[klickitat jim]

My first dunkel is on tap now and is a pretty nice Vienna Lager. Wrong city

Tomorrow I'm trying a do over. I made a Modelo and I want an Ayinger
I'm being a bit sneaky though, and shooting for an Ayinger that you might find in a bottle shop in Portland. So it needs to have a hint of "imported" age. Just for beer geeks like me who will never know what its like fresh off the schnitzel.

Dunkel Kracker
10 lbs Weyerman Munich light
8 oz Melanoidin
8 oz Special B
2 oz Carafa II special
145-148º 90 min

14 grams Magnum at 60

Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager pitched at 48, set at 50º and walked up a degree a day after krausen slows

Think I'll hit my target?

[majorvices]

I know there are some who would disagree with me, but I think Special B makes every beer you put it in taste like a belgian beer. Skip it in a dunkel or bock.

[erockrph]

To me, it's Dark Munich malt that makes a Dunkel taste like a Dunkel. It has this really dark bread crust character that I just don't get from any other malt. To me, I think a Dunkel made primarily with Light Munich would end up closer to an Ofest in flavor.

I agree with Keith completely, the Special B is way out of place here - unless by "imported age" you mean "sweet fig and raisin". I like Special B, but not in lagers.

[klickitat jim]

Glad I asked I guess. You're talking me out of it. Maybe I'll drop the spec b and sub a little Munich 20l

[majorvices]

Last dunkel I made turned out great. I don't have the recipe in front of me but it was something like 40% dark Munich (Best II) 40% Munich (Best I) and 20% pils and probably a little carafa II to adjust color (I like my grain bills to be over 100%!)

Those percentages are just a guess, it may have been only 10% pils and 50% Dark Munich. But I really think on a dunkel you can skip the crystal malts entirely. You want the rich, bready character of the Munich malt to shine. You don't want "sweetish", crystal malt flavors.

[BrewBama]

I have an Eastside Dark clone on tap for the Daytona 500 and bought a Warsteiner to compare. I had a friend try the Warsteiner and the first comment was "OMG that's good. It's not bitter at all. It's sweet". Of course, I replaced the term "sweet" with "malty".

They describe it this way on their website: "It has a rich smooth taste and a lingering slightly sweet aftertaste.".  Warsteiner Dunkel does have some sweetness, but not cloying.

My goal was to brew a good session beer and I think the Dunkel is a good choice for a long race.

This was my grain bill for 5 gal:

11.25 lbs 2 row pale malt
10 oz Munich
5 oz chocolate
.75 oz black patent



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[klickitat jim]

So ive listened and here's what im going to do.
50% Weyerman light mu NJ 7ch
50% GW dark munich (cuz I don't have weyerman dark)
2oz carafa 2

25 IBUs of Magnum

[denny]

I know there are some who would disagree with me, but I think Special B makes every beer you put it in taste like a belgian beer. Skip it in a dunkel or bock.

Definitley agreed

[HoosierBrew]

I know there are some who would disagree with me, but I think Special B makes every beer you put it in taste like a belgian beer. Skip it in a dunkel or bock.

Definitley agreed

Another +1.  Love Special B in dark Belgians, though.

[mabrungard]

Several excellent brewers in my club have come to the conclusion that dark Munich malt can be overdone in a Dunkel. They are trending to much higher light Munich malt percentage with touch of carafa (around 1%) in the grist. Anymore carafa than that tends to impart a perceptable roast note in the beer.

[klickitat jim]

Dang it! So what should I do? I've been cleaning kegs, kegging beer, cleaning fermenters. Havent milled yet.

I have 10 lbs of weyerman light Munich to play with. Tons of GW dark...

Now you have me thinking I should go 10 lbs weyerman and 3 lbs dark...

[klickitat jim]

I'm locking that it.
10 lbs weyerman light munich
3 lbs munich 20
2 oz carafa 2

I think for my next beer we'll do an IPA by forum consensus. That ought to be a nightmare lol

[HoosierBrew]

I'm locking that it.
10 lbs weyerman light munich
3 lbs munich 20
2 oz carafa 2

I think for my next beer we'll do an IPA by forum consensus. That ought to be a nightmare lol

That recipe will make a good beer, Jim.  As for the IPA part, you're probably right.

[klickitat jim]

It's milled so hopefully everyone is happy

[blatz]

Several excellent brewers in my club have come to the conclusion that dark Munich malt can be overdone in a Dunkel. They are trending to much higher light Munich malt percentage with touch of carafa (around 1%) in the grist. Anymore carafa than that tends to impart a perceptable roast note in the beer.

i did not care for my last dunkel although it scored well at comps.  Had too much of that dark fruity malt driven flavor.  It had 52% munich II and I think 30% would have been a better target.