Why is my WIT dark?

[casablanca]

I recently brewed three beers: a light ale, an amber ale, and a wit. So now 3 days into fermentation my Wit is soooooo dark in comparison to thhe other two? Should this be so or did something go wrong?

 

[Ryanh1801]

did you use lme?

 

[Rook]

Liquid malt extract is prone to being darker than an all grain or a dry extract. Extract in general usually provides darker colors in beer. What was your recipe?

 

[casablanca]

Sorry boss what is lme?

 

[Rook]

see my post. liquid malt extract

 

[casablanca]

So I did use a lme... As for my rescipe I am not sure, it was put together for me by my local home brewing store.... so is the beer okay? Kinda funny I have a black wit beer... should i post a pic?

 

[Ryanh1801]

So I did use a lme... As for my rescipe I am not sure, it was put together for me by my local home brewing store.... so is the beer okay? Kinda funny I have a black wit beer... should i post a pic?

Im sure it will be fine, I mean you can send it to me just to be sure. .. My first beer was like that, very dark pale ale, but it tasted great. If you want to have a lighter color beer use DME or search for late addition. Or you could do like me and just move on to all grain.

 

[casablanca]

Can't wait to begin.... Thank you for helping me with this issue.

 

[z987k]

Also remember that it looks darker in the primary than it will be in a glass. I'll see if I can get some pics of my Belgian I have in the primary now and see if it compares.

 

[BarryNL]

Some people just use the term 'wit' for any wheat beer. Here, is my latest 'wit', well, dunkelweizen...

 

[Beerrific]

Some people just use the term 'wit' for any wheat beer.

I think this is used improperly. Wit is the Dutch word for white. I assume that this is the translation in Flemish (a dialect of Dutch) which is spoken in Belgium. So, a Witbier is Dutch for 'white beer' or as many people say Belgian White Beer.

Indeed your wit should be white. I agree the malt extract is to blame. Use DME and add it late and you should get a wit-er beer!

 

[Brewsmith]

It will look darker in the carboy.

 

[casablanca]

So in my carboy the beer looks like a stout... much like the glass pictured in a previous reply to this thread.... Is this beer going to taste like a wit? or something completely different?

 

[Beerrific]

So in my carboy the beer looks like a stout... much like the glass pictured in a previous reply to this thread.... Is this beer going to taste like a wit? or something completely different?

If it looks like a stout in the carboy, then it will look like a stout or brown when it comes out.

It will probably taste more like a wit than it looks . Hey but look on the bright side, if it comes out great you may have invented a new beer style .

 

[casablanca]

word that... As long as it taste like beer I am good with it. Although, it is always nice to produce what you intend to lol. I do have another question: I plan on bottling straight out of my primary.... around how long should I wait to drink the beer after it has been bottled. I am presumming that the fermentation should be done around 7 to 10 days does this sound about right?

 

[Beerrific]

word that... As long as it taste like beer I am good with it. Although, it is always nice to produce what you intend to lol. I do have another question: I plan on bottling straight out of my primary.... around how long should I wait to drink the beer after it has been bottled. I am presumming that the fermentation should be done around 7 to 10 days does this sound about right?

If you are going straight from primary to bottles, let it stay in the primary for a minimum of 10 days, probably 15ish.

Then expect the beer to carbonated in a week minimum. Fully drinkable in 3+ weeks.

 

[casablanca]

Hey beerific thank you for the advice... so does this sound like a plan... for me to start taking hydro readings around 12 days once i get my constant readings bottle and then wait one week to drink? or should i wait longer before drinking? Is there a way to determine (possibly visually) if the beer in the bottles in ready?

 

[Beerrific]

Hey beerific thank you for the advice... so does this sound like a plan... for me to start taking hydro readings around 12 days once i get my constant readings bottle and then wait one week to drink? or should i wait longer before drinking? Is there a way to determine (possibly visually) if the beer in the bottles in ready?

On day 12 take a reading, if same for 13 and 14 then bottle. But, make sure the reading is reasonable based on your OG and expected FG.

The earliest it may would carb would be 7 days. I have had bottles, in a warm space, carb in 7, it might not have been completely done fermenting though (again make sure the FG reading is reasonable).

The best thing you can do is try one at one week, one at two, and one at three. Just one. This way you can see/taste the way the beer improves. Most agree that by 3+ weeks it will be suitable for mass consumption.

EDIT: WOW Post 500:rockin:

 

[casablanca]

right on... thanks again... hey boss do you happen to anywhere i can read about salvaging the yeast cake in my carboy.... thanks again really...

 

[HarvInSTL]

So in my carboy the beer looks like a stout... much like the glass pictured in a previous reply to this thread.... Is this beer going to taste like a wit? or something completely different?

Does yours look like the carboy on the left or right?



And if you can't tell the Sweet Stout is on the left and the Blue Moon Witbier (final SRM should be 3 or 4) is on the right.

 

[Beerrific]

right on... thanks again... hey boss do you happen to anywhere i can read about salvaging the yeast cake in my carboy.... thanks again really...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Yeast#Yeast_Washing

The Wiki is great.

 

[casablanca]

pretty much the one on the left.... Is this sweet stout an amalgimation of similar compontents? Is this to say I inadertantly created a sweet stout? cause if so right on.... I love stouts... or is this way off?

 

[Beerrific]

pretty much the one on the left.... Is this sweet stout an amalgimation of similar compontents? Is this to say I inadertantly created a sweet stout? cause if so right on.... I love stouts... or is this way off?

Have a feeling it won't taste like a stout though.

 

[casablanca]

Currently I am one confused noob lol. So everything I have read (which isn't too much) states that the qualifications behind wit beer and stout are basically completely seperate... like everything is different gravity, hops, finishing hops, spices, hmmmmm wow it is a wide world of beer....

 

[BierMuncher]

Could be that the LHBS guy set you up with a darker liquid extract. Not an issue with the flavor. I'd say stick with Dry Malt Extract (DME) and you can avoid some of this carmelizing that comes with liquid.

Here is what a traditional Belgian wit looks like:




Regardless of the appearance, it shoud have a definite peppery and orange aroma to it. Did the ingredients include coriander and orange bitter?

 

[casablanca]

they did... My roomate has just told me that he did not stir in the extract at first... could the lme sitting on the bottom increased this carmelization ? Man those picss made me thirsty.

 

[BierMuncher]

they did... My roomate has just told me that he did not stir in the extract at first... could the lme sitting on the bottom increased this carmelization ? Man those picss made me thirsty.

They did what. Give you a dark LME or include the spices? The non-stirring could darken the brew. Generally, if you stick with dried extract and add the extract later in the boil, you'll maintain a lot lighter beer.

 

[DeathBrewer]

that would absolutely increase carmelization. you need to stir that stuff quickly and stir it well. like others have said, use dme when possible and always remove the pot from the burner before adding.

 

[Beerrific]

DME will float until dissolved. With LME you need to add a little and stir like crazy...then add some more...

 

[Rook]

If you added LME and just poured it in and didn't stir it, you might be in a heap of trouble.

I added LME at the beginning of my boil of a pale ale, didnt really stir it, and burned the Begeezus out of it. I ended up dumping that beer (I also had to get a power sander to get the burned extract off the bottom of the brew kettle).

 

[Ryanh1801]

I would read over this thread lots of good info.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=26151&highlight=late

 

[casablanca]

Yeah We have decided that I am doing the pouring and stiring from now on... for the two drews i did came out well... now hopefully they will taste better too or i am going to be in for a verbal thrashing... Has anyone cultured yeast from Chimay? Or does anyone know which trappist brewery white labs cultured theres from? Or can anyone recommend one to try?

 

[Ryanh1801]

from my understanding they use a different yeast at bottling. But I know a guy up here that uses it and says it creates a great beer, but I have yet to try it. White labs has a few Belgian yeast I would stick with those for right now. What are you trying to brew? For a chimay you would probebly want the wlp500

 

[casablanca]

had nothing sticking to the bottom of the kettle.... they gave me the correct spices... as for the malt... i know they gave me the correct light and amber malts for the other two but never saw to tub for the WIT.

 

[Kadmium]

your beer will be fine, dont worry about it! I brewed and extract "cascade pale ale" that ended up comming out the the color of a porter, but it still TASTED like a pale ale. So in the end, I called it my "interacial pale ale" because it was dark, not light, but still had the characteristics of a pale beer... so yeah. Dont worry about it! RDWHAHB

 

[BarryNL]

Have a feeling it won't taste like a stout though.

Not unless they formulated a really bizarre wit recipe containing roast barley