Carissa Sweigart’s Cranberry Wit

Carissa Sweigart’s Cranberry Wit

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG= 1.046  FG= 1.011 IBU= 22  SRM = 3  ABV= 4.4

Ingredients

4.5 lbs. (2 kg) flaked wheat
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
1 oz. (28 g) Sterling hops (2 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Golding hops (2 min.)
0.25 oz. (7.1 g) bitter orange (0 min.)
0.5 Tb. cinnamon (0 min.)
1 tsp. coriander (0 min.)
0.35 oz. (1 g) grains of paradise (0 min.)
0.66 gallons (2.5 L) Ocean Spray cranberry juice (secondary)
2 Tb. potassium sorbate
2 Tb. potassium metabisulfite
Wyeast 3944 (Belgian Witbier) yeast Wyeast 3463 (Forbidden Fruit) yeast

Step by Step

Mash flaked wheat and Belgian Pilsner malt in 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of 150 °F  (66 °C) water for 60 minutes. Sparge four times with a 60 oz. pitcher, (approximately 7L total) with 170 °F (77 °C) water.

Bring wort to boil for 20 minutes then add sterling and golding hops. Two minutes later add a tea bag of biter orange, cinnamon, coriander, grains of paradise. Give the wort a long stir and let settle for 15 min. Cool wort to around 70 °F (21 °C) and pitch both packets of yeast.

Transfer into primary fermenter and let sit for 14 days. Siphon beer directly into sanitized keg and add 2.5 liters (0.66 gal.) of Ocean Spray cranberry juice (add juice and taste). Also add 2 tablespoons each of potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite (for stabilization).

Bottle and age for three to four weeks in cool corner.

Partial mash option: Substitute flaked wheat and Belgian Pilsner malt with 1 lb. (0.45 kg) pale malt, 1 lb. (0.45 kg) wheat malt, 1 lb. (0.45 kg) wheat dried malt extract and 4 lb. 2 oz. (1.9 kg) wheat liquid malt extract. Steep crushed grains in 3 qts. (2.8 L) of water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 45 minutes. Combine “grain tea,” dried malt extract and water to make 3.0 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil 60 minutes. Add hops and spices at times indicated in the all-grain recipe. Add liquid malt extract for final 15 minutes of boil. Cool to 70 °F (21 °C), transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Pitch yeast. Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C).