Blood Orange Hefeweizen

Blood Orange Hefeweizen

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) 
OG = 1.053  FG = 1.013
IBU = 9  SRM = 4   ABV = 5.2%

Blood orange is a perfect match for the banana and clove of a traditional hefeweizen. The OG and SRM are for the base beer. The FG and ABV include the fruit addition.

Ingredients
4.3 lbs. (1.95 kg) German Pilsner malt 
6.4 lbs. (2.9 kg) pale wheat malt
2.1 AAU German Hallertau hops (55 min.) (0.55 oz./16 g at 3.8% alpha acids)
49 oz. (1.4 kg) blood orange purée
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (10 min.)
White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale), Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen), or SafAle WB-06 yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step 
Mill the grains and dough-in, targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water per pound of grain (3.1 L/kg) and a temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Mash out or begin recirculation, then sparge with enough water to yield a total volume of 5 gallons (19 L) of post-boil wort.

Boil for 70 minutes, adding hops and yeast nutrient as indicated. Chill wort to 70 °F (21 °C) and transfer to a sanitized fermenter. Do not oxygenate beyond incidental splashing. Pitch yeast and ferment at 70 °F (21 °C), adding the orange purée at high kräusen. 

When final gravity has stabilized, package and carbonate the beer to 2.8 volumes of CO₂. 

Extract with grains option:
Replace the Pilsner and pale wheat malts with 5.9 lbs. (2.7 kg) Bavarian wheat dried malt extract. Bring 4.7 gallons (17.8 L) of water, plus the amount of water expected to boil off in 60 minutes, to a boil.

Remove the kettle from heat and stir in the dried malt extract. Return to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.

Tips For Success:
• If controlling mash chemistry, target a pH of about 5.3.

• Add rice hulls to the mash, or have some on hand, in case of a stuck lauter.

• If kegging, consider backsweetening in the keg with 12 fl. oz. (350 mL) of frozen orange juice concentrate.