Wheat beer
Wheat beer is a top-fermented beer which is brewed with a large
proportion of wheat relative to the amount of malted barley. The
two main varieties are German Weizenbier and Belgian witbier;
other types include Lambic (made with wild yeast), Berliner
Weisse (a cloudy, sour beer), and Gose (a sour, salty beer).
Varieties
Weißbier (German – "white beer") uses at least 52% wheat to
barley malt to make a light-coloured top-fermenting beer. Witbier
(Dutch – "white beer") uses flavorings such as coriander and
orange peel. Belgian white beers are often made with raw
unmalted wheat.
Augustiner Weißbier, a naturally
German Weißbier and Belgian witbier are termed "white beers"
cloudy Bavarian wheat beer
because "wheat" has the same etymological root as "white" in
most West Germanic languages (including English).[1]
Other wheat beer styles, such as Berliner Weiße, Gose, and Lambic, are made with a significant
proportion of wheat.
Weizenbier
Weizenbier (German: [ˈvaɪtsn̩ ˌbiːɐ̯ ] ⓘ ) or
Hefeweizen, in the southern parts of Bavaria
usually called Weißbier (German: [ˈvaɪsbiːɐ̯ ]
ⓘ ; literally "white beer", referring to the pale
air-dried malt, as opposed to "brown beer" made
from dark malt dried over a hot kiln),[2] is a beer,
traditionally from Bavaria, in which a significant
proportion of malted barley is replaced with
malted wheat. Wheat beer was introduced in
Bavaria in the 15th century from neighbouring
Bohemia. Because of reinheitsgebot only beer
made from barley was allowed to be brewed in A German Hefeweizen glass
Bavaria up until 1548, when William IV, Duke of
Bavaria, gave Baron Hans VI von Degenberg a
special privilege to brew and sell wheat beer.[3] By law, Weißbiers brewed in Germany must use a "top-
fermenting" yeast.[4] Specialized strains of yeast are used which produce overtones of banana and clove
as by-products of fermentation.[4] Historically, Bavarian Weißbier was either brewed with a large share of
wheat malt (which was a ducal privilege in Bavaria) or from air-dried pale barley malt only (which was a
common drink amongst poor people).[2] It is well known throughout Germany, though better known as
Weizen ("Wheat") outside Bavaria. The terms Hefeweizen ("yeast wheat") or Hefeweißbier refer to wheat
beer in its traditional, unfiltered form. The term Kristallweizen (crystal wheat), or Kristallweißbier
(crystal white beer), refers to a wheat beer that is filtered to remove the yeast and wheat proteins which
contribute to its cloudy appearance.
The Hefeweizen style is particularly noted for its low hop bitterness (about 15 IBUs) and relatively high
carbonation (approaching four volumes), considered important to balance the beer's relatively malty
sweetness. Another balancing flavor note unique to Hefeweizen beer is its phenolic character; its
signature phenol is 4-vinyl guaiacol,[5] a metabolite of ferulic acid, the result of fermentation by top-
fermenting yeast appropriate for the style. Hefeweizen's phenolic character has been described as "clove"
and "medicinal" ("Band-aid") but also smoky. Other more typical but less assertive flavour notes
produced by Weißbier yeast include "banana" (amyl acetate), "bubble gum", and sometimes "vanilla"
(vanillin).
Weißbier is available in a number of other forms, including Dunkelweizen (dark wheat) and
Weizenstarkbier (strong wheat beer), commonly referred to as Weizenbock. The dark wheat varieties are
made with darker, more highly kilned malts (both wheat and barley). Weizenbocks typically have a much
higher alcohol content than their lighter cousins.
The four largest brands in Germany are Erdinger, Paulaner, Franziskaner, and Maisel.[6] Other renowned
brands are Augustiner, Weihenstephaner, Schneider (a bronze-coloured specialty), and Andechser.
Regional brands in Bavaria are Hopf, Unertl, Ayinger, Schweiger and Plank. Aventinus is an example of
Weizen Doppelbock, stronger and darker version of Weizenbock,[7][8] made by the G. Schneider & Sohn
brewery in Kelheim.
British brewers producing cask-conditioned varieties include Oakleaf Eichenblatt Bitte, Hoskins White
Dolphin, Fyfe Weiss Squad and Oakham White Dwarf.
Witbier
Witbier, white beer, bière blanche, or simply witte is a barley/wheat, top-fermented beer brewed mainly
in Belgium and the Netherlands. It gets its name due to suspended yeast and wheat proteins, which cause
the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold. Today, along with hops it usually contains a blend of spices,
such as coriander, orange, and bitter orange.
As early as the 16th and 17th century, the white beers of Hoegaarden and Leuven were renowned.[9]
Along with barley malt and unmalted barley it contained some oats, though apart from hops no other
spices were used. The barley was usually not kilned but left to dry on attics where the wind was allowed
to blow past it, in order to obtain a light colour.[10]
The style was revived by Pierre Celis at the Hoegaarden Brewery in Belgium[11] and the Celis Brewery in
the United States[12] and is traditionally made with up to 50% raw wheat rather than wheat malt.[13] It
probably was Celis who started adding the various spices. The beers have a somewhat sour taste due to
the presence of lactic acid or acetic acid, much more pronounced in the past than today.[14] Also, the
suspended yeast in the beer causes some continuing fermentation in the bottle.
Other varieties
A minor variety of wheat beer is represented by Berliner Weiße (Berlin White), which is low in alcohol
(2.5% to 3% ABV) and intentionally tart. Sweetened syrups of lemon, raspberry, or woodruff herb are
often added before drinking.[15]
Leipziger Gose is similar to Berliner Weiße, but slightly stronger at around 4% ABV. Its ingredients
include coriander and salt, which are unusual for German beers, but are traditional for that style of beer.
Belgian lambic is also made with wheat and barley, but differs from nearly all beers in the use of wild
yeast for spontaneous fermentation.
A variation on the barley wine style involves adding a large quantity of wheat to the mash bill, resulting
in what is referred to as wheat wine. This style originated in the United States in the 1980s.[16]
Names and types
Wheat beers vary in name according to where they are brewed and small variations in the recipe. Among
those used are:
Weißbier, short Weiße: Weiß is German for "white". These terms are used almost
exclusively in the Southern German state of Bavaria and in Austria.
Weizenbier, short Weizen: Weizen is German for "wheat". These terms are used in the
Western (Baden-Württemberg) and Northern German regions, as well as in Switzerland, for
Weißbier.
Hefeweißbier or Hefeweizen: Hefe is the German word for yeast, is added to indicate that
the beer is bottle-conditioned (unfiltered), thus might have sediment.
Kristallweißbier or Kristallweizen: Kristall, being German for crystal, is added if Weißbier is
filtered clear of sediment.
Dunkles Weißbier or Dunkelweizen: A dark version of a wheat beer (dunkel is the German
word for "dark")
Weizenbock is a wheat beer made in the bock style originating in Germany.
Witbier (literally, "white beer") or simply Wit: Dutch-language name for the Belgian style of
wheat beer
Bière blanche (literally, "white beer"): The French language name for wheat beer
Serving
Bavarian-style wheat beer is usually served in 500 ml (17 US fl oz), vase-shaped glasses. In Belgium,
witbier is usually served in a 250-ml glass; each brewery (Hoegaarden, Dentergems, etc.) has its own
shape of glass. Berliner Weiße is often served in a schooner.
Kristallweizen (especially in Austria) and American styles of wheat beer are sometimes served with a
slice of lemon or orange in the glass. This is not traditional in Bavaria, and is generally frowned upon
there.[4] The modern American custom appears to have originated in Portland, Oregon, in the mid-1980s,
where the Dublin Pub served Widmer Brothers Brewery's Weizenbier with a slice of lemon, to accentuate
the citrus flavor of the Cascade hops.[17]
In northern Bavaria, a grain of rice commonly is added to Kristallweizen, which causes a gentle bubbling
effect and results in a longer-lasting foam.[18] A common item on pub menus in Bavaria is cola-weizen,
which is a mix of cola and Weizenbier.
Another mixture popular during the summer is a radler variant with a 50–50 mix of Weißbier with
lemonade named after cyclists.
Sensory profile
Weißbiers feature fermentation by-products such as esters (which lend fruity flavors and aromas),
especially isoamyl acetate, reminiscent of bananas, and the phenolic compound guaiacol, a metabolite of
ferulic acid, which smells and tastes like cloves. Other phenolics sometimes found in Weißbiers evoke
medicinal or smoky sensations. The bittering level of most Weißbiers is close to 15 international
bitterness units, a very low level. Hop flavor and aroma are typically low.[4]
The ester and phenolic aspects are produced by the special type of yeast, rather than the high fraction of
wheat in the grain bill.
The carbonation level can range from 5.5 g/L (about 2.7 volumes; slightly higher than that of most other
German beers) to 7 g/L, or more. This produces a generous stand of foam, especially with the high
protein content of wheat malt.[4]
See also
Beer glassware
Beer in Belgium
Beer in Germany
Rye beer
References
1. "wheat | Etymology, origin and meaning of wheat by etymonline" (https://www.etymonline.co
m/word/wheat). www.etymonline.com.
2. Andreas Krennmair, Historic German and Austrian Beers for the Home Brewer, 2018, pp.33-
34 ISBN 9781980468523
3. "German researchers figure out how lager first developed in Bavaria" (https://www.eurekaler
t.org/news-releases/987496). EurekAlert!. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
4. Eric Warner, German Wheat Beer. Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications, 1992. ISBN 978-0-
937381-34-2
5. Donaghy, John A.; Paul F. Kelly; Alan McKay (15 October 1998). "Conversion of ferulic acid
to 4-vinyl guaiacol by yeasts isolated from unpasteurized apple juice". Journal of the
Science of Food and Agriculture. 79 (3): 453–456. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-
0010(19990301)79:3<453::AID-JSFA284>3.0.CO;2-H (https://doi.org/10.1002%2F%28SIC
I%291097-0010%2819990301%2979%3A3%3C453%3A%3AAID-JSFA284%3E3.0.CO%3B
2-H).
6. Liebrich, Silvia (17 May 2010). "Brauerei Maisel: Unser Bier" (http://www.sueddeutsche.de/w
irtschaft/brauerei-maisel-unser-bier-1.697011). Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Munich,
Germany. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
7. "Weizendoppelbock" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160810202727/http://www.germanbeeri
nstitute.com/Weizendoppelbock.html). Archived from the original (http://www.germanbeerins
titute.com/Weizendoppelbock.html) on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
8. Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH. "Schneider-Weisse" (http://www.schneider-
weisse.de/index.php?lang=en&tpl=brauerei.spezialitaeten.aven).
9. Paul Verhuyck, Corine Kisling, Het Mandement van Bacchus, Antwerpse kroegentocht in
1580, Antwerpen 1987, p. 42-44.
10. Georges Lacambre, Traité complet de la fabrication de bières et de la distillation des grains,
pommes de terre, vins, betteraves, mélasses, etc., Brussel 1851, deel 1 p. 350-363, 372-
374.
11. "Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter – Belgium's Great Beers" (http://www.beerhunter.com/docu
ments/19133-000215.html). www.beerhunter.com. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
12. Jackson, Michael (10 August 2000). Pocket Guide to Beer (Hardcover) (7 ed.). Running
Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-7624-0885-6. ISBN 978-0-7624-0885-6.
13. Eßlinger, Hans Michael (2009). Handbook of Brewing: Processes, Technology, Markets (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=L8RwjqUKLygC&pg=PT101). Wiley. p. 101. ISBN 978-3-
527-31674-8.
14. "BT – Witbier: Belgian White" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130701002517/http://morebee
r.com/brewingtechniques/library/styles/2_4style.html). Morebeer.com. Archived from the
original (http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/styles/2_4style.html) on 1 July 2013.
Retrieved 14 August 2013.
15. Jackson, M. (1997). The Simon & Schuster Pocket Guide to Beer. Simon and Schuster.
ISBN 9780671729158.
16. Bernstein, Joshua M. (17 October 2012). "Wheat of the Moment" (http://imbibemagazine.co
m/Wheat-Wine-Ales). Imbibe Magazine. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
17. Adem Tepedelen (18 January 2009). "Hefeweizen Facts And Fiction" (http://imbibemagazin
e.com/hazed-and-confused-hefeweizen/). Imbibe.
18. "Weizenbier or wheat beer" (https://web.archive.org/web/20071106215730/http://www.food-f
rom-bavaria.de/en/reg_spez/einzelprodukt.php?an=100&display_lang=en). Archived from
the original (http://www.food-from-bavaria.de/en/reg_spez/einzelprodukt.php?an=100&displa
y_lang=en) on 6 November 2007.
Bibliography
German Wheat Beer, Eric Warner, Brewers Publications (1982), ISBN 0-937381-34-9
External links
Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) wheat beer style guidelines (http://www.bjcp.org/2
008styles/style15.php)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wheat_beer&oldid=1256037100"
