Munich Dunkel

[Barley Water]

This weekend I will be making my Munich Dunkel. My plan is to use a mixture of 50-50 light and dark munich malt, 4 ounces of meloidin malt and a couple of ounces of carafa for color. Hops will be just enough Halletau to keep the whole thing from getting too sweet, bittering addition only and a triple decoction. I have a big yeast cake from the CAP I made a couple of weeks ago which I will use on this beer also. Does anybody have any nifty suggestions for improvement? Our biggest competition of the year comes up in the middle of March so I want to be sure I get my lagers done now so that they will be in prime form come the judging.

After I am done with this beer, I will go back to the ales, maybe a mild, a robust port and at least one wheat beer.

[drsmurto]

Never made a CAP but i wouldnt be using that yeast. A dunkel needs a big malty presence which IMO is the opposite of a CAP.

Wyeast suggest 2124, 2206 or 2308.

Apart from that grist looks good altho why add melanoidin if you are triple decocting?

[mysterio]

I would say any lager yeast is fine. The differences between them aren't as pronounced as the ale yeasts.

Dark munich.. is that the same thing as aromatic malt?

Triple decoction is dedication, get some pics up

[Aleman]

I would say any lager yeast is fine. The differences between them aren't as pronounced as the ale yeasts.

Agreed . . . and a CAP (pre Pro) should have a malty presence anyway. . . . but still be dry and crisp through mashing 'cool'

Dark munich.. is that the same thing as aromatic malt?

No, it really is just what it says, a darker version of Munich malt . . . the one we get in the UK is technically 'light', the dark is about 530-50EBC darker.

Triple decoction is dedication, get some pics up

Triple Decoction is serious Masochism But I can understand why it needs to be done . . . may even have a go at one myself next year

[Barley Water]

My wife and daughter are out of town for a soccer tournament this weekend so I am completely unsupervised, I might as well make beer to try and stay out of trouble. I can make a great big mess and as long as I clean it up before they get home, I will be ok. Actually, the yeast I used is WLP2206 which is fine for both a preprohibition CAP and a dunkel. I try to get my CAP old school which means a pretty high O.G. (1.057 is what I ended up with this time) and fairly bitter with good hop character. I am going for about 1.055 for the dunkel so I think things should work out ok (unless I screw up).

[drsmurto]

How did you go with the triple decoction. Any pics? The smell of boiling mash is gorgeous!

Finally got around to gassing my keg of dunkel up and had a few pints just to make sure its ok...... trying to save it for a big brewers gathering in december.

Its very malty with a nice smooth bitterness.

Type: All Grain
Date: 10/08/2008
Batch Size: 20.00 L
Brewer: DrSmurto
Boil Size: 27.10 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.40 kg Munich I (Weyermann) (14.0 EBC) Grain 94.62 %
0.20 kg Caraaroma (Weyermann) (350.7 EBC) Grain 4.30 %
0.05 kg Carafa Special II (Weyermann) (817.6 EBC) Grain 1.08 %
30.00 gm Tettnang [4.30 %] (60 min) Hops 16.3 IBU
25.00 gm Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [2.60 %] (60 min) Hops 7.5 IBU
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Bavarian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2206) [Starter 5000 ml] Yeast-Lager



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.06 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.34 %
Bitterness: 23.8 IBU Calories: 497 cal/l
Est Color: 34.7 EBC Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Decoction Mash, Double Total Grain Weight: 4.65 kg
Sparge Water: 11.76 L Grain Temperature: 10.0 C
Sparge Temperature: 82.0 C TunTemperature: 20.0 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Decoction Mash, Double Step Time Name Description Step Temp
25 min Protein Rest Add 13.00 L of water at 55.9 C 50.0 C
20 min Saccharification Decoct 4.56 L of mash and boil it 64.0 C
20 min Saccharification Decoct 2.71 L of mash and boil it 70.0 C
10 min Mash Out Add 7.00 L of water at 95.2 C 78.0 C

[Barley Water]

My brewing weekend went very well. Actually, I need to admit to being a wimp, I actually did a double decoction (30 minutes of boiling for each pull) and I then boiled down some of the first runnings. I came out with 1.057 O.G., didn't burn myself or otherwise destroy anything and everything looks good so I'm happy. My formulation is pretty close to yours, I used a 50/50 mixture of light and dark Munich just for a little extra complexity and 4 ounces of meloidin malt for the extra kick plus a couple of ounces of Carafa I for color. The house smelled great after I was done, God I just love those dark break aromas when I do this beer. I am sorry I have no pictures but I am sort of a retard with a camera, maybe I can get my wife or one of my kids to do the photos next time I brew.