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Author Topic: dunkelweizen yeast  (Read 5075 times)

Offline sparkleberry

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dunkelweizen yeast
« on: September 10, 2012, 09:52:12 am »
want to give this style a try but have no idea where to start with yeast selection.

thoughts?

also, when I make a starter do I need to worry about using wheat dme or is regular light dme fine?

cheers!

ryan
cheers.

rpl
apertureales

Offline nateo

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Re: dunkelweizen yeast
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2012, 09:55:38 am »
Regular DME is fine.

For yeast, it'll depend on what kind of flavors you want. WY3333 gives a pretty "balanced" flavor to my taste, with clove, banana, and some other fruity (apricot?) flavors.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.

Offline hoser

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Re: dunkelweizen yeast
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2012, 10:14:57 am »
want to give this style a try but have no idea where to start with yeast selection.

thoughts?

also, when I make a starter do I need to worry about using wheat dme or is regular light dme fine?

cheers!

ryan

DME for a starter is fine.  1 gram of DME per 10mL of water.  So, for a 1L starter you need 100g of DME.  Starter depends on the age of the yeast and the OG of your beer.  Anything around 1.050 and under you probably don't need a starter if the yeast is fairly fresh.

In terms of yeast, I prefer White Labs 380 Hefe IV.  I get a lot of clove and phenols with minimal banana.  Especially if you ferment in the low 60's.  I recently read somewhere that it may be more beneficial or acceptable with a Hefe yeast to not make a starter, but for the life of me I can't remember where I read that....

Offline mripa

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Re: dunkelweizen yeast
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2012, 10:47:46 am »
I brew Dunkelweizen with the Weihenstephaner Wyeast. I make a starter but it sometimes foams over the top. 1000ml in a 2000 ml flask. Tastes great. I ferment high range.

Offline erockrph

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Re: dunkelweizen yeast
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2012, 11:47:48 am »
I like WY3638 fermented in the low-mid 60's. For my palate, that is the sweet spot where you get a good balance between banana and spicy phenolics. I like the 3638 because along with clove there are notes of vanilla and cinnamon to go with it that I really enjoy. Sort of like spiced banana bread.

As far as starters go, I don't make one on my normal gravity weizens. I just smack the pack about 6 hours before pitching, and give it a good shake every hour or so. My dunkelweizen is in the low 1.050's, so I end up underpitching a bit. Allegedly, this increases the phenolics. I'm not 100% sure I believe that is the case, but this has become my standard practice and I like my results, so I'm sticking with it for now.
Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline frankie j.

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Re: dunkelweizen yeast
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2012, 07:55:07 pm »
Wyeast 3068
Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
Mark Twain

Offline sparkleberry

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Re: dunkelweizen yeast
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2012, 08:53:33 pm »
i decided on wyeast 3056. think i'm looking for something a little neutral so i figured id give it a try. will report back.
cheers.

rpl
apertureales