My wheat beer turned out dark...

[jalynch4]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie, so hopefully this isn't too basic of a question.

I brewed an American wheat, which was in the primary for two weeks (per the kit's instructions). I racked to the secondary last night and the beer was much darker than after the boil.

I did a late extract addition, mostly to get a lighter color and was pretty happy with how it looked when it went into the primary.

Does anyone know any reasons why it might have darkened so much?

Thanks!--I appreciate any thoughts/suggestions/advice. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

 

[Parker36]

Are you looking at it in a carboy? It might just be because you are looking through a larger volume, so it appears darker than it would in a glass.

 

[eschatz]

post ingredients please.

 

[mklawz]

Im guessing you used LIQUID malt extract? No matter how light the LME is, the beers turn out much darker than they should. IMO, the late extract addition method doesnt help a lick either.

Only way to get a lighter colored beer is using the lightest DME available, or brew All-Grain. I really wish vendors did not use LME for light beers such as a wheat. The color is always disappointing.

Its also because you are looking at it in the carboy, which is a much denser view.

 

[jalynch4]

It was a kit from Northern Brewer:

(no specialty grains)
6 lbs Wheat extract (65% wheat, 35% barley malt)
1 oz. Willamette @ 60 mins
1 oz. Cascade @ 15 mins.
safeale K-97 dry yeast

I put about 15% of the extract into the boil for the first 45 mins with the willamette, then added the rest of the extract and cascade for the last 15 mins. I used a wort chiller and it went right into the primary before I pitched the yeast (which I re-hydrated first).

thanks so much!

 

[Bob]

As stuff drops out of suspension, the beer will look noticeably darker in the carboy.

As Parker wrote, beer always looks darker in the carboy, too, as compared to what it will look like in the glass.

Plus, as mklawz wrote, malt extract syrups tend to make a darker beer, pound for pound, than dry extracts.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[ben the brewman]

beer always looks darker in the carboy than it really is. no problem

 

[Munsoned]

Did anyone mention that beer looks darker while in a carboy?

I've had problems with caramelization of my dry malt extract. I think the heat was too much in my boil, which darkened up my last two batches too (I also did a late extract addition--didn't seem to help). Just something else to think about...

 

[Pappers_]

Are you looking at it in a carboy? It might just be because you are looking through a larger volume, so it appears darker than it would in a glass.

^^^ +1 always looks darker in the carboy than in the glass

 

[Kickass]

Friends and family, I now present to you my world famous Dunkel Weiss!! Its that simple.

Personally, greater than my ability to brew beer is my infallible talent for reclassifying them after I’ve inevitably missed the mark.

 

[jalynch4]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm anxious to see what it looks like when it finally makes it to a glass.

I appreciate all the feedback!

 

[Vic_Sinclair]

Friends and family, I now present to you my world famous Dunkel Weiss!! Its that simple.

Came here to say this. Act like this was your plan all the time. They will go home and Google "dunkelweizen" and find out it's supposed to be dark.

 

[anemic]

This is the same recipe that Charlie has in the Joy book. I have it in the carboy (used DME 60 min full boil). Does anyone have any feedback on this? I am kinda hoping against hope that it in some way resembles Oberon and / or Zoomer, two of summer favs. The color in the carboy looks very similar to Oberon (as near as one can actually determine color of 5+ gallons in a carboy versus 12 oz or less in a pintglass!) I'm looking forward to it. I could bottle it soon - but my hydrometer was busy when I racked it and now it has been visibly bubbling since Saturday. Fun to watch those bubbles rise as the yeast strive to create the C02 isnt it!

 

[ACo]

Friends and family, I now present to you my world famous Dunkel Weiss!! Its that simple.

Personally, greater than my ability to brew beer is my infallible talent for reclassifying them after I’ve inevitably missed the mark.

haha yeah.....

 

[EcuPirate07]

heres a good example, this is what my blonde looked like when I racked to secondary

After 2 weeks in Secondary

Finished Product

I got a lot of Head still messin with the PSI to get it right.

 

[headfullahops]

Wheat DME is relatively dark, too. I've found I have to substitute a couple of pounds of wheat DME for Pilsen DME to get the lighter color in a wheat beer. To avoid the hassle all together, do what I did and start brewing Dünkelweizen instead.

 

[SmugMug]

Sometimes a LME beer will lighten up after a few weeks of bottle conditioning. I have no hard evidence or citation other than my last weizen batch which had a distinct amber hugh (out of a bottle) only a week into conditioning but then lightened up significantly by 2.5wks. Still much darker than say a Paulaner, but it certainly tastes better! Ok, well maybe it really doesn't but I think it does. And my opinion is all that matters.

 

[Bob]

Personally, greater than my ability to brew beer is my infallible talent for reclassifying them after I’ve inevitably missed the mark.

Trust me, even probrewers do it all the time. Had a batch go a direction you didn't intend? Name it something cool, serve it in a distinctive glass.

That's how I came up with the beer my customers loved best - I had intended it as a specific style (Tripel), but ended up dry-hopping the wrong unitank. Trust me, a bunch of dry-hopped Goldings does not a Tripel make! But it tasted good, so I named it Lait du Diable, served it in 12-oz goblets, and reserved the first hour's fresh glasses to mug club members.

Of course, slick marketing won't make up for a mediocre - much less awful - beer. But it is a good way to turn a catastrophe into the cat's ass!

Bob