Looking for feedback on Dunkelweizen recipe

[turkeyjerky214]

Planning to brew this next week. Is this a style that would benefit from a decoction? Once I get my ferm chamber up and running, I want to do a doppelbock that calls for it, so I figure I should get in some practice on a smaller beer first.

Please don't hold back. Would love some raw, honest feedback on what you think of this.


Dunkelweizen
15-B Dunkelweizen
Author: Brian Schmittgens



Size: 5.5 gal
Efficiency: 80.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 184.66 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.055 (1.044 - 1.056)
|=======================#========|
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.014)
|=======================#========|
Color: 16.64 (14.0 - 23.0)
|============#===================|
Alcohol: 5.46% (4.3% - 5.6%)
|======================#=========|
Bitterness: 15.0 (10.0 - 18.0)
|==================#=============|

Ingredients:
4 lb 2-Row Brewers Malt
4 lb White Wheat Malt
.5 lb Pale Chocolate Malt
.5 lb Caramel Malt 40L
1.8 lb Munich 10L Malt
.5 oz Tettnanger (4.7%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.5 oz Hallertau (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
1.0 ea White Labs WLP320 American Hefeweizen Ale

[bmock]

It looks a bit heavy on the chocolate to me, but what do I know...

[JE]

I agree with Brad. I would cut the Chocolate malt down to, say, 4 ounces. I would then supplement by adding a touch of a darker Crystal (80L)...that is if you are wanting to keep that color.

Just my $0.02. I fear the Chocolate malt MAY produce too much roast for that style of beer.

[tlael]

+1 on the chocolate comments

For a beer true to style, I would lean towards WLP300/3068.

[Kerth]

Not enough wheat.(50%plus)
I used a decoction, a lot of extra time added to brew day, but it helped bring out the malt to compete with the banana in the yeast.
I'll be serving it Friday night.

[bmock]

I would use just a little Carafa Special II for color.

[siwelwerd]

Agree on the yeast. With 320, it won't be a dunkelweizen, it will be a dark american wheat. Go for 300 or 3068.

[turkeyjerky214]

Okay, here's what it looks like now. I dropped the chocolate to .25#, made the wheat more prominent, threw in some carafa II, and changed the yeast to WY 3333. I'm not looking for a lot of banana character, and I've read that if you overpitch 3333 and ferment low, you can control it pretty well.

What do we think?

Dunkelweizen
15-B Dunkelweizen
Author: Brian Schmittgens



Size: 5.5 gal
Efficiency: 80.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 175.7 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.053 (1.044 - 1.056)
|===================#============|
Terminal Gravity: 1.013 (1.010 - 1.014)
|====================#===========|
Color: 21.64 (14.0 - 23.0)
|=====================#==========|
Alcohol: 5.19% (4.3% - 5.6%)
|==================#=============|
Bitterness: 15.0 (10.0 - 18.0)
|==================#=============|

Ingredients:
3 lb 2-Row Brewers Malt
4.5 lb White Wheat Malt
.25 lb Pale Chocolate Malt
.5 lb German Carafa II
.25 lb Caramel Malt 40L
1.8 lb Munich 10L Malt
.5 oz Tettnanger (4.7%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.5 oz Hallertau (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 45 min
1 ea WYeast 3333 German Wheat

[siwelwerd]

I'm not looking for a lot of banana character, and I've read that if you overpitch 3333 and ferment low, you can control it pretty well.

There are many factors that influence the production of banana (ester)/clove (phenol) other than the strain. Oxygenation, fermentation temperature, nutrient levels, pitching rate, mash schedule, etc. can affect banana and/or clove levels. For what it's worth, WLP300 fermented at 62 with typical oxygenation, pitching rate, single infusion mash has yielded a nice balance for me.

[turkeyjerky214]

For what it's worth, WLP300 fermented at 62 with typical oxygenation, pitching rate, single infusion mash has yielded a nice balance for me.

Yeah, still don't have a fermentation chamber. I keep watching craigslist, but whenever a good size freezer comes up, I'm not able to get my dad's truck in time to get it. My basement is in the mid 60s, which works pretty well, but when you factor in the temperature increase during fermentation, I'm positive I'm still fermenting most beers higher than I'd like to.

I actually already picked up a smack pack of WY 3333, so we'll see how that goes. I think I'm going to try pitching the correct amount of yeast, and if there's too much banana presence, next time I make it, I'll overpitch.

Thanks everyone for the input.

[bmock]

For what it's worth, WLP300 fermented at 62 with typical oxygenation, pitching rate, single infusion mash has yielded a nice balance for me.

Yeah, still don't have a fermentation chamber. I keep watching craigslist, but whenever a good size freezer comes up, I'm not able to get my dad's truck in time to get it. My basement is in the mid 60s, which works pretty well, but when you factor in the temperature increase during fermentation, I'm positive I'm still fermenting most beers higher than I'd like to.

I actually already picked up a smack pack of WY 3333, so we'll see how that goes. I think I'm going to try pitching the correct amount of yeast, and if there's too much banana presence, next time I make it, I'll overpitch.

Thanks everyone for the input.

Swamp cooler...do it.