This is my first recipe built from scratch...

So I've brewed maybe (10) 5 gallon batches at this point. Started off doing 3 kits to get a feel, read some books, decided to make a mash tun and go AG. I've done a bunch of recipes I've found online with great success. I figure the natural next step is to try my hand at making a recipe.

I've decided to go for a "Blueberry Ginger Wit". Here's the recipe:

Recipe: "Pravalaguna" Witbier
Brewer: Sean Reno
Style: Witbier
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 6.73 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.19 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.20 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.80 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 3.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 17.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 82.4 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 50.0 %
4 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 2 50.0 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop 3 17.4 IBUs
1.04 oz Ginger Root (Boil 12.0 mins) Herb 4 -
0.75 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 5 -
1.0 pkg Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400) Yeast 6 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs
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Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 11.25 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Add 6.30 qt of water at 200.7 F 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 3.67 gal water at 168.0 F
Notes:
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Primary 7 days, rack onto 5 lbs frozen blueberries for secondary, for 6 days, rack to third for another 15 days.



I also just started using beersmith and don't have a complete handle on the volumes, etc. so any tips or corrections are greatly appreciated! I've decided to hold off on the orange peel as I'll be racking onto blueberries. But anyways, here are my questions:

1) How does this look? Decent?
2) Does anyone have experience with Ginger, when to add, how much, etc? I've read that much like hops, adding earlier in the boil will result in a loss of flavor but will still give you the heat, which is kind of what I'm going for.
3) Any tips? I've been reading through forums that best I can.

Thank you!

Looks good to me—although I don't have a ton of experience brewing with ginger. I know fresh ginger is much more potent in flavor than dried ground ginger. I think not mixing blueberries and orange is a sound recipe decision. That might taste muddy.

Some thoughts on spicing your beer: Have you tried making a herbal "tea" (no actual tea leaves) made from those spices? I recently brewed a witbier (10 gallon batch), where I split it in half, and added coriander (15 grams) and tangerine zest (2 large tangerines) to one 5 gallon fermenter. For the second fermenter, I did double the corriander and zest (30 grams and 4 tangerines, respectfully) in a tea. After I boiled these for about 10 minutes, I transferred to a french-press to strain out the solids. I cooled the liquid and pitched directly into the fermenter during the end of fermentation (I don't do a 2-stage primary-secondary fermentation unless I'm doing brett or fruit). I find that the orange zest and corriander comes out much brighter as it doesn't get scrubbed out by the fermentation as much.

Splitting your batch is a great way to experiment—even if you're only doing 5 gallon batches. Buy yourself two 3 gallon better bottle fermenters. This way, you're not "all in" on one recipe decision.

Glad to answer any follow up questions.

Looks pretty good. Personally, I like to go 60/40 for wheat/pale, but that's just me. Also, not sure what your experience with wheat is, but you have a possibility of a getting a stuck sparge. Rice hulls will help with that.