Witbier
BJCP Style Guidelines
Aroma: A
sweet and occasionally honey-like character with
prominent citrus (notably orange), herbal and spice aromas is
characteristic, and is often followed by a mild phenolic aroma.
Hop aroma is low to none. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Very
pale straw to very light gold in color, and
generally cloudy. Head retention should be quite good and of a
moussy character.
Flavor: The
flavor of unmalted wheat is typically noticeable.
Coriander, citrus and mild phenolic flavors contribute
to a
complex and elegant character. A very slight lactic acidity
resulting from a limited Lactobacillus fermentation is
present in
some examples, providing a refreshing quality, and is
absent in
others. Hop flavor is low to none. Hop bitterness is typically
restrained, and some bitterness may also be contributed by
bitter
orange peel. No diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Light
to medium body. Effervescent character of
high carbonation. Refreshing acidity.
Overall Impression: A refreshing, elegant, complex, wheatbased
ale.
History: A
400-year-old beer style that died out in the 1950s, it
was revived by Pierre Celis in the 1960s to steadily
growing
popularity thereafter.
Comments: The
presence and degree of spicing and lactic
sourness vary from one brand or brewery to another.
Ingredients: About
50% unmalted hard red winter wheat and
50% pale barley malt constitute the grist; in some
versions a
small percentage of raw oats is used as well. Spices of
freshly ground
coriander and dried orange peel complement the sweet
aroma and are quite characteristic; other spices may be
used for
complexity but are much less prominent. Ale yeast prone to
production of mild, clovey/spicey flavors are very
characteristic.
In some instances a very limited Lactobacillus fermentation,
or
actual addition of lactic acid, is done.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.042-1.055
IBUs: 15-22 FG: 1.008-1.012
SRM: 2-4 ABV: 4.2-5.5%
Commercial Examples: Celis White, Hoegaarden Wit,
Steendonk Witbier, Brugs Tarwebier, Blanche de Bruges.
Brewing Techniques and Tips
Extract Brewing
This presentation will focus pretty much exclusively on all-grain brewing, as it is better suited to producing accurate examples of the style. However, extract brewers can make a perfectly acceptable Wit using wheat extract. In a mash version, the proportion of malt to wheat is roughly 50/50. Most wheat extracts are actually a blend of malted wheat and barley malt extracts. Knowing the percentage in the one you have access to will assist you in formulating a suitable extract recipe. This is not an overly critical factor, though. Much of the character of witbiers comes from the spicing and yeast. The use of extracts will produce a darker than typical colour, and have a small effect on the base beer flavour profile.
The Grain Bill
In
its simplest and most traditional form, the grain bill for Witbier is 50%
Pilsner malt and 40-50% unmalted wheat. Some recipes add in flaked oats as
5-10% of the grain bill for its added contribution to mouthfeel. Beyond that,
there are a number of variations that can add some individuality to your beer,
while still being true to the style. High kilned malts, such as
Variations to the two main base malts must be considered carefully. The traditional wheat is unmalted because it gives a more pure wheat flavour and lightness of colour. The wheat can be hard or soft (hard having higher protein levels), red or white. The differences they impart will likely be subtle at best. Malted wheat will be slightly darker and have a slight flavour imparted by the kilning process. The advantage to malted wheat is it provides its own enzymes for starch conversion. This is important if the barley malt chosen is low in diastatic power (DP), as with pale ale malts. Pale ale malts are not recommended because of their darker colour and noticeable flavour contribution. However, if that’s all you have, then you would be better off using malted wheat as well.
Using unmalted wheat necessitates a barley malt with higher DP ratings. European Pilsner malt and domestic 2-row are your best bets. You could also include some domestic 6-row malt which is very high in DP but can add some coarse flavours at high percentages. In most beers, this is generally viewed as a flaw. However, I know of one respected home brewer who uses 6-row malt exclusively in his Wit recipe.
You might also want to consider the inclusion of 3-5% acidulated malt, such as Weyermann’s. One of the defining characteristics of Witbier is a refreshing tartness, and this will contribute to that. Some really ambitious brewers look at performing acid rests, or even souring a portion of the mash to get that character. However, the easiest way to do it is simply to add some 88% solution lactic acid (sold at many homebrew shops) at up to 10 ml per 5 gallon batch.
Mashing
Witbiers are suited to a simple single infusion mash at 66-68C (151-154F). Some brewers do a protein rest at 50-55C, especially if using hard wheat, but I see no reason why this is necessary. As with any mash with a large quantity of wheat or other unhusked grain, tossing in a few handfuls of oat or rice hulls (about half a pound) will assist in a smooth lautering.
Hopping
This
is not a style that will appeal to hopheads. Hop flavour and aroma should be
low to none existent to maintain stylistic accuracy. Typically, noble European
hops such as Saaz or Tettnang would be added with 60 min left in the boil at a
bittering level of about 20 IBU. Too much hop aroma will mask the subtle spice
aromatics that define these beers. However, one could experiment a bit with
some of the more citrusy American hops, such as Cascade or especially
Centennial, which is reported to have a very orangey character. They could
compliment the spice character nicely.
Spicing
This is where each brewer will most likely express his or her individuality, and where personal taste might just make a beer that someone else will absolutely detest. Spicing in Witbier should be subtle. Excessive spicing might prove to be an interesting drink for a time or two, but 5 gallons later could be another matter.
Virtually
every Witbier recipe I have seen includes coriander seed (preferably the type
sold in East Indian grocery stores) and some form of dried orange peel, such as
sweet and/or Curacao (bitter). These should be lightly crushed in a mortar and
pestle, or given some short bursts in a coffee or spice grinder. Recommended
levels (for a 5 gallon batch) are 0.5-0.75 oz coriander, and 0.5-1.0 oz of
orange peel. It is very easy to overdose on the coriander, and until you know
what your limits are, best to stick within these recommended ranges, preferably
on the low side for your first batch. Beyond these, there are a number of
spices that I have come across in recipes for adding some individuality. For
example, the suspected “third spice” in Hoegaarden is cumin. Other
possibilities include black pepper, grains of paradise, cardamom, chamomile,
lavender. All of these should be added in quantities of a few grams at most,
which puts you into the ¼ - ½ teaspoon range. The dried orange peels are easily
available through homebrew shops, even if they are overpriced by the
manufacturer. If you have access to under ripe
Spices are typically added to the boil with 5-10 minutes remaining. For an added aromatic kick, you could consider steeping a small quantity of spices in vodka (to sterilize), then adding into the secondary. Just be careful.
Speaking of the boil, there are two other considerations. Those of you who use Irish Moss, keep it in the cupboard. This is the last beer you want to clarify.
Also, an old technique was to toss some raw wheat flour (maybe a couple of tablespoons) into the boil with about 15 minutes left, to add some raw starches and contribute to the turbidity.
Fermentation and Bottling
Only a few liquid yeasts produce the phenolic profile appropriate for the style, and unless you have a source for the White Labs strains, you are pretty much constrained to two Wyeast strains, 3944 (Belgian Witbier) and a newer offering, 3463 (Forbidden Fruit). Several home brewers have commented to me that a third Wyeast strain, 3942 (Belgian Wheat) does not give satisfactory results. Fermentation should be carried out in the 68-72F range, followed by a few weeks in secondary at a cooler temperature to help the yeast settle out. A little yeast left in the bottle is OK, but not so much as to contribute unpleasant characteristics from autolysis. The beer should have plenty of haziness without leaving a lot of yeast in suspension.
Carbonation
levels are often personal preference thing, but Witbiers should have good
carbonation, around 2.5 volumes. For a 5 gallon batch, 4.5-5 oz of priming
sugar should be appropriate. Keggers, of course, will know how to set this for
their system.