Weizenbock

I was recently challenged to a brewing duel, and when I heard what it was, I couldn’t believe it: Weizenbock. I love brewing weizenbock even though I’m not a fan of drinking them. What other beer style gives you that much room for creativity, experimentation, and sheer complexity? Style: Lots of people compare this beer to dunkelweizen, but I think that’s a poor comparison: Instead, I think of weizenbock as a cross between a banana protein shake and Belgian dubbel. It has a similar phenol profile (clove, pepper) to a Belgian dubbel, the same dark pitfruit flavors, and very similar vital stats, but it adds a big banana nose and a rich flavor that seems like it should feel heavy but still drinks pretty easily! It runs from amber to light brown and features the same basic fermentation characteristics as the other German wheat beers while adding the malt profile of a traditional bock.

Strange as it sounds, the wheat is almost the least interesting thing in this beer, what with everything else going on. My older recipes included mostly wheat; I wasn’t getting much flavor out of it, but it was playing hell with my sparges, so I started swapping in more Vienna malt instead, and wow! Did the spice really kick off! But to keep what I’m sure are my numerous German brewing ancestors happy, I still leave the wheat at a bit over 50 percent, so this is properly a “wheat” beer. Ingredients: I usually shoot for simple grists, but this isn’t one of them. This is a big complex beer (even within its style, we’re going high), and it’s all right there in the recipe ... until you get to fermentation! We’ll get our simplicity back in the hopping, I promise.

First, start with a 4:2:1 ratio of wheat malt to Vienna malt to Munich malt. Then add equal amounts each of Crystal 45, Special B, and chocolate rye to really amp up the malt flavor, adding dark fruit, toffee, toasted biscuit, and a spicy drying note. Last, add a little melanoidin malt to increase the perception of “richness.”

You can use any hops you like here, so long as you end up with 30 IBUS. Add them at the top of the boil, then forget about it.

As for yeast, no need to get cute here: Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan) is a classic and will make it relatively easy to get the fermentation character we want—unless you screw it up, like I used to. Process: How did I screw it up, you ask? I fermented too cold. This is one of the only beers I brew that starts at or higher than 70°F (21°C), and with good reason. I wasn’t getting the right flavors by fermenting cooler, so I tried one “warm.” That did the trick. Mash and boil are standard, then chill and ferment warm and steady at 71°F (22°C). (If you have trouble maintaining temperature control, ferment cooler. Nothing wrecks this beer faster than hot alcohols.) When you’re done with fermentation, if you can, bump up the temperature by a couple of degrees for a day or two to make sure it’s finishing out and cleaning up completely.

Carbonate high (at least 2.5 volumes) and you’re good to go! If the mouthfeel is too rich, lower the carbonation, but with the smoothness the wheat imparts, you ought to be fine. If you really want a good time and this isn’t complex enough for you, add a pound (454 g) of buckwheat honey! That’s some homebrewer stuff, right there. Prost!