3944 Belgian Witbier Yeast...

[orb]

Anyone have any experience with this bad boy? Pitched it 20 minutes ago into this recipe:

6 Lbs Wheat dry malt extract
1 oz Hallertau hops (boiling)
1 oz Hallertau hops (aroma)
(1#) Flaked Wheat
(1#) Oats
1 oz bitter orange (Curacao)
(1#) Light Belgian candy sugar
1/4 oz crushed Fresh coriander seed
Wyeast 3944 Belgian Wit

Bring 4 gallons of water to 155*F and steep the oats and flaked wheat for 30 min. Remove grains and add extract and candy sugar, then bring to a boil. Boil for 60 min. At 50 min add 1 oz of hops, at 15 minutes add orange peel and coriander. At end of boil turn off heat and add 1 oz of hops let sit for 10 min. Cool to 72 and pitch yeast.

[YamahaXS]

OG?

sounds freaking yummy

[Wilson]

Do you thinnk 1/4oz. of the corriander is good? I am about to brew a wit, and my kit called for a full ounce. I'm not sure I want that much though. I'd also like to know your OG. I only have four #'s of DME and might want to kick it up a notch.

[orb]

Originally posted by Wilson
Do you thinnk 1/4oz. of the corriander is good? I am about to brew a wit, and my kit called for a full ounce. I'm not sure I want that much though. I'd also like to know your OG. I only have four #'s of DME and might want to kick it up a notch.

One thing I have learned in the last three times of Brewing Wits is that there is a difference in recipes that call for Corinander...Some call for crushed Coriander/others for fresh Coriander ground fresh...Its important to distinguish between the two! This is what I think,and my experience.....1/2 Ounce whole Coriander (crushed) added to the boil is cool. More than than that, yer close to over the top. Bear in mind that Coriander also contributes to BITTERNESS. Do you want a bitter White beer? I dont. If you like the "floral" attributes of Coriander, do a 1/4 ounce "Dry hop" of whole Coriander/crushed/ steeped and sterilized in the secondary....To be on the safe side, do 1/8th Oz.
You can always put it in but you cant take it out.....Coriander can be a cruel mistress......and,remember, it is better to bottle 5 gallons of beer, and plan for what to add next time, than to dump 5 gallons as undrinkable, and regret what you added last time. Orb

[Wilson]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll scale back on the amount I use. So on the corriander note (and bear with me, I dont know squat about corriander), mine are little seeds. The instructions call for crushed. Can I just take a spoon or small hammer and lightly break them, or run them through a coffee grinder to pulverize them?

[orb]

You have fresh coriander seed. The slickest thing I've found is to crush them with a rolling pin with the seeds in a baking pan... I tried the mortar and pistil/spoon and bowl routine-pain in the butt! You can do this up to 24 hours ahead-just put the crushed seeds in a bowl-cover with Saran wrap and refrigerate until use. I personally have found that 1/4 Oz uncrushed (and subsequently crushed) is just the right amount for a 5 gallon batch. You may prefer it more overbearing-but be forewarned. Little of the the Coriander is "scrubbed" by the primary, so a little goes a long way! I shoot for a gentle floral overtone that does not dominate but is balanced in the symphony of the Belgian wit. Remember, Coriander in a 60 minute boil contributes as much bitterness as hops...go slow-crank it up next time if you want.

[Tom C]

Corriander is really a taste thing...some people like myself think a wit can handle more corriander than prescribed. I just brewed a Hoegaarden that has a lovely touch of corriander at the end...I used corriander from McCormacks found at the grocery store.

I think a safe way to brew with corriander is to start small and work your way up to taste.

Tom C

[Tom C]

and oh yeah the Belgian Wit yeast is perfect for that recipe.

Tom C