AG78 - Weizenbock

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strange-steve

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This is my first brew of 2020 and a bit of an impromptu one, but I found myself with a free afternoon and an empty house so why not. Now I've never even tasted a weizenbock let alone brewed one but this recipe is somewhat based on a BJCP best of show winner so hopefully I can do it justice.

Weizenbock

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 20
Total Grain (kg): 6.52
Total Hops (g): 17
Original Gravity (OG): 1.069
Final Gravity (FG): 1.015
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 7.0 %
Colour (SRM): 17
Bitterness (IBU): 19 (Tinseth)
Boil Time (Minutes): 75

Grain Bill
----------------
3.000 kg Pilsner (46%)
2.600 kg Wheat Malt (40%)
0.650 kg Munich I (10%)
0.125 kg Caramunich I (2%)
0.100 kg Chocolate Malt (1.5%)
0.045 kg Carafa Special II (0.5%)

Hop Bill
----------------
17.0 g Magnum Pellet (10.5% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)

Notes
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Mashed 30 mins at 63C and 30 mins at 70C
Fermented at 17C with Safbrew WB-06
 
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This is looking and smelling good this morning, always reassuring to see a lovely krausen the following day.

Just checked my notes and it's been 4 years since I last brewed a wheat beer (not counting Berliners) so I'm looking forward to this.
 
Now I've never even tasted a weizenbock let alone brewed one
I think this is one of the great things about making your own beer, you can make things that are hard or impossible to obtain in your country or region. I've made a few beers based on description alone - hard to say if they're technically correct but I enjoyed drinking them (and got some positive feedback from friends) which is what it's about. Good luck athumb..
 
I think this is one of the great things about making your own beer, you can make things that are hard or impossible to obtain in your country or region.
Quite right, there are several styles I tasted as homebrew before ever tasting commercial versions. The only eisbock I've ever had was my own brew, although I do have a bottle of Schneider Aventus Eisbock which I'm keeping for a special occasion :beer1:
 
Bottled this today and at this stage I'm really happy with it, lovely rich malty, fruity, spicy flavours. Looks like a muddy puddle, but I'm guessing that's normal for this style :confused.:
 
I've got a weizenbock planned Steve. Was thinking of using WY3068, so very interested in your choice of yeast.....
 
I've got a weizenbock planned Steve. Was thinking of using WY3068, so very interested in your choice of yeast.....
There doesn't seem to be a lot of love for WB-06 but I've used it many times in the past and always liked it, but Wy3068 would probably be the perfect choice for this style :thumba:
 
There doesn't seem to be a lot of love for WB-06 but I've used it many times in the past and always liked it, but Wy3068 would probably be the perfect choice for this style :thumba:
Cheers.
My recipe has slightly more IBU (25), colour (19), and abv (8.1%), but I'm in the same ballpark
18 litre batch
3kg wheat
1kg pilsner
1kg Vienna
1kg Munich
200g special B
200g chocolate rye

Step mash 45, 62, then 70.

13g magnum @ 60
30g Tettnang @ 30 (cant recall why, might drop it and increase 60 Mon addition)

Wy3068

Whaddyareckon?
 
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I'm certainly no expert, but your recipe isn't a million miles away from Jamil's in BCS so I reckon it'll be decent. Just be careful with the step mash, I think the key to getting this style right is balancing a relatively high FG with just enough bitterness so that it's full bodied but with only a touch of sweetness. You don't want the attenuation to be too high, low 70s I'd aim for. Mine was up at 78% with my 2-step mash so the FG was a bit lower than I wanted.
 
Cheers that's really helpful, thanks.
My OG is predicted to be 1.082, and with 77% attenuation (the reported upper limit for WY3068) I'd end up with 1.018. The step mash is something I picked up from my research, but I did want a fermentable wort to get that attenuation - I'll give it some more thought.....
 
First tasting of this and it's only been in the bottle a week but already tasting pretty good. A nice balance of dark fruits and spice with a dry finish, and no alcohol flavours even at 7.2%. Also no longer looks like a muddy puddle, has turned out a more pleasant reddish brown (not as black as it look in the pic).
ycsXHV7.jpg
 
@Oneflewover I'll send you a bottle tomorrow to see what you think, I'm fairly happy with it so far.
Just drinking your beer now @strange-steve . If my Weizenbock turns out anywhere near as good as this I'll be chuffed.

IMG_20200215_213944768.jpg


Poured with a pretty two finger tan head, dissipated quite quickly. I left most of the yeast in the bottle, rightly or wrongly. Carbonation is spot on.

Aroma is sweet, touch of banana and caramel, hint of alcohol and really inviting.

Taste wise I'm getting banana initially, in a good way (not dominating at all) but no clove to speak of. Little bit of spice maybe, possibly getting more as the beer warms. Lovely bready flavours.

Mouthfeel is nicely full, and what is really good about this beer is that it starts a little sweet and luscious, but then leaves the pallette dry and wanting another taste. Having said that, a touch less attenuation would be perfect for my taste I think. Where did it finish? You are right, I need to think about the mash schedule carefully. Bitterness just right.

Good job sir, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and thanks for sharing :hat:
 
Thanks for the feedback @Oneflewover, I think you're spot on about the attenuation I'd have preferred a couple of points higher. I think it finished at 1.014 (edit. I just checked and it was actually 1.012). I'm going to stick it in the Irish national competition next month, just curious how it'll do.
 
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Ok so after reading this thread I am going to give the weizenbock a go. I have never brewed a wheat beer. From reading the two different recipes on this thread and some online. Using mainly ingredients I have my recipe is looking like this
3kg wheat
2.5 kg pilsner
800g Munich
200g cara aroma
100g chocolate
50g carafa 1
Bittering hop will be magnum and yeast wb-06. I will probably copy the two step mash. Hopefully I will have this on tonight.
 
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