The great Hoegaarden clone - in progress

collapoo · Post by **collapoo** » Wednesday Oct 24, 2007 9:08 pm

ok, i really don't know if I've butchered this beer somewhere along the way but after 8 days at 20 C my FG reading 24 h apart have settled at 1.020. It hasn't move since I racked it. Is it high because of the torrified wheat is not consumed?

pixelboy · Post by **pixelboy** » Friday Oct 26, 2007 8:35 pm

Yeah could be.. if you used all malt (no dex etc) thats not too bad... give it a couple more days and bottle it

collapoo · Post by **collapoo** » Saturday Oct 27, 2007 12:03 am

thanks for the reply, i'll try that

damian44 · Post by **damian44** » Tuesday Nov 06, 2007 9:31 pm

pixelboy wrote:Interesting Fidelio....

WOOT... Seville oranges are in season..

To celebrate im going to have another go at this great beer to a slightly modified recipie..

1. Thomas Coopers Brewmaster Selection WHEAT BEER
2. Coopers Light Malt Extract 1.5kg
3. Rind from 2 Seville Oranges (dried overnight in paper towel)
4. 30gms Corriander Seeds Crushed
5. 500g torrefied wheat (Sanitarium Puffed Wheat - Steeped for 30min @ ~50c, mashed then added to the boil)
6. 20gms SAAZ for 30mins
7. 20gms SAAZ for 5mins
8. SafAle K-97 Yeast

Ill let you know how I go

I was thinking of trying above recipe. Would you change anything?

Cheers Damo

James L · Post by **James L** » Wednesday Nov 07, 2007 11:30 am

I really think that in order to get the best flavour of hoegaarden from the homebrew, you should try and get your hands on the wyeast 3944 belgian wit yeast, and if you can get some dried belgian orange rind from grain and grape.

i know that this isnt always possible for most people, but it gives a great tasting cheap hoegaarden alternative.

I find that using wheat malt will give you a considerably darker beer for the style. I have used extra light liquid malt instead of the wheat malt and that has given a lighter colour without effecting the flavour. to get an even lighter colour, you could go the dry light malt extract.

see how you go...

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Wednesday Nov 07, 2007 1:39 pm

I would use wheat spray malt and LDME in place of the tin of liquid malt.

What are you using to convert the torrified wheat? I recommend chucking at least 500g of ale malt (Galaxy is great I use it in all my brews that have unmalted grains now!) in there so that you have some enzyme to break it up a bit.

Also the 30 minute addition is a bit of a waste IMHO. 20 is about the most you want to boil a flavour addition.

pixelboy · Post by **pixelboy** » Wednesday Nov 07, 2007 2:01 pm

yeah as James points out its definitely not a "clone" bit its in the similar style..

And yes, the wyeast 3944 would be better.. or even Ross's Weizen yeast..

damian44 · Post by **damian44** » Wednesday Nov 07, 2007 5:21 pm

I was going to but an order into Grape and Grain for the orange peels and the torrified wheat and some chinooks, for Boonies LCPA. Its probably not a good idea to get the liquid yeast delivered as i might have to wait till the weekend to pick it up from the post office. Ill look around for the White Lab equivalent to wyeast 3944 as wyeast is hard to find in Sydney.

As for the torrified wheat i thought you just had to steep it and add juices to fermenter? I wasnt even sure if you added just the juices or the whole thing. LOL. Ill read through again. Thanks.

Cheers Damo

pixelboy · Post by **pixelboy** » Wednesday Nov 07, 2007 7:55 pm

damian44 wrote:As for the torrified wheat i thought you just had to steep it and add juices to fermenter?

I just steeped it and added the juice to the boil to kill the nasties.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Thursday Nov 08, 2007 11:33 am

damian44 wrote:Its probably not a good idea to get the liquid yeast delivered as i might have to wait till the weekend to pick it up from the post office.

They send them along with some freezer blocks to keep them cool so I think it'd be OK if you ordered on a Thursday or something. Give them a ring and ask their advice.

damian44 · Post by **damian44** » Thursday Nov 08, 2007 5:01 pm

When i order the torrefied wheat ill tell them to mill it or not, and ill get the bitter orange not sweet? thanks

Cheers Damo

Tim... · Post by **Tim...** » Thursday Nov 08, 2007 8:29 pm

rwh wrote:Hey Noodles, maybe try the simpler version which was the starting point for this recipe, should cost you about $30. It's one of my most popular brews.

Pixelboy's Wheat

My fav Wheat/Hoegaarden requires some fiddling but its easy mate:

1. Thomas Coopers Brewmaster Selection WHEAT BEER
2. Thomas Coopers Wheat Extract 1.5kg
3. Rind from 2 Oranges
4. 15gms (one pack) Corriander Seeds

Method

1. Take the rind of the Oranges being careful not to get any of the pith (soft white part). You can use a fine cheese grater.
2. Crush the corriander seeds
3. Empty contents of the Malt Wheat Extract, the orange rind and crushed corriander seeds into LARGE clean saucepan and add a litre or two of water. Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stiring occasionally, for 20mins.
4. Strain contents into a sterilised fermenter with the contents of the beer can.
5. Top up with cold water (or hot) to 23litres stiring well trying to get it to about 22c-26c then pitch yeast.
6. Give it 2 weeks @ 20c and rack or bottle.

Its a ripper! Was my 3rd brew and I havent matched it yet. Ill be doing exactly the same when I return from NZ in a fortnight.

Trust me.. Its not that hard, and it will taste great.

Sorry for taking this old post, but in that recipe, will it make much of a difference if the 1.5kg Thomas Coopers Wheat Extract is replaced with any other brand 1.5kg Wheat Extract? They're all unhopped right?

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Thursday Nov 08, 2007 8:58 pm

I would use spray wheat malt, always seems to work better for me.

damian44 · Post by **damian44** » Thursday Nov 08, 2007 9:50 pm

Kevnlis wrote:I would use spray wheat malt, always seems to work better for me.

Where would i get some spray wheat malt from? I cant find it at any local HBS or G&G. Thankyou.

Cheers Damo

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Thursday Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

damian44 wrote:
Kevnlis wrote:I would use spray wheat malt, always seems to work better for me.
Where would i get some spray wheat malt from? I cant find it at any local HBS or G&G. Thankyou.

Cheers Damo

Not sure sorry, I have never seen it at any of the internet suppliers (hint hint).

It is great stuff! Best bang for the buck malt extract I have ever bought. Certainly had better bangs for a buck though

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Friday Nov 09, 2007 9:25 am

What exactly is this spray malt? Is it just dried wheat malt extract? If so, you can get that at G&G.

As for whether you can substitute the Coopers wheat malt, you certainly can. I substed it for a kg of that G&G dried wheat malt extract and it was fine. Big hot break though.

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Friday Nov 09, 2007 3:57 pm

Spray malt is just a very fine dry malt extract. It is so fine it acts like liquid. The yeild from it is great, and I find it adds more flavour and body than the normal stuff.

Trough Lolly · Post by **Trough Lolly** » Friday Nov 09, 2007 4:13 pm

Hmmmm....I always thought "spray malt" was another term for Dry Malt Extract! They dried the malt by spraying it over/within a heat source that evaporated the water, leaving malt powder that simply needed to be rehydrated before use!

Cheers,
TL

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Friday Nov 09, 2007 4:32 pm

Well I have bought stuff called "dry extract" and it is nothing like the stuff I get that is called "spray malt". The dry extract is about like caster sugar in the size of the crystals, this spray malt is fluid, it pours like water!

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Friday Nov 09, 2007 6:44 pm

Well in that case the G&G dry wheat malt extract is the stuff you're talking about. It can be used in the recipe above no probs at all.