Beer Style: Belgian Wit Beer
3 Ways to Wheat
Digital and Plus Members OnlyIt’s easy to spot the wheat beer among the ambers and stouts on any taproom table: just look for the one with the soft, hazy glow in the palest shade of gold topped by a tumble of foam so thick and lush, you just want to lay your head down and take a nap.
Unibroue’s Blanche De Chambly clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThere are many Belgian witbiers. Most are shimmery and pale with a sprightly, refreshing orangey-spicy aroma. One of the best that I have ever tried comes from a medium-size brewery near Montreal, Unibroue, makers of La Fin du Monde (The End of the World) and Maudite (Damned), Belgian-style strong ales that have earned numerous international gold and platinum medals. I don’t know if the brewers use the same yeast in all their brews, but I have had great luck reculturing their yeast and brewing with it. They don’t reveal what particular combination of spices they use, beyond the traditional coriander and orange peel, but I like to add ginger.
German Gose: Popular but misunderstood
Digital and Plus Members OnlyWhile the style was once nearly extinct, Gose has been revitalized among craft and homebrewers in recent years.
Blood Orange Wit
FREEA rich wit bier utilizing zested blood oranges to provide citrus kick. Recipe from professional chef and culinary consultant Mark Molinaro.
Steve Bader’s Belgian Wit
Digital and Plus Members Only“This beer is a favorite hot weather beer due to its lighter body and refreshing taste from the coriander and bitter orange peel. Hop bittering levels are subdued to let the coriander and bitter orange peel come through in the bitterness.” – Steve Bader Bader Beer & Wine Supply
www.baderbrewing.com
Venkman’s Vit
Digital and Plus Members OnlyYou can think of this beer as a cross between a wit beer and and a schwarzbier, although it is not quite that dark. Venkman’s Vit is finished with Sterling hops (whose character is seen by some as a cross between Saaz and Mt. Hood hops) and spiced with the zest from an Oro Blanco Grapefruit (which is a cross between a grapefruit and a pummelo) and should appeal to anyone who thinks that “crossing the streams” might be a great idea.
German Hefeweizen
FREEWheat meets yeast in the German hefeweizen.
Pelican Pub & Brewery’s Heiferweizen clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBrewmaster Darron Welch provides the recipe for their witbier.
Apricot Harvest Wit
Digital and Plus Members OnlyRecipe submitted by Ben Knoerdel formerly of Ben’s Homebrew in Tarentum, Pennsylvania. This is a light, crisp and wonderfully delicious beer Ben made for his wife who doesn’t like bitter, hoppy beers.
The Other Michael Jackson (Black Witbier)
Digital and Plus Members OnlyAccording to recipe author Gordon Strong, “This is my normal witbier recipe with darker malts and a slight tweak in spicing. Darker malts were used, but again only during the sparge. I changed the usual coriander and orange peel to star anise and tangerine, since I thought those spices would match better with a darker grain bill. I was actually thinking about a Chinese red braised beef dish for the flavorings, and wondered how they would fit.”
American Wheat: Tips from the Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThree US brewers discuss brewing a style that is all about the USA: American wheat.
American Wheat
FREEAmerican wheat owes some of its heritage to German wheat beers, but this style is decidedly New World.