Belgian White

Our thirst-quenching wheat beer is a authentic rendition of this classic style. While the wheat has a mild flavor, the coriander, bitter Curacao, and Belgian yeast give it its distinctive taste. The wheat malt extract imparts a cloudy pale gold color, topped with a light frothy head. To purchase this kit, click here.

Statistics

Original Gravity 1.049
Final Gravity 1.014
Alcohol Content 4.4%

Ingredients

6.6lb. Muntons Wheat Malt Extract

1 oz. Hallertau Hop Pellets (Bittering)

3/4 oz. Crushed Coriander (Finishing)
½ oz. Bitter Curacao (Orange Peel) (Finishing)

Wyeast # 3944 Belgian Witbier Yeast

Procedure

A few hours before you begin to brew, prepare your liquid yeast according to the package instructions. We assume that you are familiar with basic homebrewing techniques, so these procedures are abbreviated.

1. Add 1½ gallons of water to your brew kettle and bring to a boil.

2. Remove the pot from the heat and add one of the cans of malt extract. Do not add the other can of at this time. Keep the kettle off the burner and stir until the malt extract is completely dissolved.

3. Put the pot back on the burner and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, place the bittering hops into a muslin bag, add them to the pot, and set your timer to boil for 1 hour. Keep an eye on the pot to avoid boil-overs.

4. After 40 minutes of boiling, remove the pot from the heat (you do not have to stop the timer) and add the remaining can of wheat malt extract syrup. Keep the kettle off the heat and stir until the extract is completely dissolved, then bring back to a boil.

5. Crush the coriander. After 50 minutes of boiling, add the crushed coriander and bitter curacao (in muslin bags).

6. After 60 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat. Put a lid on your pot and cool it in an ice bath (use your sink) for about 30 minutes. Remove the bags with the hops and spices from the kettle.

7. Pour 2 gallons of cold water into your sanitized fermenter, add the cooled wort (the stuff in your pot), and top up with additional water to 5 gallons. Aerate the wort with vigorous stirring, rocking the fermenter, etc.

8. Make sure the wort is below 80°F before adding yeast. Take a hydrometer reading if desired to determine original gravity. Add the yeast to the wort.

9. Store the fermenter where the temperature will be a fairly constant 65° – 70°F. Active fermentation may take only a few days, or it can last up to 2 weeks. A hydrometer reading is a great way to determine when the fermentation is done. Keep the beer in the primary fermenter for two weeks until active fermentation is done (no signs of active fermentation for the last 2-3 days).

10. When ready to bottle, siphon beer into your sanitized bottling bucket, leaving sediment behind. Boil the priming sugar in 1-2 cups of water for a few minutes, gently stir into the beer, and bottle as usual.