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Homebrew Recipe - Orange Blossom Special -- Braggot
American Wheat or Rye Beer
Starting Gravity: 1.040 - 1.055
Bitterness: 15 - 30 IBU
Finishing Gravity: 1.008 - 1.013
Alcohol: 4 - 5.5%ABV
Orange Blossom Special -- Braggot
Orange Blossom Special -- American Wheat Braggot.
This is a favorite of mine and several of the guys in my brew club. They all brew it for their wives/girlfriends, as it's very mellow in taste, and It hides its big alcohol content very well and drinks way smaller than it actually is.
Recipe Specifics
78%
10.25 gal
90 min
131 °F
Hops
| Hallertau |
2.00 |
4.5 |
60 |
20.4 |
| Saaz |
2.00 |
3.75 |
15 |
4.5 |
| Saaz |
2.00 |
3.75 |
0 |
0.0 |
Extras
Fermentables
| Pilsner Malt (Germany) |
1.037 |
1 |
6.00 |
28.6 |
| White Wheat Malt (USA) |
1.039 |
2 |
7.00 |
33.3 |
| Crystal 10L Malt (USA) |
1.035 |
10 |
2.00 |
9.5 |
| Honey () |
1.042 |
0 |
6.00 |
28.6 |
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White Labs -
WLP320 American Hefeweizen Ale Yeast
Recipe Estimates
Yeast Cells Needed: 480 billion
Estimated Final Gravity:
1.017 -
1.020
Alcohol %ABV:
6.21 -
6.65
Calories/12 oz.:
224 -
226
Yeast Properties
Attenuation: 70% - 75%
Flocculation: Low
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium
Optimal Fermentation Temp: 65 -
69
°F
Notes
I use a step mash - 131F protein rest for 15 mins and a 152F Sacc rest to convert. 90 min boil time eliminates DMS from the Pilsner malt.
Add Orange Blossom Honey at 2 mins left in the boil only so it is Pasteurized and preserves the Orange Blossom aromatics.
Aim for an overall soft water profile for soft hop presence.
In my experience, German Hefe yeast (such as WYeast 3068) produces too much clove and banana which overpowers the honey in this beer. The Pyramid yeast from White Labs (WLP320) adds a slight touch of the phenols and it really melds well with the Citrus from the honey. Save the awesome 3068 for your Bavarian Hefe's.
An interesting variation is to use crystal 80 instead of crystal 10 for a nice Amber version.
