Bitter Orange

[Jimmy Orkin]

I am going to use bitter orange peel in a Wit beer tomorrow. Is there anything special that needs to be done with the bitter orange before adding it to the boil? Something like soaking it is water beforehand?

Thanks.

[Haney]

Just toss it in. The boil will take care of sanitizing. Be careful how much you use, a little goes along way(1/4-1/2 tsp per 5 gal.). Double ditto on the corriander(1/8-1/4 tsp).

[Killet]

You would know all about that corriander in a Wit Haney!

jimmyorkin: If your using a counter-flow chiller be careful of the orange peel clogging your chiller!

Kelly

[Dave Warner]

I brewed my first Wit a few months ago. I left the bitter orange in the carboy fermenter (I used single stage). There was some serious blow off (it took a week and a half for the primary to calm down) but the result was a very pretty orange brew with strong but not overpowering orange flavor. If you like stronger flavoring, I recommend it. The boil should take care of the sanitizing. Use some sort of bag for the coriander to keep those little buggers out of your siphon if you do it this way.

My Wit didn't have the haze you would expect from a 50/50 wheat. Any ideas why?

[gray_59]

Use some torrified, or unmalted wheat, next time. That should give you the starch haze associated with wits. You could also throw a tbs of flour into the boil.

[Dave Warner]

Thanks Cody.

[Bill Lawrence]

You can also cheat and just add a little simple flour (the beer is "white" because these is some unconverted starch in it).