German Weißbier

Wheat beer is a beer that is brewed with a significant proportion of wheat. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea Brewing is the production of Alcoholic beverage and Alcohol fuel through fermentation. Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Wheat beers must also contain a certain percentage of malted barley as the enzymes required for starch conversion are not available in wheat alone. Malting is a process applied to Cereal grains in which the grains are made to Germinate by soaking in water and are then quickly halted from germinating further Barley ( Hordeum vulgare) is an annual Cereal Grain, which serves as a major animal Feed crop, with smaller amounts used for The addition of wheat lends wheat beers a light flavour and pale colour. Wheat beers are usually top-fermented (in Germany they have to be by law). Ale is a type of Beer brewed from Malted Barley using a top-fermenting Brewers' yeast. ^[1] Wheat beer is distinguished by its creamy texture and sweet flavour, and some styles have overtones of banana and clove.

Varieties

The two most common varieties of wheat beer are Belgian witbier and German Weißbier. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Belgian witbieren ("white beers") get their name from suspended yeast, which give it a whitish colour. Wheat beer is a Beer that is brewed with a significant proportion of Wheat. Belgian white beers often have spices such as coriander or bitter orange peel added, giving them a slightly fruity flavour. Coriander ( Coriandrum sativum) also commonly called cilantro, is an annual Herb in the family Apiaceae. For the fruit known as "Chinese Bitter Orange" see Trifoliate orange. They are also often made with raw unmalted wheat, as opposed to the malted wheat used in other varieties.

German wheat beers are a well-known variant throughout the country, the name changing from Weizen in the western (Baden-Württemberg) and northern regions to Weißbier or Weiße in Bavaria. Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states ( Bundesländer) of the Federal Republic of Germany. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Hefeweizen (German for "yeast wheat") is a variety in which the beer is not filtered before bottling, where the yeast continues to act.

Hefeweizen

Main article: Weissbier

Hefeweizen is a German style of wheat beer in which the yeast is not filtered out. For information on wheat beers in general see Wheat beer. Weissbier, or Weißbier in Germany (see ß) literally translated as "White Yeasts are a growth form of eukaryotic Microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with about 1500 Species currently described Though Kristallweizen (clear), Dunkelweizen (dark), and Weizenstarkbier or Weizenbock (higher alcohol content) varieties are available, they are not considered true hefeweizen unless left unfiltered. The filtration which takes the yeast out of Kristallweizen also strips the wheat proteins which make Hefeweizen cloudy.

Alternate terms for Hefeweizen include: Hefeweißbier, sometimes Weißbier, Hefeweiße, Weizenstarkbier (not necessarily a Hefeweizen unless left unfiltered)

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. The International Bitterness Units scale, or simply IBU scale, provides a measure of the bitterness of Beer, which is provided by the hops used

Another balancing flavour note unique to hefeweizen beer is its phenolic character; its signature phenol is 4-vinyl guaiacol, a metabolite of ferulic acid, the result of fermentation by ale yeast appropriate for the style. Ferulic acid is an Organic compound that is an abundant Phenolic Phytochemical found in plant Cell walls It is a derivative of trans- Hefeweizen's phenolic character has been described as "clove" and "medicinal" ("Band-aid") but also smoky. Other more typical but less assertive ale flavour notes include "banana" (amyl acetate) and sometimes "vanilla" (vanillin). Amyl acetate (also pentyl ethanoate, pentyl acetate) is an Organic compound and an Ester with the chemical formula CH3COO(CH24CH3 Vanillin, methyl vanillin, or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, is an Organic compound with the molecular formula C8H8O3

Some prominent commercial examples of Hefeweizen are produced by Paulaner, Erdinger, Schneider Weisse (original amber only), Franziskaner, Rothaus, Hacker-Pschorr, Ayinger (Bräu Weisse) and Weihenstephan. Paulaner is a German Brewery, established in the early 1600s in Munich by the Minim Friars of the Neudeck ob der Au The Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu Werner Brombach GmbH (also known as Erdinger Weißbräu) is a brewery in Erding, Germany. History G Schneider & Sohn is a Bavarian Brewery company founded in 1872 by Georg Schneider I and his son of the same name after they acquired The Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus (Rothaus State Brewery of Baden) is a brewery located 1000m (3300 ft Hacker-Pschorr Brewery traces its ancestry back to 1417 when the Hacker brewery was founded in Munich, Germany, 99 years before the enactment of the The Ayinger Brewery (pronounced "eye-ing-gr" Brauerei Aying is a medium-sized German Brewery located in Aying, Bavaria, about Weihenstephan is a small city near Freising (48500 inhabitants north of Munich, Upper Bavaria The style is nowadays drunk throughout Germany, but is especially popular in its Southern German homeland.

Kristallweizen

German filtered wheat beer, also known as Kristall Weißbier or Kristallweizen. Filtered or bright beer is Beer in which yeast is no longer in suspension. This beer is often served with a slice of lemon on the rim of the glass, or in the glass. The name comes from the clear appearance of the filtered beer—Kristall being German for crystal.

Witbier

Witbier, White beer, (French: bière blanche), or simply Witte is a barley/wheat, top-fermented beer brewed mainly in Belgium, although there are also examples in the Netherlands and elsewhere. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands It gets its name due to suspended yeast and wheat proteins which cause the beer to look hazy, or white, when cold. It is a descendant from those Medieval beers which were not brewed with hops, but instead flavoured and preserved with a blend of spices and other plants referred to as gruut. The hop ( Humulus) is a small genus of Flowering plants native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Gruit (sometimes grut) is an old-fashioned Herb mixture used for bittering and flavoring Beer, popular before the extensive use of hops. It therefore still uses gruut, although nowadays the gruut consists mainly of coriander, orange, bitter orange, and hops. Coriander ( Coriandrum sativum) also commonly called cilantro, is an annual Herb in the family Apiaceae. An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn For the fruit known as "Chinese Bitter Orange" see Trifoliate orange. The taste is therefore only slightly hoppish, and is very refreshing in summer. The beers have a somewhat sour taste due to the presence of lactic acid. Taste (or more formally gustation) is a form of direct Chemoreception and is one of the traditional five Senses Lactic acid ( IUPAC Systematic name: 2-hydroxypropanoic acid) also known as milk acid, is a Chemical compound that plays a role ^{[2] [3]} The suspensed yeast in the beer causes some continuing fermentation in the bottle.

Witbier differs from other varieties of wheat beer in the use of gruut. Gruit (sometimes grut) is an old-fashioned Herb mixture used for bittering and flavoring Beer, popular before the extensive use of hops. French laws (the territory was French in the 14th century) prohibited the use of hops in gruut. Witbier can be made with raw wheat, in addition to wheat malt. Mash ingredients or grain bill are those materials used in Brewing from which a Wort can be obtained for fermenting into alcohol Malting is a process applied to Cereal grains in which the grains are made to Germinate by soaking in water and are then quickly halted from germinating further ^{[4] [2]}

Sour varieties

Main articles: Berliner Weiße and Lambic

A minor variety of wheat beer is represented by Berliner Weiße (Berlin White), which is low in alcohol (2. Berliner Weiße is a type of Wheat beer brewed exclusively in the area of Berlin, Germany. Lambic is a very distinctive type of Beer brewed only in the Pajottenland region of Belgium (southwest of Brussels) 5% to 3% ABV) and quite tart. Although it can be imbibed by itself, enthusiasts often add sweetened syrups of lemon, raspberry, or woodruff herb into the beer. The lemon ( Citrus × limon) is a hybrid in cultivated wild plants The raspberry (plural raspberries) is the edible Fruit of a multitude of plant species in the subgenus Idaeobatus of the genus Rubus Woodruff ( Galium odoratum) is a Herbaceous Perennial plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa and western

A very similar light beer variety of the Rhineland, near Düsseldorf, called Weiß ("white") is now almost extinct. Düsseldorf (ˈdʏsəldɔɐf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Leipziger Gose is similar to Berliner Weisse but slightly stronger at around 4% ABV. Gose is a traditional top-fermented pre-lager beer style of Leipzig, Germany. Its ingredients include coriander and salt, which means it does not comply with the Reinheitsgebot. The (literally "purity order" sometimes called the "German Beer Purity Law" or the "Bavarian Purity Law" in English is a regulation concerning the production of Both Gose and Berliner Weiße acquire their sourness through the use of lactic acid bacteria in the fermentation in addition to yeast. Gose is a traditional top-fermented pre-lager beer style of Leipzig, Germany. Berliner Weiße is a type of Wheat beer brewed exclusively in the area of Berlin, Germany.

The Belgian Lambic is also made with wheat and barley, but differs from witbier in its yeast. Lambic is a brew of spontaneous fermentation. Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions

Names and types of wheat beer

German Kristallweißbier (left) and Hefeweißbier (right) from Erdinger Weißbräu

According to the place in which the beer is brewed and small variations on the recipe, several different names are used for wheat beer:

• Weißbier, short Weiße: these terms are used almost exclusively in the southern German state of Bavaria. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 "Weiß" is German for "white".
• Weizenbier, short Weizen: this name is used outside of Bavaria to indicate the same thing.
• Hefeweißbier or Hefeweizen: "Hefe" is the German word for yeast. The prefix is added to indicate that the beer is bottle-conditioned (unfiltered) and thus, might have sediment. Bottle conditioned beers are either unfiltered so the final conditioning of the beer takes place in the bottle or filtered and then reseeded with yeast so that an additional
• Kristallweißbier or Kristallweizen: if the weißbier is filtered, the beer will look "clear" (or "kristall").
• Dunkles Weißbier or Dunkles Weizen: 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. Bock is a strong Lager which has origins in the Hanseatic town Einbeck, Germany. Beer style is a term used to differentiate and categorize Beers by various factors such as colour flavour strength ingredients production method recipe history or origin Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. An example of this style is Aventinus, made by the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery in Kelheim, Germany. History G Schneider & Sohn is a Bavarian Brewery company founded in 1872 by Georg Schneider I and his son of the same name after they acquired A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of Beer, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of beer's history Kelheim is a municipality in Bavaria, capital of the district Kelheim.
• Witbier or simply Witte: Dutch language name for the Belgian style of wheat beer. Wheat beer is a Beer that is brewed with a significant proportion of Wheat.
• Bière Blanche or Blanche: French language name for these beers.

Internationalisation

Many breweries in the U.S. as well as in Canada now make their own varieties of wheat beer. A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of Beer, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of beer's history The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Some North American wheat beers have a distinct style fermented with ordinary ale yeast, with a less fruity taste than the Bavarian styles^[5]. Wheat beers made in the American, German, and Belgian styles are often sold by US breweries as a spring or summer seasonal product.

Weizen is also brewed in Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich

Wheat beer is also becoming quite popular in Australia. Brands such as Redback and others are making wheat beer more accessible to Australian beer drinkers.

In Brazil, beer brand Bohemia (which was founded by a German immigrant in the 1800s) has begun marketing a "cerveja de trigo" - or wheat beer - called Bohemia Weiss. It is available in supermarkets throughout the country.

A wheat beer has also been put out in New Zealand by Lion Nathan Breweries called Mac's Great White. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

Meister Max, a wheat beer, is brewed and sold in Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics.

In Britain, wheat beer is not considered traditional, but several small brewers produce cask-conditioned varieties, such as, Fuller's Discovery, Oakleaf Eichenblatt Bitte, Hoskins White Dolphin, Fyfe Weiss Squad and Oakham White Dwarf. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Fuller's ( Fuller Smith and Turner plc) ( is a regional Brewing company founded in 1845 at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, West Oakleaf is an English Brewery founded in 2000 in Gosport, Hampshire. Hoskins Brothers Ales is a small brewery based in Leicester, UK. The Fyfe Brewing Company is a Real ale microbewery in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, UK Oakham Ales is a brewery now based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England but first established in Oakham, Rutland. British wheat beer tends to be a compromise or hybrid of the continental style with an English bitter, rather than an exact emulation. ^[6][7]

Serving wheat beer

Wheat beer is often served in special wheat beer glasses. A wheat beer glass is a glass that is used to serve Wheat beer, known also as Weizenbier or Weißbier. German-style wheat beers are usually served in glasses that hold one-half litre (plus additional room for the foam) and are tall and taper slightly towards the base. The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume.

Belgian wits are usually served in smaller, 25cl glasses. Hoegaarden, for example, has a distinctive chunky, hexagonal glass. Hoegaarden Brewery (Brouwerij de Kluis was founded in 1966 by Pierre Celis in Hoegaarden (/huχardən/ huːɡɑrdən in English in Flanders

Pouring wheat beer into the glass requires a bit of practice, as one has to avoid producing too much head. The two techniques are illustrated here, performed by industrial robots programmed by students of two Bavarian universities: This robot demonstrates the technique of holding the opening of the bottle close to the rim of the glass, while this robot uses the faster immersion technique preferred by bartenders. An industrial robot is officially defined by ISO as an automatically controlled reprogrammable multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or more axes. Note the swivelling of the nearly empty bottle: This serves to pick up the yeast, an important part to unfiltered beer's complete taste. (It should be noted that the outside of the bottle should never come into contact with either the glass or the beer in the glass, as is may be contaminated with dirt, exhaust fumes etc. )

See also

• German beer
• Belgian beer
• Wheat beer glass

References

External links

• WeizenWeb - wheat beer around the world
• GermanBeerGuide.co.uk - A British website's guide to Hefeweizen