Brewing Dunkelweizen at home
Wheat beer with banana, caramel and bread crust.
Base recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal), calculated with the Brauwerkstatt beer creator. With one click you can adapt it to your batch size, bitterness, colour or alcohol content.
Typical figures
| Alcohol | 4.3–5.6 % |
| Bitterness | 10–18 IBU |
| Colour | 28–45 EBC (14–23 SRM) |
| Carbonation | 7.0 g/l (3.5 vol) |
| Yeast | SafAle WB-06 (top-fermenting wheat beer yeast) |
| Fermentation temperature | 18–22 °C (64–72 °F) |
| Brewing water | medium-hard |
Recipe for 20 litres (5.3 gal)
- Original gravity: 11.8 °P (SG 1.048)
- 5.2 % vol
- 14 IBU
- 35 EBC (17.8 SRM)
- Final gravity: 2.2 °P (SG 1.009)
Grain bill
| Dark wheat malt | 2.62 kg (5.78 lb) | 53 % |
| Light Munich malt | 1.78 kg (3.92 lb) | 36 % |
| Caramunich II | 403 g (14.2 oz) | 8 % |
| Carafa Special I | 122 g (4.3 oz) | 2 % |
Hops
| Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 4.0 % α | 27 g (0.95 oz) | 60 min |
Yeast
SafAle WB-06: 10–16 g (0.35–0.56 oz) for 20 L (about 5.3 gal) (50–80 g/hl)
Mash schedule
45 °C (113 °F) · 15 min → 63 °C (145 °F) · 30 min → 72 °C (162 °F) · 30 min
Brewing water
| Mash water | 17.0 L (4.49 gal) |
| Sparge water | 12.5 L (3.30 gal) |
| Total water | 29.5 L (7.79 gal) |
Brewing steps
- Clean and sanitise everything that touches the wort after the boil.
- Measure out 29.5 L (about 7.8 gal) of water and treat it with the brewing-water calculator. Medium-hard water works well, mash pH 5.3–5.5.
- Split the water: mash water 17 L (about 4.5 gal), sparge water 12.5 L (about 3.3 gal).
- Heat the mash water to 48 °C (118 °F) and mash in 2.62 kg (5.8 lb) Dark wheat malt, 1.78 kg (3.9 lb) Light Munich malt, 0.4 kg (0.88 lb) Caramunich II and 0.12 kg (0.26 lb) Carafa Special I (gives about 45 °C / 113 °F).
- 1. rest: 45 °C (113 °F), 15 min (ferulic acid rest for the clove aroma).
- Measure mash pH 10–15 min after mashing in (cool the sample to 20 °C / 68 °F). Target 5.4–5.5.
- 2. rest: 63 °C (145 °F), 30 min (maltose rest).
- 3. rest: 72 °C (162 °F), 30 min (saccharification). Iodine test at the end: no blue colour = starch converted.
- Mash out: heat to 78 °C (172 °F) and hold for 10 min.
- Rest 10–20 min, lauter slowly and sparge with 12.5 L (about 3.3 gal) water at 78 °C (172 °F).
- Boil the wort for 60 min. At the start of the boil add 27 g (0.95 oz) Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
- After the boil stir a whirlpool and let it rest for 15 min.
- Chill to 18 °C (64 °F), measure original gravity (target 11.8 °P), run 20 L (about 5.3 gal) into the fermenter, aerate well and pitch the SafAle WB-06 (amount see yeast).
- Primary fermentation 5–7 days at 18–22 °C (64–72 °F).
- Measure final gravity (target about 2.2 °P). Priming sugar per bottle from the carbonation calculator (target 7 g/l), then bottle.
- Bottle-condition for 2 weeks at room temperature, then keep cool.
Notes
Created with the beer creator (brewhouse efficiency 70 %, final gravity about 2.2 °P).