Back to Shopping at NorthernBrewer.com

Raisin flavor?

Mashing
#1

I’m pretty bad at describing off flavors ( or “on” flavors for that matter) but I just had my first few glasses of a Dunkleweizen Extract kit. I brewed this on 1/24 and had no brew day issues. Fermentation was normal at mid sixties.

The flavor I detect reminds me of raisins. It’s not awful, but not great. Since I don’t think I ever tried a dunkleweizen, I’m not sure how it’s supposed to taste, but the description says " medium bodied with a slightly sweet bready flavor. A specialty wheat yeast produces the characteristic phenols found in traditional Weizens"

Ingredients were:6.6 lbs wheat LME, 1 lb maltodextrin,8 oz chocolate, 8 oz munich and .5 oz ea of hersbrucker and hallertau.

Is this a sign of infection, old ingredients or do think it will improve over time

Edit: I see I posted this in wrong board index…sorry

#2

The flavor you’re describing doesn’t, in my opinion, sound too out of place in that style of beer. Dunkelweizens can definitely have a touch of dark fruit character along with the phenolics. Incidentally, what made you choose that particular style of beer to brew if you hadn’t tried it before?

#3

Could be a stale extract issue. As extract ages, it will develop more dark fruity and caramel flavors.

Also I see a pound of maltodextrin in that recipe. Not a good idea. You don’t need that much unfermentable body in a dunkelweizen. I would have used exactly zero maltodextrin in mine.

Sorry if you don’t like it. You might need to blend this beer with something else to dilute it down, or if you really don’t like it, then dump it and chalk it up as a learning experience. It’s happened to me. A lot. Oh well. Experimentation can still be fun. Keep on truckin’.

#4

Thanks for the responses. I’m glad it isn’t infection related. The flavor isn’t awful, just not what I expected. I 'm willing to brew beers that I’ve never tried before. Sometimes I’ll buy a commercial type to compare with my brew. At any rate, it’s definitely drinkable and it may improve with age.

Next up is a cream ale.

Brew on !

#5

I would second these comments. I wouldn’t “expect” a raisin flavor in a Dunkelweizen, but I could definitely see a bit of that flavor coming through.

#6

[quote=“dmtaylo2”]Could be a stale extract issue. As extract ages, it will develop more dark fruity and caramel flavors.

Also I see a pound of maltodextrin in that recipe. Not a good idea. You don’t need that much unfermentable body in a dunkelweizen. I would have used exactly zero maltodextrin in mine.

Sorry if you don’t like it. You might need to blend this beer with something else to dilute it down, or if you really don’t like it, then dump it and chalk it up as a learning experience. It’s happened to me. A lot. Oh well. Experimentation can still be fun. Keep on truckin’.[/quote]
…and a big thumbs up on your statement on the maltodextrin. I didn’t even pay any attention to the recipe he posted, but now that I’m looking at it, I’m thinking “wtf”? I’ve never even heard of maltodextrin in any recipe for a wheat beer of any kind. Not a good idea, indeed. Oh, well. I’m sure he’ll learn his lesson from this brewing experience.

#7

So why would a recipe kit include a full pound of maltodextrin if it shouldn’t be in there ? Also, what exactly does it add to a brew ?

Thx,
J

#8

That, sir, is a very good question. It seems to indicate that whoever drafted the recipe either has limited experience in homebrewing, or… yeah. They just didn’t know what the heck they were doing with the recipe.

It is an unfermentable sugar so it adds a lot of thick mouthfeel and sweetness, which is not appropriate in most beer styles including dunkelweizen. It’s better suited to sweet stout, fruit beers, etc. where you need to guarantee something to offset dryness or tartness from other ingredients.

#9

[quote=“john57”]So why would a recipe kit include a full pound of maltodextrin if it shouldn’t be in there ? Also, what exactly does it add to a brew ?

Thx,
J[/quote]
Maltoxextrin is the isolated dextrin from malted barley. It adds a fuller body to a beer, a technique which is totally alien to the process of brewing of wheat beer. Personally, I really don’t care for that particular adjunct. If I want to create a beer with a full body, I’ll use carapils malt, or mash at a high temp, or use a yeast with a low degree of attenuation, or even some combination of some or all of these techniques. I just don’t care for what maltodextrin does for the mouthfeel of a beer, and in most any style of beer where it’s use might be warranted, I’d still rather use some other means to achieve a full body.

Back to Shopping at NorthernBrewer.com