First time brewer

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rickydonovan

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I have never brewed beer before but I have watched numerous videos on it and I feel decently confident in getting started.
I will be brewing a German Dunkelweizen and It would be great if I could get some feedback with some tips pertaining to the essentials/necessities for a first time
Dunkelweizen brewer. Like stuff to watch out for, or things to remember.

Please and thank you!
 
Remember to be sanitized and clean. Follow instructions. Most importantly.. don't get nervous or worried. "Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew."
 
Start with a recipe kit from your LHBS or order one online. Read How to Brew by John Palmer to get a better understanding of the entire process. Ignore the directions that come in your kit and follow the methods that Palmer uses. Most kits are great to get started, but cut corners and rush you into bottling so that you buy another kit. Good beer takes time so expect it to be a month or more before you consider opening one up. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize!!!
 
I would recommend reading at least the introductory parts of the online version of How to Brew, and get the print version if you can. While the videos are helpful, they can't provide the amount of detail that a book can, and Palmer's book is especially well-written.

Aside from that, I would say be thorough in sanitizing, and use a yeast that is appropriate for the style - if you use a kit, check that it is in fact a weizen yeast you've got, and if it isn't find another yeast to use. White Labs WLP351 and Wyeast 3068 are both good choices for liquid yeasts; the only dry Weizen yeasts I know of off hand are Danstar Munich Wheat and Safbrew WB-06, but there may be others I'm not aware of.

If you are still putting your kit together, you might want to look at this thread for items you may have overlooked.
 
Remember that the strains of yeast that are used for Dunkelweizens need to be kept at a fairly stable temp. Right around 62 degrees. If you go higher or lower than that you will end up with either a banana bomb or a clove monster.

Gary
 
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