Beer Forum

Last year I brewed an all-grain Belgian wit with WLP400, and I want to try a rebrew this weekend. Last time I followed Jamil's BCS recipe (to the best of my ability) and according to my notes and memory, it had no off-flavors but was totally bland and boring. Was just wondering if anyone here has brewed a lot of wits and has tips on how that yeast reacts to different temps, pitching rates or oxygenation rates?

My notes say I started fermentation around 68, and after a few days let it free rise, per Jamil's recipe. There was very little yeast character other than some pepper; I'd like to get it a little estery this time and lose the pepper. Alternatively, I could maybe just ferment cooler, like 64 and compensate with extra orange peel and spices.

Any tips, BN Army?

Edit: Edit: Just found this flavor chart linked off Homebrewtalk. Based on that it seems like I should have gotten a totally different flavor profile, maybe my thermometer was bad? Dunno.

I usually underpitch my wits slightly. I do a 1 liter starter with 1 smack pack of yeast and intermittent shaking. According to Jamil's pitching rate calculator you're supposed to pitch a 1.3 L starter for a 1.052 ale.