[SpanishCastleAle]

Just had my first Aventinus Schneider-Weisse last night and I want to make a similar beer.  This first attempt was heavily inspired by Kaiser's Imperator (Dopplebock) recipe and a post he made on another forum about his Weizen Bock recipe.  How's this sound:

5.25 gal batch

6# Munich Type II (9L)
6# Dark Wheat malt (7L)
2# German Pils (just to ensure conversion)
.5# Caramunich Type II (45L)
.5# Cara-aroma (150L)
probably some rice hulls

Hallertau to hit ~22 IBU

Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen yeast (I'd make a smaller beer first and then use some of the cake)

Decoction mash:
124* F for 15 min
147* F for 45 min
158* F for 30 min
Mash-out @ 167* F.

Pitch in low 60's F. Ferment in mid 60's F and let rise at the very end.

OG - 1.077 (18.5* P)
FG - 1.014
~22 IBU
~18 SRM
8.2% ABV

[Hokerer]

Doubt the Pils will be needed to insure conversion.  The Munich and Wheat malts should have plenty of diastatic power to convert themselves and the pound of specialty malts you've got.  The Pils would seem to me to just "thin out" the maltiness that is expected for this style.

[SpanishCastleAle]

Good point hokerer. Kaiser has said he has had problems with conversion when using a bunch of dark munich with decoctions but he didn't have any wheat at all in his regular Dopplebock. With the high DP typ of wheat malts I should have more than enough.   Thanks.

So ditch the Pils and make it 7# each of the Dark Wheat and Dark Munich.

[hoser]

One of my favorite beers of all time!  What took you so long to come around to the "dark" side?

At any rate, I advise you to check out  Brewing With Wheat by Stan Heironymous if you are interested in attempting a clone of this beer!.  Not to mention it is a great read.  I believe he covers Adventinus in Part III and gives a basic rundown of the recipe.  I don't have the book directly in from of me, but if memory serves the recipe is 50/50 to 60/40 wheat:pilsner with a small percentage of chocolate malt.  I believe the decoction schedule is in there as well.  If you plan on brewing this beer with multiple decoctions I don't believe you will need all of the dark malts or crystal malts as the decoction will create those complex melanoidin reactions and flavors.  I also think the WLP380 Hefe IV is a more appropriate strain for the Adventinus as it has more clove characteristics, which is what you want.

Good Luck!

[bluesman]

I like to rest the decoctions at 155F for 30min prior to boiling to assure proper conversion, as too quick a boil may denature the enzymes prior to complete conversion of the decoction.

[SpanishCastleAle]

I like to rest the decoctions at 155F for 30min prior to boiling to assure proper conversion, as too quick a boil may denature the enzymes prior to complete conversion of the decoction.

Yeah, that's a detail I left out, good point though.  Those are just the rest temperatures in the recipe, I haven't quite decided how I'll do the actual decoctions.  I always do a short rest @ 158*-161* F but only for ~5 min before proceeding to the boil.  I don't worry about complete conversion of the decoctions, I'll get it all later.

I'll probably just infuse from the protein rest to the beta rest and thick-mash decoct up to the alpha rest, then thin-mash decoct to mash-out.

Thanks for the yeast suggestion hoser.  I had a response typed out but when I went to post I got that damn 'your session has timed out' BS and lost the whole thing...again.