Out of the Bottle: When things go terribly wrong

Sometimes, a beer just doesn't turn out as expected. Even the most experienced of us is bound to have a bad batch. Such is the case with my Dunkelweizen.

As you can see from the photo, it looks brilliant. It has a cloudy chocolate hue, a dense head that sticks around and the aggressive bead this style demands. The mouthfeel is good too. There's a nice chewiness and vigorous carbonation.

Then, there's the fact that you can smell and taste it. When I think Dunkelweizen, I think chocolate banana bread with a hint of spice. This is none of the above. The chocolate malt that I apparently used too much of to add color also gave a roasted edge to the flavor. I used a proper Weizen yeast, but the banana and clove are MIA. Overall, the flavor is off.

Every brewer will tell you that sanitation is the key to always brewing good beer. I think something may have made it through the cracks this time. Still, the stuff is drinkable. I just won't be pawning it off on my friends. I won't be sharing the recipe either.

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