Dunkelweizen - March 2024 Brew

Brewer’s Notes

This recipe is my first attempt at re-creating a traditional German dunkelweizen style ale. Although the bitterness, malty flavors, mouthfeel, and overall taste meet the category for this type of beer, I would do a few things differently next time around. To add a little more sweetness to the palate, I’ll tweak the grain bill to include honey malt, and triple the chocolate malt additions. That will bring the flavor profile closer to my satisfaction. I will also adjust the brewing salts to increase the overall mineral hardness while keeping the salty tones in check, which will impart more of a sweet and savory tasting experience. Let me know what you think! 

Cheers

Style Origins

A dunkelweizen is a type of malty and pleasant flavor-packed ale, which is a beer that is fermented at warmer temperatures (typically around 16C or greater), and is tank conditioned as part of the refining process. This beer ages well in a bottle, and imparts greater flavor in part due to the characteristics of the type of yeast used. The style of beer originated in southern Germany, and has deep roots in brewing tradition. The balance of complex malts coupled with a subtle bitterness gives this beer its own beer category on the world stage. The term “dunkel” means dark in German, and represents the beer’s darker hue, while the term “weizen” refers to its base malt primarily consisting of wheat malt.

Craft Brew Profile

Style: Traditional German Dunkelweizen Ale
IBU: 15.4
SRM: 7
Alc. By Vol: 5.8%
Grains: German Dark Wheat Malt, Canadian White Wheat Malt, German Munich 1 Malt, German Pilsner Malt, Canadian 2-Row Pale Malt, Canadian Carared Malt, Chocolate Malt
Hops: German Hallertauer Magnum
Water: Labrador Spring Water, proprietary brewing salts
Yeast: German Hefeweizen Ale