Braggot Brews

OB Wit

This is a classic witbier recipe, augmented with orange blossom honey. OB honey is ripe with citrus and floral notes. It is a perfect replacement for bitter orange peel, a complement for coriander, and a balancing act for the tartness of the yeast and wheat.

Extract: Create 3.5 gallons of wort with 3.3# of wheat/barley malt extract and 0.5# carapils malt (steeped).

Bring to a boil and add 1 oz of Saaz hops, boil for 30 minutes and add Irish moss. Boil for another 20 minutes and add 0.5 oz of freshly crushed coriander and 0.5 oz of Saaz hops and turn off the heat. Add 3 lbs of orange blossom honey and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Chill, add to your fermenter and pitch Belgian witbier yeast.

All-Grain: Produce 3.5 gallons of wort from 2.5 lbs raw wheat, 2.5 lbs pilsner malt, and 8 oz flaked oats and follow instructions above for hops, spice and honey.

Buckwheat Porter

Buckwheat honey is quite robust and has notes of malt and molasses. Those raisin and rummy notes that are so desired in dark beers like Baltic porter, robust porter, Belgian dubbel and old ale can be boosted with a measure of buckwheat honey.

Extract: Steep 0.5# black patent or carafa I and 1.0# 60L or caramunich III malt as you would for any extract brew, add water and 5.0# of Munich or amber malt extract to get 3.5 gallons of wort.

Bring to a boil and add 1 oz of East Kent Goldings hops, boil for 20 minutes and add Irish moss. Boil for another 20 minutes and add 0.5 oz of Willamette hops and turn off the heat. Add 2 lbs of buckwheat honey and steep for 5 minutes. Chill, add to your fermenter and pitch English or American ale yeast.

All-Grain: Produce 3.5 gallons of wort from 2 lbs Munich malt, 4 lbs pale ale malt, 0.5 lb black patent, and 0.5 lb caramunich III and follow instructions above for hops and honey.

K. Florian Klemp
K. Florian Klemp is an award-winning homebrewer and general hobbyist who thinks there is no more sublime marriage than that of art and science.