Dunkelweizen

Sunfire96

Sunfire96

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https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1061265/dunkelweizen

Please let me know what you think! I'm using Safale S-04 instead of weizen yeast. Grain bill is inspired by the weizen recipe in How To Brew and the Wheat chapter in Designing Great Beers. The last time I had a dunkelweizen was 15 years ago in Germany, and I kinda sorta remember what the flavor was like... Thanks for the help!!
 
Sunfire96 said:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1061265/dunkelweizen

Please let me know what you think! I'm using Safale S-04 instead of weizen yeast. Grain bill is inspired by the weizen recipe in How To Brew and the Wheat chapter in Designing Great Beers. The last time I had a dunkelweizen was 15 years ago in Germany, and I kinda sorta remember what the flavor was like... Thanks for the help!!
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Not sure what you're after flavor wise but for a weizen beer, yeast is a key ingredient. You'll be getting none of the phenols or esters with 04. So I think you'll more or less be brewing a dunkel.
 
thunderwagn said:
Not sure what you're after flavor wise but for a weizen beer, yeast is a key ingredient. You'll be getting none of the phenols or esters with 04. So I think you'll more or less be brewing a dunkel.
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Okay, thank you. Is a dunkel brewed with lager yeast?
 
Sunfire96 said:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1061265/dunkelweizen

Please let me know what you think! I'm using Safale S-04 instead of weizen yeast. Grain bill is inspired by the weizen recipe in How To Brew and the Wheat chapter in Designing Great Beers. The last time I had a dunkelweizen was 15 years ago in Germany, and I kinda sorta remember what the flavor was like... Thanks for the help!!
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First, if you aren't using Weizen yeast you're not making a Dunkelweizen. Not to say it won't be good. Your recipe with US05 looks to be in the American Brown range, which brings us to my next point, Crystal or Caramel malts don't really belong in a Dunkelweizen. Your beer, but the style police will not be pleased..
 
Looks much better... I would still use a Hefeweizen yeast, I think Lallemand Munich is about the only dry Hefe strain available.
 
Sunfire96 said:
I really appreciate the feedback. It seems I got a little mixed up. How about this recipe for a dunkel (pretty much taken from byo)? Thanks again!

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1062496/dunkeldore
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Are you shooting for a Dunkleweizen or a Munich Dunkles Lager? If you are going for the lager then brew on! If you want a dunkleweizen then:

You'll need 50% or more of Wheat in the malt bill.

Personally, I would not use Galena hops.... Tenttnanger is a better choice here. Or really any German Noble Hop. Magnum would be a good choice too.

Also, you can't really have a hefe or dunklehefe without the right yeast! If you want the classic bannana/clove notes then you gotta have the right yeast. I recommend a liquid strain here as I have not had much luck with the dry ones... However, it could be just me - the dry strains are WB-06 and Munich Classic as others have mentioned.

Good luck!
 
Blackmuse said:
Are you shooting for a Dunkleweizen or a Munich Dunkles Lager? If you are going for the lager then brew on! If you want a dunkleweizen then:

You'll need 50% or more of Wheat in the malt bill.

Personally, I would not use Galena hops.... Tenttnanger is a better choice here. Or really any German Noble Hop. Magnum would be a good choice too.

Also, you can't really have a hefe or dunklehefe without the right yeast! If you want the classic bannana/clove notes then you gotta have the right yeast. I recommend a liquid strain here as I have not had much luck with the dry ones... However, it could be just me - the dry strains are WB-06 and Munich Classic as others have mentioned.

Good luck!
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Thanks muse! I decided to go with the munich dunkel lager this time, but did you see the first recipe posted for a dunkelweizen? I'm curious what you think of that one.

For the dunkel lager I originally had another Perle addition for my bittering hops, but switched to Galena to save the aroma hops.
 
Nosybear said:
...Your recipe with US05 looks to be in the American Brown range, which brings us to my next point, Crystal or Caramel malts don't really belong in a Dunkelweizen. Your beer, but the style police will not be pleased..
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I have a clarification question about your crystal/caramel malt suggestion, if that's okay. From the Wheat chapter in Designing Great Beer, Daniels says 15-30% of the grist can be dark malt, including crystal/caramel. I've included a picture of the book below. Also, the byo recipe includes Caramunich, which is another type of crystal/caramel (unless I'm mistaken, which is entirely possible :) ). So what's the story here? Yes crystal for dunkelweizen, or crystal malts don't belong in dunkelweizen? There's sometimes so much info out there, it can be daunting and confusing!
20201011_070744.jpg
 
I'm just a dude with a phone that's smarter than me... Trying to remember my last Dunkelweizen, I believe the pros are right, it has some caramel malt in it. My apologies. I wouldn't use the American crystal, use a German variety like Caramunich.
 
I foolishly tried a Hefe for my first brew. Lot of mistakes to learn from but the yeast wasn't one of them. Love WLP 300! Pitched a single vial into 5 gallons without a starter and it did the job. Definitely a work horse. I had trouble at first tasting the banana (others told me it was there) but I think it was just overpowered by some of the other flavors. The last couple of the batch (bottled for over 2 months at that point) I got plenty of banana from
 
Sunfire96 said:
I have a clarification question about your crystal/caramel malt suggestion, if that's okay. From the Wheat chapter in Designing Great Beer, Daniels says 15-30% of the grist can be dark malt, including crystal/caramel. I've included a picture of the book below. Also, the byo recipe includes Caramunich, which is another type of crystal/caramel (unless I'm mistaken, which is entirely possible :) ). So what's the story here? Yes crystal for dunkelweizen, or crystal malts don't belong in dunkelweizen? There's sometimes so much info out there, it can be daunting and confusing!
View attachment 12327
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You are certainly correct about there being so much info out there! And of course the answer is yes and no :) Pretty much, you can get away with a pils/munich (dark munich) and wheat blend with a longer boil and/or decoction mash. OR you can use a bit of caramel malt. When it comes to weizens I have only made dunkles with the exception of one regular hefe. AND I have done it both ways. Both worked. My most successful recipe included Special B - I think though, that the caramunich is a solid/better choice. I doubt I would use more than 10-15% though.
 
Sunfire96 said:
did you see the first recipe posted for a dunkelweizen? I'm curious what you think of that one.
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I did not. It is certainly better! I would change the crystal to cramunich, and up the wheat to at least 50% of the grain bill on that recipe. (On a personal note, I would also switch pale 2row to pilsner or vienna and the light munich to dark munich).

Let me know if you ever brew that recipe! :)
 
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