Uncle Monkey's Dunkel

Uncle Monkey's Dunkel is rated 4.6 out of 5 by 18.
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A new take on an old stand-by. A Dunkel is a traditional dark lager that hails from Bavaria and possesses a light floral, yet spicy, aroma as well as a rich caramel malt sweetness with a clean finish.

$26.36 Regular Price $32.95
SKU
90-15061-00
Out of stock

What You Get

1 Grand Bohemain Czech Pilsner Brewing Extract (HME)

1 Packet of Dry Brewing Yeast (Under the Lid of the Brewing Extract)

1 Packet of BrewMax LME Robust

1 Packet of Crystal Pellet Hops

1 Hop Sack

1 Packet Saflager S-23 Dry Lager Yeast

1 Packet of No-Rinse Cleanser


For Fans Of

Warsteiner Premium Dunkel

Beck's Brewery Beck's Dark


Brew Specs

Flavor: Balanced

Original Gravity: 1.042

Final Gravity: 1.008

ABV: 4.5%

SRM: (Color): 21

IBU: (Bitterness): 27


STEP 1: SANITIZING

Cleaning is one of the most important steps in brewing. It kills microscopic bacteria, wild yeast, and molds that may cause off-flavors in your beer. Make certain to clean all equipment that comes in contact with your beer by following the directions below:

1. Fill clean keg with warm water to line mark 1 on the back, then add ½ pack (about 1 tablespoon) of No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, the solution is ready to use. Save the remaining ½ of No-Rinse Cleanser because you will need it for bottling.

2. Screw on lid and swirl the keg so that the cleaning solution makes contact with the entire interior of the keg, including the underside of the lid. Note that the ventilation notches under the lid may leak solution. Allow to sit for at least 2 minutes and swirl again.

3. To clean the spigot, open it fully and allow liquid to flow for 5 seconds and then close

4. Pour the rest of the solution from the keg into a large bowl. Place your spoon/whisk, can opener and measuring cup into the bowl to keep them cleaned throughout the brewing process. Leave them immersed for at least 2 minutes in cleaning solution prior to using.

5. After all surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned, do not rinse or dry the keg or utensils. Return lid to top of keg, proceed immediately to brewing.


STEP 2: BREWING

Brewing beer is the process of combining a starch source (in this case, a malt brewing extract) with yeast. Once combined, the yeast eats the sugars in the malt, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is called fermentation.

1. Remove the yeast packet from under the lid of the can of Brewing Extract,(not needed for this recipe), then place
the unopened can and BrewMax LME in hot tap water.

2. Place the packet of pellet hops into the hop sack tying it closed, then trim away excess material

3. Using the measuring cup, pour 4 cups of water into your clean 3-quart or larger pot. Bring this to a boil, add in your
hop sack, then remove from heat.

4. Open the can of Brewing Extract and BrewMax LME and pour the contents into the hot hop water in your pot. Stir
until thoroughly mixed. This mixture of unfermented beer is called wort. 

5. Fill your fermenter with cold tap water to the mark 1 on the back. If using any other fermenter this would be
approximately 1 gallon of water. 

6. Pour the wort into your fermenter, and then bring the volume of the fermenter to mark 2 by adding more cold water.
(If you have a different fermenter top it off with cold water to the 8.5-liter mark).

7. Stir your wort mixture vigorously with your sanitized spoon or whisk.

8. Sprinkle the S-23 yeast packet into the keg, and screw on the lid. Do not stir.

Put your fermenter in a location with a consistent temperature between 53° and 59° F (12°-15° C), and out of direct
sunlight. Ferment for 14 days.


STEP 3: BOTTLING & CARBONATING

After 14 days, taste a small sample to determine if the beer is fully fermented and ready to bottle. If it tastes like flat beer, it is ready. If it’s sweet, then it’s not ready. Let it ferment for 3 more days (17 total). At this point, it is time to bottle. Do not let it sit in the fermenter for longer than 24 days total.

1. When your beer is ready to bottle, fill a 1-gallon container with warm water, then add the remaining ½ pack of the No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, it is ready to use

2. Distribute the cleaning solution equally among the bottles. Screw-on caps (or cover with a metal cap if using glass bottles) and shake bottles vigorously. Allow to sit 10 minutes, then shake the bottles again. Remove caps and empty all cleaning solutions into a large bowl. Use this solution to clean any other equipment you may be using for bottling. Do not rinse.

3. Add 2 Carbonation Drops to each 740-mL bottle. For 1-liter bottles, add 2 ½ drops; for ½-liter bottles add 1 drop. Alternatively, you can add table sugar using this table as a guide. 

4. Holding the bottle at an angle, fill each bottle to about 2 inches from the bottle’s top.

5. Place caps on bottles, hand tighten, and gently turn the bottle over to check the bottle’s seal. It is not necessary to shake them.

6. Store the bottles upright and out of direct sunlight in a location with a consistent temperature between 70°-76°F or 21°-24°C. Allow sitting for a minimum of 14 days. If the temperature is cooler than suggested it may take an additional week to reach full carbonation. 


TIP FROM OUR BREWMASTERS

After the primary carbonation has taken place your beer is ready to drink. We recommend putting 1 bottle in the refrigerator at first for 48 hrs. After 48hrs. give it a try and if it is up to your liking put the rest of your beer in the fridge. If it does not taste quite right, leave the bottles out at room temp for another week or so. Keep following this method until your brew tastes just how you like it. 

This process is called conditioning and during this time the yeast left in your beer can help clean up any off-flavors. Almost everything gets a little better with time and so will your beer

Rated 4 out of 5 by PLR_SF from My first good experience with lager yeast I tried brewing with lager yeast using a cooler and changing the ice periodically, but although the beer tasted ok, it didn't have clean taste that you expect from a lager. So I bought an inexpensive under desk refrigerator (compressor w thermostat type), and tried again. The max temperature setting for this refrigerator maintained approx. 44 deg F. So I let it ferment for 32 days, then bottled it and lagered it at the same temperature for about 3 weeks. The first bottle tasted fine, but didn't have much of a head. I took the bottles out of the refrigerator and am now storing in my basement which has an ambient temperature of about 60 deg F. When I am ready to serve, I put a few bottles in our kitchen refrigerator for a day or so. Now when I open one, I get a nice 2 finger head and clean slighty malty dunkel taste.
Date published: 2016-02-05
Rated 4 out of 5 by David from Solid Dunkel It didn't blow my socks off but I wouldn't pour it out. Very drinkable. I've made with this maple syrup in the boil and I liked it better that way.
Date published: 2015-05-09
Rated 3 out of 5 by Husker from Good, not great PROS: Easy to brew, decent flavor CONS: Lower than expected ABV, not as good as store-bought dunkels
Date published: 2025-02-01
Rated 4 out of 5 by Vakko from Solid Lager "Quality beer with a crisp finish. I fermented at 55F for 3 weeks and warm conditioned at 70F.Could use a dry hop for some aroma but overall very tasty.I didn't blow me away so it got 4 stars. "
Date published: 2015-05-02
Rated 5 out of 5 by FreeWine from Family Favorite For Garage Fermenting Ferment this stinky lager yeast beer in the garage for at least a week longer than you would an ale. After you prime and bottle it, let it set for at least 4 weeks in a very cool spot for the clearest, lightest, most flavorful Mr. Beer recipe that I have ever made! A great way to learn about the unique nature of lager yeast, while turning bad weather to your own benefit.
Date published: 2015-05-02
Rated 5 out of 5 by Bettasplash from Very good Dunkel This is an excellent dunkel! My wife even loved it and she doesn't like dark beers. Fermented for two weeks at about 54 degrees and bottle conditioned for another two weeks at about 70 degrees. Then put a couple in the fridge for a few days and wow it was a great tasting beer. Dark but very smooth and lite flavor. Will brew this again for sure.
Date published: 2015-05-02
Rated 5 out of 5 by Loonatuna from Uncle Monkey’s Dunkel This is a great tasting beer. Tried a couple of blind taste tests with Dunkel purchased at a local store and everyone picked this brew over the purchased one. This one gets better with age. I put a few aside for six weeks and they were great
Date published: 2022-02-04
Rated 5 out of 5 by StauHausBrew from A Dunkel by any other name... A fine dark lager with perfect balance and presentation, you can't go wrong with this Dunkel! And even though our friends at the German Beer Institute may not rhyme "Dunkel" with "Uncle", this lager still earns 5 Stars from me!
Date published: 2016-01-07
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Is this a style of dunkelweissen? And could I add chocolate malt or chocolate nibs( or both) to the recipe

Asked by: Jamie C
Hello, this beer does not contain any wheat malt, so it is not technically in the weizen category but it is a dunkel. You can absolutely add a little extra malt, just be careful with the chocolate malt, as it can get a bit bitter. Cheers!
Answered by: MRBEER
Date published: 2021-10-29

What if I can't keep the fermenter between 53° & 59°?

Asked by: Husker
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