Witbier is not a complicated beer to brew, but it rewards attention to detail. Wheat malt forms the base of the mash here, and Saaz 4.2% carries the hop character through to the glass.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | Witbier |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.044-1.052 |
| Final Gravity | 1.010-1.014 |
| ABV | 4.5-5.5% |
| IBU | 8-18 |
| SRM | 3-9 (pale gold, often hazy) |
| Difficulty | Beginner to Intermediate |
Brew Day, Step by Step
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1
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Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Wheat malt, at a steady temperature to build the fermentable sugars this style needs. Sparge slowly so you do not lose efficiency. |
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2
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Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with Saaz 4.2%. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer. |
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3
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Ferment · 24C (75F) Pitch Wyeast 3944 Belgian Witbier once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it. |
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4
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Condition · 3 weeks at 12C (54F) Rack to secondary (or leave in primary if your recipe calls for it) and let the beer round out at a cool, steady temperature. This step does more for the final flavor than people expect. |
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5
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Package · 1 day, then wait Bottle or keg once gravity has held steady for a few days in a row. Give it time to carbonate and, for bigger styles, additional time to mellow before your first taste. |
That’s the shape of brew day and the weeks after it. For the exact grain bill, hop schedule, and full step-by-step instructions with amounts, use the recipe card below.
What You Will Need
Sourcing your own ingredients locally is always fine, but if you want to skip a homebrew store trip, here is what’s in stock in our shop right now:
- Base and specialty grain: Grains & Adjuncts (e.g. Briess BJ-5U8M-8RRM Chocolate Malt 1 lb., Brown)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Magnum Hop Pellets 1 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Safbrew T-58 (3 Count 11.5 g Packs))
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. FASTFERMENT Floor Stand for FastFerment 7.9 Gallon Conical Fermenter)
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Mr Beer Homebrewing Carbonation Drops)
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. Monster Brew Home Brewing Supplies Home Brew Ohio Complete Beer Equi)
- Pour it right when it’s ready: a tulip glass shows off the color and holds the aroma better than a straight pint glass
Serve It Right
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A Witbier is best served in a weizen glass, it fits the body and carbonation of this style better than a straight pint glass. Here is one from our shop: |
Ingredients & Gear for This Batch
Grain / Adjuncts Brewmaster-42147-MB Flaked Corn (Maize) – 1 Lb Bag (Pack of 10) |
Hops |
Yeast |
Fermenter |
Priming Sugar |
Equipment |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
Witbier
Equipment
- 1 Mash tun or large pot
- 1 Fermentation vessel (e.g., fermenter or carboy)
- 1 Airlock and stopper for the fermentation vessel
- 1 Wort chiller or another method for cooling the wort
- 1 Brewing thermometer
- 1 Brewing spoon or paddle
- 1 Hydrometer or refractometer for measuring gravity
- 1 Brewing burner or stove
- 1 Grain bag or mesh screen for mashing
- 1 Racking cane or siphoning equipment
- 1 Bottling bucket or kegging system
- 1 Bottles or kegs for storing the finished beer
- 1 Bottle capper or kegging system
- 1 Sanitizing solution for cleaning equipment
- 1 Brewing log or notebook for recording the brewing process
Ingredients
For the Mash – Liquor 11.5 Litres (20 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65°c/149 °F
- 5 lb Wheat malt Quantity 2.3kg
- 5 lb Pale malt Quantity 2.3kg
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47½ Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins
- 1 oz (Hops) Saaz 4.2% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 15.3)
- 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
- 1 oz Curaçao bitter orange peel Other – When to add – For last 10 mins of boil
- 1 oz Coriander seeds, lightly crushed Other – When to add – For last 10 mins of boil
To Ferment – 24°C (75°F) – Conditioning 3 weeks at 12°C (54°F)
- 1 Wyeast 3944 Belgian Witbier
Instructions
- Mash the grains: In a large pot, heat 11.5 Litres (20 Pints) of water to 65°C/149°F. Add 5 lb (2.3kg) of wheat malt and 5 lb (2.3kg) of pale malt and stir well. Maintain the temperature for 1 hour.
- Sparge the grains: After 1 hour, sparge the grains by slowly adding 27 Litres (47.5 Pints) of hot water to the mash tun and draining the liquid into a separate pot. This liquid is called the wort.
- Boil the wort: Bring the wort to a boil and add 1 oz (28g) of Saaz hops. Boil for 1 hour 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Protofloc for the last 15 minutes of the boil. Add 1 oz (28g) of Curacao bitter orange peel and 1 oz (28g) of lightly crushed coriander seeds for the last 10 minutes of the boil.
- Cool the wort: After boiling, cool the wort as quickly as possible to 24°C (75°F).
- Fermentation: Transfer the cooled wort to a sanitized fermentation vessel and add the Wyeast 3944 Belgian Witbier yeast. Ferment for 28 days at 24°C (75°F).
- Conditioning: After fermentation, condition the beer for 3 weeks at 12°C (54°F).
- Bottle or keg: After conditioning, bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to your desired level.
- Enjoy: Chill the beer and serve cold. Enjoy your homemade Witbier!
Get the fermentation temperature right on Witbier and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes Witbier the Style It Is
There is nothing exotic about the roots of Witbier, it grew out of practical brewing choices, local ingredients, and the tastes of the people drinking it.
What you get in the glass is a beer that leans on wheat malt and saaz 4.2%, with a finish shaped by Wyeast 3944 Belgian Witbier. Get the fermentation temperature right and the rest of the process is mostly patience.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 4.5-5.5%
- Bitterness: 8-18 IBU
- Color: 3-9 (pale gold, often hazy)
- Serving temp: 40-45F (4-7C)
- Glassware: a weizen glass
- Food pairings: light salads, grilled sausage, citrus desserts
Common Questions
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes, the grain bill and hop schedule scale linearly with batch size. Just make sure your equipment, mash tun and boil kettle both, can actually handle the volume you are scaling to.
What is the biggest mistake homebrewers make with this style?
Rushing the schedule. Pulling a beer off yeast too early or skipping conditioning time is the most common way to shortchange a recipe like this one.
Can I substitute a different yeast strain?
You can, but expect the flavor profile to shift. Stick close to the same yeast family (English ale, American ale, Belgian, lager, etc.) if you want a result close to what this recipe is aiming for.
Keep Exploring
Once you have this one down, here are a few more homebrew recipes worth trying next:
Browse the full homebrew recipe collection for more styles, or if you are just getting into the hobby, start with one of our homebrewing starter kits for new brewers.
This recipe is for adults of legal drinking age. Please brew and drink responsibly, and always sanitize your equipment thoroughly to avoid infection.
