AG No.12 - 'Isolation Brew' - a Dunkleweizen

[Alastair70]

I'm determined to brew a good dunkleweizen, this is iteration number 3.
23L batch

Water
Alk 80ppm HCO3, Ca 150ppm
19L mash, 15L sparge

Fermentables
Bohemian Wheat 3kg
Bohemian Pilsner 2kg
Special W 400g
Carafa special II 400g

Mash
60min - 66C
10min - 75C

Hops
Hallertauer Mittlefruh 40g 60min
Hallertauer Mittlefruh 15g dry hop

Yeast
Safbrew WB-06 - 10 to 14 days (probably)

Colour of wort looks spot on, one of my issues with attempts 1&2. Trail jar swig interesting, very sweet up front then a long coffee note comes in from either the Carafa or Special W.

 

[Drunkula]

I really want to try some Special W. I've got loads of Special X and it's completely different to Special B. X is more like it's toasted, B is like overdone peanut brittle - I genuinely know that because I made some the other day and messed about with different levels of... caremelisation (cough burnt).

 

[Alastair70]

I feel your pain, my daughter has been banging on about making honeycomb recently. Any of my own attempts at sugarwork have all gone disastrously!
I tend to buy from Get Er Brewed. They're just up the road from me and delivery is considerably cheaper than the mainland alternatives.
They don't carry Special B however, so I'm road testing substitutes. Caraaroma has worked well in previous brews, but I thought Special W might be closer flavour wise. I'll find out later next month.

 

[Drunkula]

When you chew W is it more roasty or crunchy/glassy? W and B definitely aren't interchangeable.

 

[Alastair70]

Actually, I didn’t try that. I wasn’t looking for interchangeablity, just trying to make a great beer, and pick up the malt contributions when it’s done. I taste at every stage of the brew, so crunching on some grain makes an awful lot of sense.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I'm determined to brew a good dunkleweizen, this is iteration number 3.
23L batch

Water
Alk 80ppm HCO3, Ca 150ppm
19L mash, 15L sparge

Fermentables
Bohemian Wheat 3kg
Bohemian Pilsner 2kg
Special W 400g
Carafa special II 400g

Mash
60min - 66C
10min - 75C

Hops
Hallertauer Mittlefruh 40g 60min
Hallertauer Mittlefruh 15g dry hop

Yeast
Safbrew WB-06 - 10 to 14 days (probably)

Colour of wort looks spot on, one of my issues with attempts 1&2. Trail jar swig interesting, very sweet up front then a long coffee note comes in from either the Carafa or Special W.

I'm putting on an extract dunkleweison next once my order from brewuk arrives

 

[pilgrimhudd]

When you chew W is it more roasty or crunchy/glassy? W and B definitely aren't interchangeable.

Ahh are they not similar? I got W from geterbrewed because I saw the 'special' and just thought B and W must be the same just called something different!

 

[Drunkula]

Ahh are they not similar?

W might be, it's the one I haven't tried. If you've got time and the packet's open have a little nibble for me and say what it's like. B you could almost sit there and eat like some dark caramel breakfast cereal, X is dry and biscuitty. During a chat with Genus Brewing they said they really like Special X bit didn't have time to go into what they use it for.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I have a little bit of B left, when my palate is cleansed I shall have a nibble and report back!