Dunkelweizen Recipe - Am I at Least Close?

[violinguy]

I ran across some Leinenkugels Bavarian Dunkels today and really liked it. Therefore, I want to brew my own Dunkelweizen. Am I on the right track here?

Style Name: Dunkles Weissbier
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 3 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 4.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.037
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.055
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV (standard): 5.4%
IBU (rager): 16.43
SRM (morey): 19.07

FERMENTABLES:
4 lb - German - Wheat Malt (61.5%)
1 lb - German - Pilsner (15.4%)
0.5 lb - American - Aromatic Malt (7.7%)
0.5 lb - German - Caramel Wheat (7.7%)
4 oz - Belgian - Special B (3.8%)
4 oz - United Kingdom - Pale Chocolate (3.8%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Hallertau (GR), Type: Pellet, AA: 2.5, Boil for 40 min
0.5 oz - Hallertau (GR), Type: Pellet, AA: 2.5, Boil for 5 min

 

[jmcquesten]

I ran across some Leinenkugels Bavarian Dunkels today and really liked it. Therefore, I want to brew my own Dunkelweizen. Am I on the right track here?

Style Name: Dunkles Weissbier
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 3 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 4.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.037
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.055
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV (standard): 5.4%
IBU (rager): 16.43
SRM (morey): 19.07

FERMENTABLES:
4 lb - German - Wheat Malt (61.5%)
1 lb - German - Pilsner (15.4%)
0.5 lb - American - Aromatic Malt (7.7%)
0.5 lb - German - Caramel Wheat (7.7%)
4 oz - Belgian - Special B (3.8%)
4 oz - United Kingdom - Pale Chocolate (3.8%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Hallertau (GR), Type: Pellet, AA: 2.5, Boil for 40 min
0.5 oz - Hallertau (GR), Type: Pellet, AA: 2.5, Boil for 5 min

Not positive, but it seems like quite a bit of specialty malts, or not enough base malt. All those ingredients look right for the style, but I don't know about that particular beer.

 

[TheMadKing]

I ran across some Leinenkugels Bavarian Dunkels today and really liked it. Therefore, I want to brew my own Dunkelweizen. Am I on the right track here?



Style Name: Dunkles Weissbier

Boil Time: 60 min

Batch Size: 3 gallons (fermentor volume)

Boil Size: 4.5 gallons

Boil Gravity: 1.037

Efficiency: 70% (brew house)



STATS:

Original Gravity: 1.055

Final Gravity: 1.014

ABV (standard): 5.4%

IBU (rager): 16.43

SRM (morey): 19.07



FERMENTABLES:

4 lb - German - Wheat Malt (61.5%)

1 lb - German - Pilsner (15.4%)

0.5 lb - American - Aromatic Malt (7.7%)

0.5 lb - German - Caramel Wheat (7.7%)

4 oz - Belgian - Special B (3.8%)

4 oz - United Kingdom - Pale Chocolate (3.8%)



HOPS:

0.5 oz - Hallertau (GR), Type: Pellet, AA: 2.5, Boil for 40 min

0.5 oz - Hallertau (GR), Type: Pellet, AA: 2.5, Boil for 5 min

I'm brewing one tomorrow so I just researched this style extensively. I've consumed many examples but never brewed one, so take my advice for what it's worth to you.

I would get rid of the chocolate malt. Roast malt is appropriate for a Munich Dunkel but not a Dunkelweisse IMO

I would also sub out your wheat malt for dark wheat (9srm), reduce the amount to 50% and add some Munich and pilsner to make up the rest of the gravity. I think the aromatic, special B and Carmel are fine as is.

 

[JonM]

IMHO, the special B is going to be really out of place in a dunkelweizen. It's some potent stuff.

For whatever it's worth, I've had great results with using nothing but dark wheat (not midnight wheat) and Munich with just a pinch of dehusked carafa III for color.

 

[TheMadKing]

IMHO, the special B is going to be really out of place in a dunkelweizen. It's some potent stuff.

For whatever it's worth, I've had great results with using nothing but dark wheat (not midnight wheat) and Munich with just a pinch of dehusked carafa III for color.

I respectfully disagree, it's in a number of the recipes here on hbt that have won medals, and I'm planning on using a similar percentage in my batch tomorrow. I think in small amounts it will add a hint of toasted malt character that would be very hard to get otherwise. But again I'm just basing my opinions on research and commercial examples, not experience.

 

[JonM]

Interesting. Now that I think about it, I have used a little of it in Dubbels that have turned out well.

 

[TheMadKing]

Interesting. Now that I think about it, I have used a little of it in Dubbels that have turned out well.

Looking back through my notes, it looks like chocolate is also commonly used in small amounts so never mind about that OP. I think I got that from the "traditional ingredients" section in beersmith.

But one thing I just noticed is that special B and chocolate (roast in general) are never used in the same recipe. It seems to be either one or the other FWIW

 

[violinguy]

Thank you everyone. I'm still tweaking it. Originally I did use a small amount of carafal II for color and I may go back to that. The chocolate was in there for darkening purposes only.

 

[violinguy]

So maybe something more like this?

FERMENTABLES:
3 lb - German - Dark Wheat (51.1%)
1 lb - German - Dark Munich (17%)
1 lb - German - Pilsner (17%)
0.5 lb - American - Aromatic Malt (8.5%)
4 oz - Belgian - Special B (4.3%)
2 oz - American - Midnight Wheat Malt (2.1%)

 

[Schemy]

I'd brew your original recipe and modify if needed. I liked what you had first off. If you were way off, it would be noticeable, but I think you were close and should make a good drinking beer.

***I also don't like Midnight Wheat, I think its astringent.***

 

[violinguy]

I'd brew your original recipe and modify if needed. I liked what you had first off. If you were way off, it would be noticeable, but I think you were close and should make a good drinking beer.

***I also don't like Midnight Wheat, I think its astringent.***

Two questions

1. Astringent even at 2 oz?
2. Alternative? I need to darken this to around 20 srm

I appreciate all the help I can get. Still learning (always learning I guess).

 

[Schemy]

Two questions

1. Astringent even at 2 oz?
2. Alternative? I need to darken this to around 20 srm

I appreciate all the help I can get. Still learning (always learning I guess).

I find it really roasty. I did a Black IPA that I used it in at 2 oz, and it completely ruined the beer.

I think what you had initially with the caramel wheat and choco malt would be good.

 

[jmcquesten]

I'll be brewing my weizenbock soon, which is basically a bigger version of a dunkelweizen. I'll be using about 55% wheat 40% Munich and a little chocolate (for color and flavor) and some melanoidin (for complex maltiness). This would give you a good dunkelweizen if you scaled it to the right abv range.

This recipe is modeled after Aventinus weizenbock.

I'll be using wlp 300 that was just harvested from a quick turnaround hefeweizen, in place of a starter.

 

[Rhaop]

IMHO, the special B is going to be really out of place in a dunkelweizen. It's some potent stuff.

For whatever it's worth, I've had great results with using nothing but dark wheat (not midnight wheat) and Munich with just a pinch of dehusked carafa III for color.

This, i have a dunkelweizen kegged right now that I brewed from jon's advice from an older thread, i went with 50/50 dark munich and dark wheat, bout 4oz carafa 3 and threw in a pound of 2row for mashing's sake

It's rich and malty to say the least, fermented with mj's m20 yeast in low 60's for a nice clove and a hint of banana probably not to style but it's a damn good beer View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1497043426.878219.jpg

 

[jmcquesten]

This, i have a dunkelweizen kegged right now that I brewed from jon's advice from an older thread, i went with 50/50 dark munich and dark wheat, bout 4oz carafa 3 and threw in a pound of 2row for mashing's sake

It's rich and malty to say the least, fermented with mj's m20 yeast in low 60's for a nice clove and a hint of banana probably not to style but it's a damn good beer View attachment 403699

This is really similar to what I'm talking about, with mine being a little heavier on the wheat %.

 

[Rhaop]

Yeah next time i brew this recipe I will scale back on the munich this beer is like a maltpocalypse lol

 

[violinguy]

Thank you all for your input. I've reworked this recipe and it's basically 68% German wheat, 18% Munich, and then small amounts of Aromatic, crystal/caramel 80L, and dehusked caraf II. Going with Bavarian Wheat M20 by Mangrove Jack for yeast and Hallertau (GR) for hops. Just ordered everything and I'll probably brew in about a week or so. Fingers crossed.

 

[jmcquesten]

Thank you all for your input. I've reworked this recipe and it's basically 68% German wheat, 18% Munich, and then small amounts of Aromatic, crystal/caramel 80L, and dehusked caraf II. Going with Bavarian Wheat M20 by Mangrove Jack for yeast and Hallertau (GR) for hops. Just ordered everything and I'll probably brew in about a week or so. Fingers crossed.

That sounds like a good plan. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[violinguy]

Well, you can read about the adventures in brewing this recipe here. A pretty big failure.

BUT

It tastes amazing! The color is perfect. It's a little heavy on the clove, but once it's properly conditioned, this will by my new favorite of my brews. Can't wait to brew it again without the massive equipment cluster@#$!