BJCP Style: 10B - Dunkels Weissbier
I have seen this style referred to as Dunkelweizen ("dark wheat") which is more appropriate. Dunkels Weissbier literally means "dark white beer" which is dumb.
Like the Weissbier, this recipe is about 60/40 wheat to barley. But instead of pilsner malt this one uses the darker Munich and a bit of roasted malt for color.
Full Recipe is on BrewersFriend but here's the TL;DR:
- Brew day: 2020-2-2
- Malt: Wheat, Munich I, Chocolate
- Hop: Magnum (FWH bittering only)
- Yeast: Lallemand Munich Classic, G2
- OG: 11.6°P, FG: 2.3°P (hydro: 1.009), ABV: 5%
- Kegged: 2020-2-25 (+23)
Wheat, Munich, and Chocolate malts
Kettle fill
Mash temp
Boil
Appropriate brew session beer from Ayinger. This example is barely darker than the standard Weiss from Weihenstephaner which was surprising. It looks like more of an amber. Taste is on point with wheaty smoothness and pronounced spicy yeast character. I think this is what the one I just made would look like without the roasted malt.
Ready to chill
Floor Manager Steve
Saved yeast from the Weissbier
Yeast in the fermenter ready for wort
OG looking like 11.6°P
Away we go...
2020-2-6 (+5): Market research: went to 4 Noses in Broomfield and they actually had a "Dunkelweizen" on! This is more what I expected from the style. The Ayinger above was good but not very different from standard Weissbier examples I have had. I think mine will still be darker than this one.
2020-2-9 (+7): samples from all the currently fementing things: Pinot BSG, Pinot Cider, Loral Strong Bitter, and the Dunkelweizen. Gravity is looking like 1.4°P after refractometer check and conversion which puts the ABV at 5.4%
2020-2-26 (+24): Kegged sample. After about a month in the fermenter this seems to be ready to go. I'll let it carb up naturally for a week or so at serving pressure but it's tasting like a dark wheat. Also it is surprisingly clearish for just having been kegged.
2020-2-28 (+26): sample pulled after settling out in the keg a couple of days.
2020-3-14 (+41): Sample and clarity/color check
2020-3-28 (+55): full pour. flavors have really smoothed out and this is going down easy. The roastiness from earlier has faded. Still not my favorite style but a pretty good representation I think.
