heya, just working on a recipe for a beer i've been dreaming up for a few months. looking at making a belgian wit beer racked on soursop (guanabana) and, possibly, with lactose. the recipe i'm playing around with: 1 lb flaked oats 1.5 lbs acid malt 2 lbs vienna malt 5 lbs wheat malt 6 lbs pilsner should i mash in at around 133 F, let it rest for 15 min, then take it up to 150 F? or could i just start at 150 F? and any comments about the grains i'm using would be great.
I've never mashed wheat before, but I've read that a protein rest should be done. From howtobrew.com:
You could go either way I guess. Wits are already cloudy. I doubt you would notice either way if it was a classic wit.
Why the wheat malt? Wits are cloudy from the use of unmalted wheat/torrified wheat. Most wits are pils, raw/unmalted wheat and if you want to get a slicer mouthfeel and more haze, oats. Lactose in a wit sounds really gross. You get more than enough body from the unmalted wheat, and wits should finish dry to keep them drinkable, especially with some of the fruitness you're going to pick up from the fruit additions.
obviously, i'd try the beer before adding lactose. the idea is to have a soursop "milkshake" but in beer form.
so i've fixed up my recipe. removed the error pointed out to me. i have 4 lbs of wheat flakes in there now instead of the wheat malt. and got the answer i need about the mash. thanks!
Do you have the ability to ferment in the higher end of the yeast's temperature range? I ask because I'm in Pennsylvania and I see you're in Canada. I just brewed a wit 2 months ago, and the ambient temps were between 62-65 degrees. For my tastes, that was not nearly warm enough to bring out the classic witbier esters. It was pretty characterless actually. Check the recommended temp range and shoot for the high end if you can.
thought of that already. i bought a heat cord from the pet store. you wrap it once or twice around the middle of the carboy and it will raise the temp to the mid-70s.
