Water Levels are low. First batch with my own recipe. A few questions for some more experienced brewers

[Brewer #410952]

May I suggest that you post up the recipe for us to look at.
As @Herm brews notes, it seems that you are brewing an "extract" recipe, and there is nothing wrong with that.
It will just help us provide better guidance.

Thank you! Took a few days to tweak it up. Really appreciate everyone's suggestions here. Let me know if you guys see something materially off.



Instructions

1. Heat sink water (strike water) to 160 degrees. Start with 2.5 gallons of water.

2. Steep ½ lb Vienna and ½ lb wheat malt for 25 minutes in water within a bag. Don’t forget to mash grains if purchased un-milled (which you should buy un-milled for freshness). 1 pound of water will be absorbed per pound of grain. (consider adding sparge water here, i.e. 1 gallon of water)

3. Bring wort to a boil (212 degrees).

4. Drop in 1 oz Hallertau hops at beginning of 1.5 hour boil. Use a filter bag.

5. Boil for 90 minutes in total. Stir in 2 pound of Wiezen DME. Stir in thoroughly.

6. With 15 minutes left in boil, stir in 4 pounds of Weizen DME. Stir in thoroughly.

7. With 10 minutes left in boil, stir in the following seasonings (use a filter bag):

a. 1 Cinnamon stick

b. Chili powder ½ teaspoon

d. Nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon grated

e. 2 cloves crushed

8. With 5 minutes left in boil, drop in 1 ounce Saaz hops. Use a filter bag.

9. After 90 minutes of boil stop heat and cool down to 65 degrees. Cool using an ice bath.

10. Stir in Belgian wit yeast. Size TBD depending on starting gravity. Jot down gravity prior to yeast. Don’t forget to take the bag out 3 hours before from the fridge and make sure the bag inside gets popped and the bag inflates. Always store in fridge upon purchase!

11. Slice up 12-15 mango pieces and freeze. Use a filter bag.

12. Ferment in 1-gallon carboy for 7-10 days. Store in a dark room temperature drawer.

13. Rack to secondary fermentation for 7 days including 1 habanero pepper deseeded and the 12-15 sliced pieces of mango. During final 2 days drop in a fresh mango crushed. Alternative fermentation with more mango or pepper or adding back in seasonings.

14. Bottle with just under a teaspoon of corn sugar per bottle. Boil 16 ounces of water and then drop in corn sugar until completely dissolved. Then mix into brew before the bottling process.

Ingredients	1 Gallon	3 Gallon	5 Gallon
Water	2.5 gallons	7.5 gallons	12.5 gallons
Vienna and Wheat Malt	.17 pounds each	.50 pounds each	.83 pounds each
Halllertau and Saaz Hops	.33 ounce each	1 ounce each	1.67 ounce each
Seasonings	Use judgement above
Yeast	Calculate based on gravity

 

[Zambi]

I'm a bit confused about step 2.
If grains are unmilled, you should mill them and mash them.

You're using some unusual additives ...

 

[Donoroto]

You can also use less time with the Hallertau, a 60 minute boil is sufficient (frankly, 30 is also enough), but that amount won't hurt the beer at 90.

Unmilled grain needs to be milled before use. Grind it fine.

 

[Ward Chillington]

You're using some unusual additives ...

Yeaaah.... and very little water for a 90 minute boil...hell, I boil off about 2 gallons in a 60!

I've only done a few extract batches ever but that back fill method seems the norm.

Now those additives....I thought it was the yeast that was supposed to impart the spice flavors in a Belgium? Not to tap the brakes on you ambitions but I'd encourage you to perfect your base brewing skills like understanding water loss and sanitation before trying to brew something as exotic like a Fruited Belgium. I think you'll find the success with simple recipes a better catalyst for learning than being disappointed and turned off to home brewing with something that's difficult in the first place. Can I interest you in a brown ale?

 

[Craigerrr]

I'm with the others, this is way too complex of a recipe, too many steps and additives.
As a new brewer you should keep it simple and develop your process.
There is no substitute for experience, and a great beer does not need to be complex to be great.
Think of it this way, if you aren't happy with how this turns out which additive do you change and by how much.
If you are ending up with any off flavors, they will be difficult to pinpoint with all of those "spices" misleading your taste buds.
Start of simple, refine you process, then add as you go.
To my recollection, a Belgian yeast, depending on fermentation temperature, will give you either a clove flavor, or a banana flavor, or your preferred balance of both. To my knowledge clove is not something that is added for flavor.
Here is a recipe writing guide for a Belgian Dubbel, I haven't watched this for a couple of years, so I don't recall everything about it, but it should help you understand the style. You will need to adapt to an extract or partial mash process, but this should get you going in the right direction.

 

[Zambi]

Yeast is definitely important for Belgian styles.
Belgian Wit generally has additives.
But just coriander and bitter orange.
Tripel often gets coriander added as well, plus lemon or orange peel.

Weizen is the one with cloves & banana coming from the yeast, depending on mash temperatures