Dunkelweizen and Tripel

A dark German wheat beer and a golden Trappist ale
by Tess and Mark Szamatulski

November is synonymous with Thanksgiving, football games, tailgating parties and the unmistakeable smell of the furnace turning back on. With this in mind, this month we’ll brew a luscious, malty dunkelweizen that quenches the thirst, but is substantial enough to stave off the chilly days of November. It’s a quick-fermenting homebrew and should be ready to bottle or keg in three weeks, just in time for the Thanksgiving football games. Our golden Belgian tripel is also perfect for this month.The 24-karat color reminds you of the summer sun but the subtle hint of warming alcohol is welcome as the snow starts to fly.

Dunkelweizen (the “DarkWheat” beer)

OG = 1.040 to 1.056; FG = 1.010 to 1.014; IBU = 10 to 20; SRM = 10 to 23   

Bavarian dunkelweizen is a spicy, malty wheat-based ale that gets its color from high-kilned barley malts and its character from  wheat malt and distinctive yeast. More complex and full-flavored than a Bavarian weizen, this beer is  indeed liquid bread.

In Germany, during the late 1500’s, a law was passed prohibiting the use of wheat in brewing because more wheat was being used to make beer than bread. This restriction only applied to the lower classes; the clergy and nobility were still allowed to brew wheat beers. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century the nobility relaxed its rules and permitted the public to brew wheat beer.

This month’s recipe for a dunkelweizen is our clone of Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Dark by Hacker-Pschorr Brewery in Munich. This hazy, copper-colored beer has a long-lasting, off-white creamy head. It is earthy, rich and malty with a wheat-laced aroma. Lush, smooth malt fills your mouth and quenches your thirst with a slightly nutty nuance, while the soft, malty finish leaves you wanting more. This beer tastes best when it’s young so plan to drink it as soon as it’s carbonated.

Commercial Beers to Try:

Many brewers make an excellent dunkelweizen. Some of the leading brands are Mönschshof Kapuziner Schwarze Hefeweizen, Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weissbier, HB (Hofbräuhaus Royal Court Brewery) and Herrnbrau Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel. The breweries of Schneider, Paulaner, Augustiner, Ayinger, Spaten and Tucher also brew great examples.

The aroma should be of malt supported by fruit — most likely banana — and spicy clove aromas. The color ranges from light amber to light brown. The head should be thick, creamy and long-lasting. Because of the high volume of wheat, an unfiltered beer will be cloudy. There should be no hop flavor or aroma and the hop bitterness should be low. The wheat flavor should be apparent along with the caramel character of darker roasted malts, such as Munich and Vienna. This beer can also have a spicy, fruity flavor.

Hops, Malt and Yeast:

The hops used are typically from the Hallertau region: Spalt, Hersbrucker or Mittelfrüh.You can substitute Saaz, Tettnanger or Perle.

At least 50 percent of the grist should comprise wheat malt with Munich or Vienna added for color, mouthfeel and depth of flavor. A bit of chocolate malt (not more than 1 ounce per five-gallon batch) can be added for additional color.

The best yeast choices are Wyeast 3638 (Bavarian Weizen) for a slightly sweeter dunkel or Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan) for more clove, apple and banana notes. You can also use White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale). Prepare a yeast starter and aerate the wort vigorously. Wheat yeasts will ferment very sluggishly below 65° F, so be sure to keep the temperature at approximately 68° F.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve dunkelwiezen in a traditional wheat beer glass at 48° F
(9° C) with a grilled bratwurst sandwich piled high with caramelized onions, sauerkraut and a spicy German mustard.

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Hacker Pschorr Weisse Dark

5 gallons; OG = 1.055 to 1.056; FG = 1.011 to 1.012;  IBU = 13

Ingredients

• 8 oz. German Munich malt
• 7 oz. Belgian cara-Munich malt
• 1 oz. British chocolate malt
• 6.25 lbs. Muntons wheat dry malt extract (DME)
• 4 AAUs Tettnanger bittering hops (1 oz. at 4% alpha acid)
• 1 pt. starter of Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen)
• 1-1/4 cups Muntons wheat dry malt extract for priming

Step by Step

Bring one gallon of water to 155° F, add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150° F. Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with one gallon of 170° F water. Add the dry malt and bittering hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot to 2.5 gallons. Boil for 60 minutes then remove pot from stove.

Cool wort for 15 minutes in an ice bath or chill with wort chiller. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5-1/8 gallons. Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 80° F. Oxygenate-aerate well. Ferment at 68° F for 7 days. Rack into secondary (glass carboy). Ferment until target gravity has been reached and beer has cleared (approximately 3 weeks). Prime and bottle. Carbonate at 70° to 72° F for 2 to 3 weeks. Store at cellar temperature.

Partial-Mash Option:

Mash 1.25 lb.     German two-row pilsner malt, 1 lb. German wheat malt, 4 oz. rice hulls or oat hulls and the specialty grains in 1 gallon water at 150° F for 90 minutes. Sparge with 2 gallons water at 168° F. Then follow the extract recipe, omitting 1.75 lb. of Muntons wheat dry malt extract from the boil.

All-Grain Option:

Mash 4 lb. German two-row pilsner malt, 5.67 lb. German wheat malt, 8 oz. rice hulls or oat hulls and the specialty grains in 3 gallons of water at 149° F for 90 minutes. Then sparge with 5 gallons of water at 168° F. The total boil time is approximately 90 minutes. Add 1 oz. of Tettnanger (bittering hop) for the last 60 minutes of the boil.

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Belgian Tripel (a popular Abbey Ale) 

OG = 1.065 to 1.095; FG = 1.013 to 1.020; IBU = 20 to 35; SRM = 3.5 to 6 

Belgian tripel is a pale to deep gold beer with good clarity. Head retention is good and long lasting with intricate Belgian lace, except in the higher-alcohol versions, in which the alcohol can affect the head. The aroma is well-balanced and complex with malt, citrus-like fruity esters and a mild to moderate clove-spice character. Hop aroma is moderate to little with no diacetyl. The flavor is crisp and moderately fruity. Malty sweetness is balanced by mild hop bitterness and high carbonation to provide a dry finish and sweet aftertaste. Some examples have a clove-like spiciness. There will be a subtle to apparent alcohol presence depending on the strength of the beer. The use of candi sugar gives it a medium body, though it appears to be light. Warming alcohol and high carbonation does not disturb the smoothness of a tripel.

This style was developed by the monks from the abbey of Westmalle, which dates back to 1794. Their tripel is a classic, copied by many breweries. By Belgian law, only beer brewed at a Trappist monastery may be called a Trappist beer. All other commercial reproductions must be called “abbey beers.”

Our recipe is in the vein of Westmalle. It has a creamy head with crystalline sheets of Belgian lace. The color is a brilliant gold with orange highlights. The complex aroma is redolent of spicy Saaz hops and aromatic malt, leading to a lively palate with notes of spicy hops, orange fruit, malt and a subtle alcohol suggestion. The finish is light with restrained hops. Tripels are at their best 3 to 6 months after fermentation is complete. 

Commercial Beers to Try:

The classic is Westmalle, but there are many more. A few of our favorites are: Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet, a very complex, creamy tripel; a lovely spicy version called Bruges Tripel; the Corsendonk Abbey Pale (Agnus Dei); and Tripel Petrus, a darker example with a sweet palate.

Hops, Malt, Yeast and Adjuncts:

Many varieties of hops can be used in tripels. Czech Saaz and Styrian Goldings are popular, along with the German Tettnanger. English Fuggles have also been used.

Pale pilsner malts, Belgian two-row pale malts, Belgian aromatic and biscuit malts are the typical malts used in this style. Yeast plays a very distinctive role with strains that are alcohol tolerant and impart some spiciness to the beer. Some strains that work quite well are: Belgian Abbey and Belgian Abbey II (Wyeast 1214 and 1762), Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast 3787) and Belgian Strong Ale yeast (Wyeast 1388).

Clear candi sugar is added, giving a smoothness to the beer and adding undertones of alcohol. You can also use small amounts of spices, such as coriander, grains of paradise and sweet or bitter Curacao orange peel.

Serving Suggestions

Serve at 50° F in a Belgian chalice glass with lobster and asparagus crepes bathed in a delicate sauce of shallots, cream and tripel.

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Classic Belgian Tripel

5 gallons; OG = 1.084 to 1.086; FG = 1.017 to 1.019; IBU = 25 

Ingredients

• 4 oz. Belgian aromatic malt
• 3 oz. Belgian biscuit malt
• 8.5 lb. Muntons extra light dry malt extract (DME )
• 1.5 lb. Belgian clear candi sugar
• 7 AAU of Styrian Goldings bittering hops (1.5 oz. at 4.7% alpha acid)
• 2.5 AAU Styrian Goldings flavor hops (0.5 oz. at 5% alpha acid)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• 1 AAU Czech Saaz aroma hops(0.25 oz. at 4% alpha acid)
• 1 pt. starter of Belgian Strong Ale yeast (Wyeast 1388) or Abbey Ale yeast (White Labs WLP530)
• 1 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step

Bring one gallon of water to 155° F, add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150° F. Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with one gallon of 170° F water. Add the dry malt, candi sugar and bittering hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot  to 3.5 gallons.

Boil for 45 minutes then add the flavor hops and Irish moss. Boil for 13 minutes and add the aroma hops. Boil for 2 more minutes then remove pot from stove.

Cool wort for 15 minutes. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5-1/8 gallons. Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 80° F. Oxygenate-aerate well. Ferment at 70° to 72° F for 7 days.         Rack into secondary (glass carboy). Ferment until target gravity is reached and beer is clear (approximately 5 weeks). Prime and bottle. Carbonate at 70° to 72° F for 3 to 4 weeks. Store at cellar temperature.

Partial-Mash Option:

Mash 2.75 lb. Belgian two-row pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 1 gallon water at 150° F for 90 minutes. Sparge with 2 gallons water at 168° F. Follow the extract recipe, omitting 2 lb. of Muntons extra-light dry malt extract from the boil.

All-Grain Option:

Mash 13.75  lb. Belgian two-row pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 3.5 gallons of water at 150° F for 90 minutes.            

Sparge with 6 gallons of water at 168° F. The total boil time is approximately 150 minutes. Add 5 AAU of Styrian Goldings (bittering hop) for the last 90 minutes of the boil. Then add flavor hops and Irish moss for the last 15 minutes of the boil and add the aroma hops for the last 2 minutes.

If you don’t happen to have the capacity to mash this amount of grain, omit 5 lbs. of the German
pilsner malt and add 3 lb. Muntons extra-light dried malt extract (DME) to the boil.            

You will then need only 2.5 gallons of water for the mash and 5 gallons of sparge water. This will also reduce your boil time to approximately 90 minutes. (For another tripel recipe, see “Dubbel Vision”
on page 32.)

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The Year In Beer (tis the season... all year round)

January:
Barleywine & Roggenbier

February:
Cream Ale & Dublin Stout

March:
Belgian Dubbel & Pilsner

April:
Maibock & Scotch Ale

May:
IPA & Mild Ale

June:
Golden Ale & Oktoberfest

September:
Dort & Oatmeal Stout

October:
ESB & Weizenbock

November:
Dunkel & Belgian Tripel

December:
Christmas Ale & Spiced Ale

Tess and Mark Szamatulski are the owners of Maltose Express in Monroe, Connecticut.