Dunkelweizen

[Wasabi]

My HBS posted out a recipe for a DunkelWeizen last year and I finally got round to trying it out.

The instructions stated that I should get a OG og 1.056, but looking at the amount of malt I was putting into it, I was doubtful. It looked a tad higher that that.

Finally got it in the fermenter and it weighed in at 1.074. Hmmm, I thought....thats a little high. Still, not one to standing in the way of insanity I pitched a SafWheat (pre hydrated) yeast and let it go.

My brews never froth up in an explosion of delicious smells. They always just peacfully bubble away. So I was a bit suprised at 9 days to find it had dropped down to 1.018.

I left it in the secondary for 21 days and bottled it today at 1.012. My calculator tells me that this baby weighs in at 9.2% So far it taste's quite good. It has a malty taste, but not overly sweet with a medium hops taste at the back end.

Anyone else ever done a DunkelWeizen and should it really be this high (should I check my hydrometer). Either way I reckon it's going to be a nice winter warmer....if not a little deadly.

 

[RegBadgery]

No it won't kill you. I haven't brewed this style but have cooked up a couple of higher alcohol brews.

The first one was horribly sweet - far too low hopping for the amount of malt - it was my first partial mash attempt.

Another brew had better hop/malt balance - had a noticeable alcohol flavour at first but a few weeks later it had mellowed to be a lovely ale.

If it tastes good at the outset it's probably only going to get better.

cheers
reg

 

[PostModern]

I once fooled myself into believing I had an OG of 1.080. It was in Dessert Wine territory on my hydrometer. Turns out that because I'd only done a partial boil (extracts + hops + a few litres of water) that the heavier stuff had sunk near the spiggot and was all I'd tested. After shaking my head, sucking down another homebrew, the reason for the reading dawned on me... finally stirred the wort from top to bottom and found a reading of 1.047. Anyway, what is the recipe you used.... and will it kill you: If it didn't kill the yeast, you should survive it

 

[Doc]

I remember doing a Mexican lager kit in my early days of brewing.
OG was somewhere in the mid 1.05x's but the FG was 0.960 or something silly. Alcohol percentage was in the mid 12% range.
Tasted alright, a bit dry (but I guess that is a Mexican lager).
The low FG was attributable to the enzymes that came in a sachet with the kit. I've never used those enzymes again.
I have done a number of strong brews on purpose though which is great in dark beers for winter.
In fact I'm drinking a 6.5% ginger beer now and will chase that with a 7.3% cider.

Cheers,
Doc

 

[Wasabi]

Well here's the recipe.

1.7Kg Morgans Golden Sheaf Wheat Kit
2kg Morgans Chocolate Malt Master Blend
10gm Saaz Hops (60 mins)
10gm Saaz Hops (15 mins)
10gm Hallertau Hops (3 Mins)

I used a Saf Wheat Yeast with 1 hour prehydration.

I think the mis-print is the 2 KG of Chocolate Malt. 1 Kg would sound more like it?

I was also suspicious about my original reading, so I stirred it up , but after three readings, it wasn't dropping any.

As I said so far it tastes quite good. The maltiness is not overpowering, the Saaz seems to save it a bit there. You can taste the alcohol, but really only very slightly.

I'll let you know how its goes in a few weeks. If I can still see......

 

[PostModern]

Crikey, it'll be dark! If you made 23L, I reckon 1.073 is higher than you'd expect. Tried running it thru the recipe analyser on beertools.com?

What exactly is in the Chocolate Malt master blend?

 

[RegBadgery]

What sort of equivalence is there between chocolate malt extract and chocolate malt grain?

cheers
reg

 

[Doc]

This is from the Morgans Master Blend Chocolate Malt tin.

Light Roasted Chocolate Flavor and Aroma. A concentrate of chocolate malts which can be used to create your own special beer.

From the back of the tin it states 100% two row Barley Malt.

So I'm extrapolating that it is liquid chocolate malt.

Cheers,
Doc

 

[PostModern]

Ah, but what darkness? Imagine 3 lb of chocolate malt in a batch. You'd get a dark dark colour and dark taste. I thought it'd be a 10-20% sort of malt?

 

[kook]

Ah, but what darkness? Imagine 3 lb of chocolate malt in a batch. You'd get a dark dark colour and dark taste. I thought it'd be a 10-20% sort of malt?

http://www.morgansbrewing.com.au/productDe...+Chocolate+Malt

Seems its 15% chocolate and 85% munich

 

[RegBadgery]

Any ideas on why it isn't %100 chocolate?

cheers
reg

 

[PostModern]

Any ideas on why it isn't %100 chocolate?

Just my amateur opinion. 2 reasons:

1. Chocolate malt only comprises a small amount of the grain bill. You'd NEVER need 1.7Kg of straight chocolate extract in one brew at home, unless you brew 40 gallon batches. 1.7Kg would overwhelm the taste of a brew.

2. I believe that chocolate malt is so heavily roasted that all the starch converting enzymes are destroyed, so it needs to me mashed with a lighter malt to "borrow" some it its enzymes.

I'm pretty sure of 1, not so sure about the validity of 2. Choc malt is used for colour and flavour, not so much for fermentables.

 

[RegBadgery]

No I'm wondering why the contents of the tin isn't %100 chocolate malt - why is it %85 something else?

Yes if the tin contained %100 chocolate then I imagine that you would only need a very small amount from the tin for each brew.

I wonder what is the equivalent - ie X grams of chocolate malted grain = 1 tin of extramalt chocolate malt syrup.

cheers
reg

 

[RegBadgery]

Rereading your second point PostModern - do you think that maybe Morgan are wanting to sell something that is largely fermentable - ie it's chocolate malt flavoured munich malt extract?

Maybe this explains why it's only %15 chocolate malt??

cheers
reg

 

[kook]

Rereading your second point PostModern - do you think that maybe Morgan are wanting to sell something that is largely fermentable - ie it's chocolate malt flavoured munich malt extract?

Maybe this explains why it's only %15 chocolate malt??

cheers
reg

Take a look at my reply to your post on CB.

Its a "master blend" product, not a straight extract.

 

[RegBadgery]

Thanks kook - that explains it.

cheers
reg

 

[PostModern]

Rereading your second point PostModern - do you think that maybe Morgan are wanting to sell something that is largely fermentable - ie it's chocolate malt flavoured munich malt extract?

Maybe this explains why it's only %15 chocolate malt??

cheers
reg

Yep. Chuck it in the fermenter with a can of LME and hops and you get dark beer. - Ah, in reading the CB thread this is confirmed by wes and kook.

 

[Wasabi]

I'm alive!

Woo Hoo!

..and its actually turned out to be a very drinkable ale. You've no idea of the alcohol content (until you try and stand up of course)

I think I'd like to cut back on the OG a bit next time though.

I've tried it out on a few work colleagues who've given me the thumbs up and asked if they can buy a case, though one of themm did mention that although it tasted great, it did have a strong vegemite smell to it at first.

I have a lousy sense of smell so I haven't noticed, but does anyone know why this would be? They said it wasn't reflected in the taste, just the smell.

 

[GMK]

Vegiemite Smell.

First:
Did you add vegiemite...only kidding.

Second:
Vegiemite is made from concentrated yeast extract...ie the dead yeast cells left behind in the bottom of the fermnter and bottle.
Could be that the beer could be a little green, or
his glass got a little of the dregs from the bottom when you poured it and thats what gave it the vegiemite/yeasty smell/whiff.

Hope this helps.