Dunkel Weizen grain bill advice

I've never done a dunkel before, adn I'm wondering if I need to swap out the vienna with pale 2-row for the enzymes. Also, should I mash higher than 150*F?

Critiques criticisims and advice welcomed!


Dammerung
Dunkelweizen

Type: All Grain
Date: 9/12/2008
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Brewer: Hagen
Boil Size: 7.00 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 87.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 50.00 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 20.00 %
2.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 20.00 %
0.50 lb Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 5.00 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
0.25 lb Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 2.50 %
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.20 %] (60 min) Hops 13.4 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
5.50 gal Local Water Water
1 Pkgs Munich (Danstar #Munich) Yeast-Wheat



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.058 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.058 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.78 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.87 %
Bitterness: 13.4 IBU Calories: 259 cal/pint
Est Color: 18.9 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Double Infusion, Light Body Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
Sparge Water: 4.70 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Double Infusion, Light Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp
30 min Protein Rest Add 9.00 qt of water at 132.1 F 122.0 F
30 min Saccrification Add 6.00 qt of water at 200.5 F 150.0 F

You don't need to swap 2-row for the Vienna, you'll be fine for conversion. I would definitely mash higher and/or do some decocting. I'd also probably lose the Caramunich...

I'm considering decoction over infusion. I did it for a belgian wit and was pleased both with the results and how easy it really was.

WOOHOO 300 posts!

Hagen said:

I'm considering decoction over infusion. I did it for a belgian wit and was pleased both with the results and how easy it really was.

WOOHOO 300 posts!

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Do it! Even if you don't want to do the full thing, decoct like half the mash...

Check the SRM on your wheat supply. You can get some German wheat malt that is darker (maybe even up to 7 SRM), I would think that using that for the base malt would be a good thing.

Alright, bumping the sacchrification rest up to 154* and decocting to get there. Not sure if I want to drop the caramunich though. I like complexity in my darker beers.

I'll be wanting to know how this one turns out. A friend at work has been bugging the s**t out of me to brew him a dunkel for a while now. What are you thinking for a fermentation temperature?

Personally I like my grain bills nice and simple. A traditional dunkelweizen is just 60/40 wheat/munich and use a hefeweizen yeast. I like to do a double decoction when I brew mine, very tasty!

jcarson83 said:

I'll be wanting to know how this one turns out. A friend at work has been bugging the s**t out of me to brew him a dunkel for a while now. What are you thinking for a fermentation temperature?

Click to expand...

I tend to prefer the bannana over clove esters, so I'll be shooting for 68*F.

Bradsul: I recently finished a keg of wit, and I'm about to have a keg of american summer wheat come on tap. So, in this one, I want something a bit darker and sweeter. I'm curious to see how the esters work with the darker grains.

Alrighty, here's what I did. I went with the double decoction, and dropped the caramunich. We'll know in a month how it turns out...

Dammerung
Dunkelweizen

Type: All Grain
Date: 9/12/2008
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Brewer: Hagen
Boil Size: 7.00 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 87.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 51.28 %
2.00 lb Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 20.51 %
2.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 20.51 %
0.50 lb Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 5.13 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 2.56 %
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.20 %] (60 min) Hops 13.5 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
5.50 gal Local Water Water
1 Pkgs Munich (Danstar #Munich) Yeast-Wheat



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.63 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.74 %
Bitterness: 13.5 IBU Calories: 254 cal/pint
Est Color: 19.9 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Decoction Mash, Double Total Grain Weight: 9.75 lb
Sparge Water: 4.28 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Decoction Mash, Double Step Time Name Description Step Temp
20 min Protein Rest Add 12.68 qt of water at 133.8 F 122.0 F
20 min Saccharification Decoct 4.74 qt of mash and boil it 147.0 F
20 min Saccharification Decoct 2.89 qt of mash and boil it 158.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 3.90 qt of water at 208.2 F 168.0 F



Mash Notes: Used for some authentic German styles. Attempt to draw decoction from the thickest portion of the mash. Profiles vary. Some traditional German mashes use a long acid rest at 40 deg C. Also some sources recommend the decoction amount be given a 15 minute saccharification rest at 158 F (70 C) before boiling it.

I am want to make a dunkelweizen sometime soon and looking for a good recipe. I am curious how this worked out for you?

Was the decoction worth it?