As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had to make amends for past sins and brew the Belgian white ale again.
This time I spent more time cleaning and sanitizing the Better Bottle carboy, paying special attention to the top of it.
Last time I brewed the wit, the krausen was high and thick. There may have been some contamination issues because the top wasn’t clean enough.
The fermentation temperature on the last batch rose to the high 70s (°F). Late winter temperatures in my basement don’t get higher than 65°F so I think I have the right environment for the primary fermentation.
The other thing I am counting on is fresh orange zest. I am hoping it brings a nice fresh flavor element to the brew.
Here are some photos of the Belgian White Beer brew day:
Jason Koebel
Your Belgian White Ale brew sounds very interesting, I can’t wait to hear how it turns out. I thought, although I could be wrong, optimum fermentation temperature for that style is between 68°F – 78°F?
John
Hi Jason,
Yes, the White Labs version of the Belgian Wit has a higher optimum temp range. Everywhere I looked, that strain was sold out so I got the Wyeast version – 3944. It has a larger range that starts about 62°F.
The last time I brewed this recipe, my temps got pretty high and I believe that caused some not so good yeast flavors. This time around, I am keeping things cool.