The Other Michael Jackson (Black Witbier)
The Other Michael Jackson (Black Witbier)
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.012
IBU = 15 SRM = 24 ABV = 5.3%
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
4.0 lbs. (1.8 kg) flaked wheat
0.5 lbs. (0.23 kg) flaked oats
0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) Carafa® Special II
0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) pale chocolate malt
0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) Caravienne malt
3 AAU Hallertauer hops (90 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4% alpha acids)
0.25 tsp. dried chamomile flowers
zest of 2 tangerines
1 whole star anise, crushed
Wyeast 3944 (Belgian White Beer) yeast
Step by Step
Step mash Pils malt, wheat and oats starting with a 122 °F (50 °C) rest for 10 minutes followed by 148 °F (64 °C) for 60 minutes. Add dark grains during recirculation and sparge. Collect 6.5 gallons (25 L). Use a 90 minute boil. Add spices at knockout and steep for 5 minutes. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C).
The Other Michael Jackson (Black Witbier)
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.012
IBU = 15 SRM = 25 ABV = 5.3%
Ingredients
1.5 lb. (0.68 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) wheat liquid malt extract
0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) Carafa® Special II malt
0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) pale chocolate malt
0.25 lbs. (0.11 kg) Caravienne malt
3 AAU Hallertauer hops (90 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4% alpha acids)
0.25 tsp. dried chamomile flowers
zest of 2 tangerines
1 whole star anise, crushed
Wyeast 3944 (Belgian White Beer) yeast
Step by Step
Steep specialty grains at 148 °F (64 °C) for 30 minutes. While grains steep, begin heating 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water to a boil in your brewpot. Combine water in brewpot, “grain tea” from steep and dried malt extract and bring to a boil. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops at beginning of boil. Don’t let wort volume drop below 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) during the boil. (Add water, if so.) Stir in liquid malt extract during the final 10 minutes. Add spices when boil is finished and let them steep for 5 minutes prior to cooling wort. Cool wort, transfer to fermeter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). See all-grain recipe for remaining instructions.
Ingredient notes: Get chamomile flowers at a spice store, health food shop, tea shop or craft store. Google “buy dried chamomile flowers” to find online sources. Chamomile tea is usually pure chamomile flowers (check the ingredient list). Use only the orange zest of the tangerines. Do not use the white pith. Using broken pieces of star anise is cheaper; use the equivalent of one whole star.
Written by Gordon Strong
According 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.”
