# Orange Blossom Special - Honey Wheat Ale



## bdawg (Nov 17, 2013)

Here's a favorite recipe of mine

I call it the Orange Blossom Special because it uses a bunch of Orange Blossom Honey for flavor and aroma.

For a 5 gallon batch:

6 lbs Wheat Malt Extract  (or go all grain using 5llbs Pilsner Malt and 5 lbs Wheat Malt - mash at 151F)

1 lb Crystal 10L

1 oz Hallertaur @ 60 min

1 oz Hallertaur @ 5 min

3 lbs Orange Blossom Honey @ 2 mins

White Labs WLP320 American Hefeweizen yeast or Wyeast 1010 American Hefeweizen Yeast

(You can also use a Kolsch yeast for this recipe)

If using extract-

Steep the Crystal malt in 2 gallons of water @150F for 30 mins

Top up to boiling volume based on the size of your boil pot.

Bring that up to a boil and take it off the heat.

if you are doing a concentrated boil, Add 1/2 of the extract now.  If you are doing a full boil, add all of it now.

bring the wort up to a boil and let it go to hot break (ie, it will foam up then the foam will cave in on itself).A

Add 1 oz of Hallertaur hops and start your boil clock.

Let the mixture boil a slow rolling boil for 45 mins.

Add 1 oz of Hallertaur, (and the rest of the extract if you were doing a concentrated boil.)

Let it boil for another 10 mins, then add the other oz of hops.

Let it boil for another 3 mins and add the honey.  Bring it back up to a boil.  By then the clock will have run out.

Top up to 5 gallons (with pre-boiled and chilled water, if you are doing a concentrated boil).

Chill down to 66F, aerate well (preferably with oxygen) and pitch the yeast.

Let it ferment for 2 weeks at around 68F, then prime with 1 whole cup of corn sugar and bottle (1 cup as opposed to the standard 3/4 cup will provide ~3 volumes of CO2 as opposed to the normal 2.5 volumes).

If AG- you can either single step mash all the grains at 151F or if you want a more complex malt backbone, go for a single decoction mash with steps at 131F (protein rest) and 151F saccharification rest. Mashout either way at 168F.

Same hop & honey schedule as the extract version.

Adding the honey at 2 mins is enough to pasteurize it and retain the flavor and aromatics.

This beer finishes around 6.9% but it tastes and drinks like its down around 5%.  It is a huge hit with the ladies, too.

I'm sure you'll love it once you try it.


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## themule69 (Nov 18, 2013)

Sounds good. I have a bunch of honey and am thinking mead. But I may have to make a batch of this too.
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Happy smoken.

David


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## bama bbq (Nov 18, 2013)

That does sound good. I have a Holiday Ale that uses honey bottle conditioning now and a Brown Ale in the fermenter.


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