Brewferm Tarwebier; Changes?

[John Sand]

I have a can of HME, Brewferm Tarwebier. (Wheat Beer) It's not young, it expired. I think the yeast is most vulnerable to time. I do have a pack of Munich Wheat Yeast. Does anyone have any recommendations for this kit? Have you used it? It calls for sugar, which I think I will use, because the extract was formulated for it. I have a variety of hops, including Hallertau and Saaz. I also have US-05, S-04, AbbeyII and Belle Saison yeasts.

[mashani]

Assuming the yeast that came with it is a Belgian Wit (white) strain (I dunno).

You can use the Munich. If so I'd use some sugar and some wheat dme perhaps (I don't know how much sugar they want you to add). But even though that will help attenuate it, it won't give you the tartness that a Belgian Wit strain would. Some extra bitter orange might be nice to make up for it.

But the yeast you have that would make something closest to a Belgian Wit is actually the Bella Saison (Belgian Wit yeast has a residual citrusy tartness along with phenolics, and the Bella is going to give you that sort of thing and some peppery spices too). But if you use that I'd use wheat DME not sugar. Bella Saison is going to give you a dry tart beer even if you use extract, and the using dme will keep it closer to a wit vs. a bone dry saison.

Or if you have a LHBS handy that has stuff then I'd go pick up a vial or smack pack of actual Belgian Wit yeast.

[John Sand]

Thanks Mash. Recipe calls for 750mg of sugar, I don't have any wheat malt. I decided to follow the recipe, and split it into two fermenters. One got the Brewferm yeast, the other the Munich. I was puzzled about my low OG, until during cleanup I found a bag of sugar intended for the wort. I can always add it later.

[John Sand]

Update: The "expired" Brewferm yeast produced a big foamy krausen by morning. I definitely over-pitched it, using a whole pack for half a batch. It was nine months past date.