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Darth Weizer Recipe

Apr 26, 2017

Darth Weizer (21 Litres)

Come over to the dark side. The force is definitely strong with this rich, smooth dark wheat beer. With a hint of Dunkelweizen style spice (category 15.B. of the BJCP guidelines) you’ll be transported to a delicious galaxy as aromas of chocolate, banana, and coffee betray flavours of vanilla and chocolate biscuit. Like Princess Leia herself, this is a sweet drop with slight tart finish.

Ingredients

1.7kg Thomas Coopers Preacher's Hefe Wheat
1.5kg Thomas Coopers Wheat Malt Extract
300g Crystal Wheat grain
200g Midnight Wheat grain
250g Dextrose Corn Sugar or Carbonation Drops
11g dry Munich Wheat yeast (or wheat yeast of your choice)

Features:

Colour: Copper/Brown
Body: Medium
Bitterness: Low
Approx. Alcohol Level: 5.3% ABV
Naturally Carbonated: Natural

Instructions:

STEP 1: The day before

The day before: Line a pot (at least 4 litres) with a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from the pack), then add the cracked grain and 3 litres of cold water. Fit the lid and sit in the fridge for 24hrs.

STEP 2: Brew

Remove from the fridge then gather up the corners of the mesh cloth and lift, allowing the liquid to drain from the grain back into the pot. Bring the liquid to the boil then remove from the heat and sit the pan in cold water to cool for about 15mins. Add the cooled liquid to a fermenting vessel plus the contents of the Preacher's Hefe Wheat and Wheat Malt Extract cans then stir to dissolve. Top up with cold tap water to the 18 litre mark, stir thoroughly. Check the temperature and top up to the 21 litre mark with warm or cool water (refrigerated if necessary) to start the brew at 22C. Sprinkle the dry yeast or stir in liquid yeast and fit the lid. Try to ferment at 22C.

STEP 3: Bottle

Fermentation has finished once the specific gravity is stable over 2 days. It should finish around the 1008 – 1012 mark. Bottle the brew with a priming rate of 8g per litre (2 carbonation drops per 750ml bottle).

Step 4: Enjoy

Allow to condition for at least 2 weeks in the bottle – this style of brew tends to benefit with more time in the bottle. Expect the alcohol content to be around 5.3% ABV.