Beer Forum

Hey all, first post. I've been brewing since this spring (when my wife made the mistake of getting me a "make yor own beer" kit from the LHBS), and have learned a ton from the brewcasts and lurking here on the board.

I recently made the jump to all-grain, and I'm still trying to get my head around some of the mashing science & techniques. I'm hoping some of you all-grain gurus can help me out with something. I'll be brewing a Belgian witbier this afternoon, and I have some questions. Here's my grin bill:
10.5 lb. 2 row
1.5 lb. Flaked Wheat
1 lb. Flaked Oats

Now my recipe calls for a single infusion mash w/mash out. However, I was listening to the Witbier episode of the Jamil show this morning, and Doc went over his mashing technique for wits. He does two mashes, one for the wheat & oats, and one for the 2 row. For the wheat/oat mash, he does a protein rest at 122, raises to 148-150 for sac rest, then raises to a boil, and boils for 15 min. Meanwhile, the 2 row has been doing a protein rest @122 - he then adds the boiling wheat/malt decoction to the 2 row to raise the mash to 155 for a 45 minute rest. He then goes on to raise the mash to 160 for 15 minutes, then sparges. Doc said that doing a single infusion with all of the grains together would put a significant dent in your efficiency.

This is a fairly complex process, and it contradicts the recipe I'm working from (one of a bunch of ProMash .rec files I found recently, supposedly from B3). So my questions are:
1. How much efficiency will I lose by doing a single infusion? I'm not worried about a point or two, but Doc made it sound like the difference is worth the extra work.
2. Efficiency wonkery aside, how many of you go through this sort of complex mash schedule for your wits?
3. My recipe also calls for whirlfloc - this goes against most of the conventional wisdom I've heard about wits and wheat beers in general. What's you're take on this?

Captain Willard wrote:1. How much efficiency will I lose by doing a single infusion? I'm not worried about a point or two, but Doc made it sound like the difference is worth the extra work.
2. Efficiency wonkery aside, how many of you go through this sort of complex mash schedule for your wits?
3. My recipe also calls for whirlfloc - this goes against most of the conventional wisdom I've heard about wits and wheat beers in general. What's you're take on this?

1. Don't know, but assume about 6 points and calculate for that. I just pulled that number out of my ass, but I wouldn't go any higher than 10 points for a diff.
2. I don't do Wits yet. Ask Oz about how he does them. He loves wits.
Remember, Doc has the Super System to help with a lot of this process too. As he told Justin in one of the shows, all he has to do to change temps is push a button. It sounds like you aren't brewing on a computer controled system like his. Try it the way the recipe says to. Then try it Docs way later. You'll be able to compare them together that way.
3. How do you Like your beers? That's what you should consider.

yes Oz does LIke the Wit

THe Adjunks your using will not need a decoction as they have allready been cood and processed, how ever i noticed your recipe does not have any wheat malt, or raw malt, My grain bill is pretty basic, I use 50/50 % 2 Row and Wheat malt, and use a 55 deg c Protine rest, and 66 Deg c Sacc rest, the 55 deg rest takes out the need for the Oats, and takes away the problems the oats can cause


DOnt use whilflock, and being that there is SFA wheat in the recipe, dont boil for more than 1 hour, that way youll get a bit of chill haze

Great, thanks for the replies guys. Just doughed in the whole ball o' wax.

Oz, the recipe I'm using seems pretty far from what you describe. I thought it looked a little light in the wheat department. Am I going to end up with a wit (in the eyes of the BJCP anyhow), or something else? I'm sure it'll be tasty either way.

screw the BJCP(Blow Jobs Cost Pennies)

Right on!

I'm not out to fit my brews into a little box, just wondering if I'm going to end up with what I'm expecting, or a somewhat cloudy pale ale.

what yeast ya using Capt?


With that amount of Oats, i think it will be rather clear

Wyeast 3944. I'm also using Maris Otter instead of the Belgian Pale the recipe called for. LBHS was out of the BP, and Maris Otter matched Lov. I'm starting to think I've got a monster brewing here.