) for 2 days

9. Package

• Bottle or keg at 3.0 vol CO₂.
• For bottling: use approx 9.5 g/L (1.25 oz/gal) priming sugar.
• Carbonate cold for at least 2 weeks.

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