Belgian Style - Witbier

A 450-year-old Belgian beer style

The Belgian Witbier is a refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate strength wheat-based ale. With a pleasant malty-sweet grain flavor (often with a honey and/or vanilla character) and a zesty, orange-citrusy fruitiness. Refreshingly crisp with a dry, often tart, finish. Can have a low bready wheat flavor.

Specifications
OGOriginal gravity in Plato
12°
AFGApparent final gravity in Plato
2.0 - 3,0°
EBUEuropean Bitterness Units
12
ABVAlcohol % by volume
4,5 - 5,5%
EBC
12 - 13

Ingredients

Extract yield: 
± 81%

Ingredients

Brewing Process

Programmed infusion process; pH 5.3

  1. 60 ‘ at 63 °C
  2. 30 ‘ at 72 °C
  3. 1’ at 78 °C;  sparging at 80 °C
  • boiling: 90 min;
  • first hop:  10 min; 
  • second:  50 min; 
  • third: 90 min;

 

Rest of process

  • Whirlpool or centrifuge
  • Fermentation for 7 days at 20 °C
  • Yeast collection
  • Maturation or secondary fermentation for 1 week at 17 °C – 19 °C
  • Conditioning for 1 week at 0 °C - 1 °C
  • Remove the sediment.
  • Bottling
  • Refermentation in the bottle: 10 – 15 days at 21 – 22 °C (warm dark room)

 

Remarks: 

The amount of sugar is in relation with:

  1. residual sugar from main fermentation
  2. residual CO2
  3. the desired CO2 content e.g. 6‐7 g / lit. CO2

The amount of hop is also related to the isomerisation yield in the brewery.

Disclaimer: 

This recipe is a guideline provided by Dingemans Maltings. Some modifications may be required depending the used ingredients and the technological conditions of the brewery. Dingemans cannot be held responsible for the final beer quality.