Weissbier: history, overview of types, production features, how and what to drink

Weissbier is a top-fermented wheat beer, which is most common in Southern Germany and Bavaria.

Differs in fruity aroma, spicy banana flavor and a lot of foam. In its production, wheat malt is also added to barley malt, so it is light yellow in color. The aroma is not harsh, pleasant, alcohol content 5-5.4%.

History of weissbier beer

Wheat beer has the same long history as barley beer, which dates back to the Neolithic era. But barley has always been more popular.

In Germany, beer was first learned about in 736., production began in South Germany, then spread throughout the country. There was not much wheat in the country, all of it was used for baking bread.

On April 23, 1516, the Duke of Bavaria passed a law on the purity of beer. It regulated the production of the drink exclusively from barley malt, yeast, water and hops. Rye and wheat were finally blocked at the state level.

The people of Bavaria were not deterred by this decree: they loved wheat beer so much that they were ready to give up bread for it. It was produced illegally in dungeons. The government knew this, so it decided to monopolize the production of weissbier.

The idea was simple: money to the state, beer to the people. The noble feudal lords decided that beer would now be brewed in the godforsaken forest village of Schwarzach. This product cost a lot of money.

A hundred years later, production finally saw the light of day. In the heart of Munich, a brewery was set up, which is the Weisses Broehaus beer house. Later, the technology of production became known throughout the country, and the drink acquired subtypes and a culture of consumption.

From Bavaria, this beer first came to Nuremberg, then to the current capital, Berlin. It has experienced a series of outbreaks of popularity, the last one in the 80s and 90s, when home and craft brewing began to grow.

This beer came to the territory of Russia only in the 2000s, but in our country, the technology of bottom, not top fermentation is used. This is called lager. There is top fermentation, but it is rare.

Types of weissbier beer

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1. Hefeweizen

   Translated as "yeast wheat" beer, it is the most famous variety of Weizenbier. It is unfiltered, so it is slightly cloudy. Yeast is believed to enrich its flavor.

   If you want to enjoy a clear drink, pour out a bottle at a time. If you want a classic, pour only a portion. Place the bottle with the leftovers in a horizontal position, wait until the sediment floats away, and pour the drink into a glass. The beer is considered summer beer, it is recommended to cool it down to 10 °C.

2. Crystal weizen

   It is the same hefeweizen, but carefully filtered, which makes the drink crystal clear. A clean, sparkling drink with a distinct fruit flavor, perfect for the hot season.

   Sometimes it is called champagne weizen because of the large amount of carbon dioxide that makes it look like sparkling wine. It is considered the lightest of the entire line. Serve chilled at 7-8 °C.

3. Dunkelweitzen

   This type is distinguished by the fact that it is brewed from darker varieties of hefeweizen by adding a large amount of barley to the wheat.

   Due to this, the color is darker and the strength is higher (4.8-5.8°). This variety, in contrast to the two above, is considered suitable for winter. It tastes more tart, with cloves and banana more pronounced. It is not cooled before serving.

4. Gose

   In this beer, coriander is added to wheat and salted. It tastes sour and has a dried fruit flavor.

5. Berliner Weisse

   This drink is based on two main ingredients: lactobacilli and 25-50% wheat malt. This creates a high acidity, so it is not recommended to drink the drink without a snack.

   It is usually sweetened with raspberry syrup or undergrowth (honey grass) during the bottling process.

6. Weizenbock

   This is what we are used to seeing in Russia: strong bottom-fermented beer.

7. Whitbier

   Another name for blanche. It comes from Flanders, is not filtered, and is fermented at the bottom.

   Unmalted wheat, orange peel, and coriander are usually added to barley malt.

How to drink weissbier

Wheat beer is taken from tall glasses narrowed at the bottom. To prevent too much foam, the bottle is pre-cooled. Interestingly, the bottom of the glass has a thickening to prevent it from breaking: the bottom part is usually used to clink after toasting.

Opinions differ on how to pour beer into a glass. Some people are used to pouring beer into a glass slowly at an angle, while others put a glass on the container and turn it upside down.

Features of weissbier production

The production technology of weissbier is the same as that of wheat ale, which it is, in fact, the same. Wheat malt, barley malt and high temperatures are used because of the top-fermentation method. Hops are present, but not as much as in barley beer, so the beer does not give off bitterness.

If you want to make beer drier in taste, you can add bottom yeast.

Unfiltered beer tastes more interesting, but its shelf life is inferior to filtered beer, so it is often filtered.

Interesting facts

1. High-quality top-fermented wheat beer can also be found on the Russian market. For example, in 2014, Khamovnyky Wheat was awarded a medal at the Monde Selection 2014 international award.

2. Weissbier has a specific fruity flavor due to the reaction of trace elements and yeast bacteria in malted wheat.

3. There is a lot of foam, because wheat is more saturated with protein than other cereals.

Update: 09.03.2020

Category: Beer, Cider, Ale