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German Weiss: Weissbier in the south, Hefeweizen in the north

When the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) last updated its style guidelines in 2015, the name of this style was changed to weissbier from hefeweizen. I caught a lot of flak over that decision but the reason is sound. Sometimes the style was called Bavarian hefeweizen or (as the Brewers Association calls it) south German-style hefeweizen, which is where the style originated and is most popular. However, if you actually go to Bavaria, the beer is called weissbier (literally, “white beer”). Hefeweizen means “yeast wheat” which is probably more descriptive, but if you’re going to acknowledge the origin of the beer, you might as well call it the same name the locals do.

The names weissbier, hefeweizen, and weizenbier are largely interchangeable. Understand that they all mean the same style, a pale wheat beer. As the style is popular in Germany, there are acknowledged variations such as kristallweizen (a filtered weissbier) and leichtes weissbier (a lower-gravity weissbier, maybe 2.5–3.5% ABV) in addition to the well-known cousins dunkles weissbier (a dark-colored weissbier), and weizenbock (a strong weissbier, often dark but sometimes pale). The Brewers Association (BA) also recognizes an amber-colored version, probably to account for the darker-than-typical Schneider Weisse Original.
It’s entirely correct to think about German wheat beer as a style family with variation by color, strength, and yeast presence. The BJCP lists weissbier as Style 10A as part of Category 10, German Wheat Beer, which includes weissbier, dunkles weissbier, and weizenbock. The BJCP category doesn’t include the lower gravity or filtered versions; it groups the amber-colored version in with the pale. The German wheat beer family generally is based on the type of yeast used, not just the content of wheat. There are several other well-known German wheat beers outside this family, including the tart Berliner weisse, the salty and tart Gose, the smoked wheat Grodziskie from neighboring Poland, and the sour and smoked Lichtenhainer.

Weissbier History

Wheat beers are ancient; stories include ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, and Babylonians making beer from loaves of bread. However, these beers have nothing to do with modern German wheat beer. Wheat beer brewing in central Europe (modern southern Germany, Austria, and Czech Republic) traces to the late Middle Ages. The Degenbergers of Schwarzach, a Bavarian noble family, operated a weissbier brewery before the turn into the 16th century.

The Reinheitsgebot of 1516 prevented the use of wheat malt in beer (not because it was impure, but because it was needed for bread making), but the Degenbergers were allowed to keep brewing their existing beer. When the last of the Degenbergers died in 1602, the right to brew wheat beer was assumed by the ruling Bavarian royal family, the Wittelsbachs. Using their noble monopoly, a very profitable brewing empire was built. What began as a beer preferred by royalty became widely enjoyed by the public through the sale of wheat beer through tied pubs.

It’s entirely correct to think about German wheat beer as a style family with variation by color, strength, and yeast presence.

The royal monopoly lasted for nearly 200 years, when declining demand caused the nobility to offer licenses to commoners as a way of generating more revenue. The subsequent development of lagers hastened the style’s demise as tastes shifted to the new type of beer.

In 1872, Georg Schneider gained rights to brew wheat beer without having a royal dispensation. Importantly, the rights applied to everyone not just Schneider. However, wheat beer was not as popular as it once was. Demand continued to fall until the 1960s, when it regained popularity and grew throughout the rest of the century. It is still a very popular style in Bavaria, and has spawned not only imitations around the world but also derivative styles such as American wheat beer.

As of 2019, wheat beer accounts for about 9% of the total German beer market (Pilsner is by far the most popular style). However, weissbier is much more popular in Bavaria and neighboring southern state of Baden-Württemberg, with a market share more than double that in the rest of the country.

Sensory Profile

The first thing you notice about a weissbier is the appearance. It normally is quite pale, light straw to gold, with a shiny haze from the wheat malt but also from suspended yeast in very fresh examples. The high carbonation level gives a very thick, rocky, mousse-like white head that is very long-lasting.

The aroma has a distinctive banana and clove character from the yeast. The intensity can be moderate to strong, and the balance between the two can vary. When fermented poorly, the beer can have an estery, bubblegum-like aroma (strawberry and banana), or even a smoky character. The “cleanliness” and purity of the banana and clove seems to degrade with warmer fermentations, like about 70 °F (21 °C). The warmer you go, the bigger risk you run for this degradation. The banana and clove does not need to be extreme; brewers who try to emphasize this character to the exclusion of other aspects usually create a sub-standard beer.

I high percentage of wheat malt is mandatory to brew a proper weissbier

The high wheat malt content gives a breadiness to the aroma and flavor, not so much like uncooked dough but more like fresh whole wheat bread. A light impression of sweetness can often be noted, but not sugary. Hops are normally absent in the flavor and aroma so as to let the wheat and yeast character take center stage. Bitterness is low, often imperceptible, which can provide the impression of sweetness due to the absence of bitterness.

The body is somewhat light, lighter than many people expect, and the carbonation is very high (which also tends to lighten the body). The finish is dry and smooth with a refreshing spritz from the carbonation level. The beer should be easy to drink in quantity, and a high body and creamy mouthfeel would fight against that. Traditionally, the beer has a fair amount of alcohol, normally at least 5%, often more like 5.3%. But it shouldn’t taste of alcohol or have noticeable warmth.

The impression of the beer on the palate is a kind of fluffy, or pillowy texture. With a heavy finish or sweet flavor, this beer could be oppressive. Yet the carbonation and fluffiness keeps it light, almost like the liquid equivalent of cotton candy in texture. Suspended yeast can give it some additional texture, and often a yeast bite in older examples.

I find this style of beer benefits greatly from freshness. I jokingly call it, “The New Car Beer” — you drive it off the lot, and it loses half its value. It can degrade quickly, so it really is best consumed fresh. As a judge, I almost never want to judge this style since they are almost never very fresh. As a brewer, this is one style I would definitely rebrew when entering the National Homebrew Competition.

Brewing Ingredients and Methods

The deceptive thing about making weissbier is that the recipe often looks simple. However, there are a few control points and recipe choices that make a big difference: The grist, the mash schedule, the yeast, and the fermentation schedule.

By German brewing tradition, wheat beers are made with 50% or more malted wheat, although this is often as high as 70%. The remainder of the grist is typically Pilsner malt. The use of wheat and Pilsner malt helps give the characteristic pale color. The use of other malts is unnecessary. Additional flavor or body malts will throw off the characteristic flavor profile of the beer, and often darken its color.

By now, some of you may be saying, but what about the Reinheitsgebot? Doesn’t that say all beers are just made with barley malt? The German beer tax law (Vorläufiges Biergesetz of 1993) actually says that the original Reinheitsgebot limitations only apply to bottom-fermenting beers. As German wheat beers are top-fermenting, they are allowed to use other malted cereal grains, as well as brewing sugars, fining agents, and naturally-derived products.

Decoction mashes are traditional to help break down the wheat malt, which has a high protein content. Single and double decoction mashes could be used, although some modern brewers will use step mashes. Rests may vary but often include a protein rest and at least one saccharification rest. One unusual step in many mash schedules is the ferulic acid rest (113 °F/45 °C), which produces ferulic acid that is converted by phenolic off-flavor positive (POF+) yeast to 4-vinyl guaiacol (4VG). 4VG provides the clove-like phenol flavor in weissbier.

Weissbier is made with yeast that has a POF+ trait. The POF+ trait, as the name suggests, produces phenols in the finished beer (in this case, clove). When fermented too hot, the yeast can also produce smoky, burnt flavors in my experience. The weizen yeast strains also produce significant amounts of isoamyl acetate, which gives the banana ester character to the beer. In many styles, isoamyl acetate is an off-flavor, but in weissbier it’s a requirement. Wyeast 3068 and White Labs WLP300 are the most common strains used, although other varieties exist.

The interesting thing about fermenting weizen yeast strains is that cooler fermentations seem to produce a cleaner-tasting beer. The yeast still produces banana and clove, but it doesn’t produce other flavors that detract. Cloves that become burnt, bananas that become rotten, and fusels that are perfumy are all examples of yeast fermentation by-products that can be produced with warmer fermentations.

The current thinking is that under-pitching yeast and using shallow fermenters promotes ester development and can give a more prominent banana ester.

Eric Warner in German Wheat Beer says there is an old German rule that says the combination of pitching and fermentation temperature (in °C) should equal 30. If you do the math, that’s pretty cold. I don’t usually go quite that cold, but restraining temperatures seems to produce good results. I sat on a tasting panel that Harold Gulbransen did at the National Homebrewers Conference in 2011 where he compared cold fermentation against warm fermentation, among other variables. The cold fermentation beers were much better, and Harold was using 62 °F vs 70 °F (17 °C vs 21 °C).

Two other pieces of advice for fermentation come in the form of pitch rate and fermenter geometry. The current thinking is that under-pitching yeast (generally means not making a starter for these beers) and using shallow fermenters (generally what all homebrewers are utilizing already) promotes ester development and can give a more prominent banana ester. Sierra Nevada is among the breweries using this technique, and their Kellerweis is outstanding. Avoiding oxygenation (not to be confused with aeration) also encourages yeast growth and ester development. I think these methods are better for getting banana character than increasing the fermentation temperature, which can have some negative side effects.

Hops are almost non-existent in the finished beer profile. I tend to keep it simple and use a single bittering addition of German noble hops and avoid any finishing hops. The water profile is unobtrusive in a weissbier. I would use low mineral water with a little bit of calcium chloride, but avoid sulfates.

Weissbier Homebrew Example

I’ve been making this style of beer for a very long time; I think my first one was batch #4 for me. I’ve refined it over the years, as I’ve learned more and been able to add more controls to my system. A variation of this has won medals in the National Homebrew Competition.

I use around 60% wheat malt to make sure the flavor comes through. Pilsner malt is the rest, and I like to use German maltsters for both grains. I used to use Durst a lot, but have been using Best Malz recently. Weyermann is always a good choice. No matter which you choose, you really can’t go wrong. Also, as insurance against a stuck mash, I typically use a pound (454 g) of rice hulls mixed into the mash.

I use a single decoction mash, which I think improves the mouthfeel of the beer. A ferulic acid rest is part of my normal process for German wheat beers, so I typically incorporate some step mashing before I pull my decoction. I don’t boil the decoction for long since I don’t want too much flavor or color development, just enough to improve the mouthfeel.
I have used Sterling hops here, but any noble-type hop is fine. Freshness matters, so choose freshness over specific variety. I’m aiming for about 12 IBUs and no flavor addition, so there is a lot of leeway.

I have always had good luck with the Wyeast 3068 strain, so I tend to pick that. I don’t make a starter with this style. The fermentation temperature is kept cool at 62 °F (17 °C); I normally pitch at about 57 °F (14 °C). I don’t oxygenate, but I do shake the carboy a bit. This yeast strain can be quite sticky, so it tends to cause some blowoff. Have a blowoff tube ready in case you need it, and use a fermenter with plenty of headspace. If you’re really game, try it in an open bucket to see if you get a little extra banana. Just be ready to rack it into a closed fermenter once the kräusen starts to fall back into the beer so it doesn’t get oxidized.

Serve this beer fresh, and don’t worry about carrying over yeast from the fermenter into packaging. This yeast tends to degrade so I tend not to repitch it more than once. Don’t overpitch this style of beer as the yeast needs a proper growth stage in the beer to give the characteristic flavor profile.

Weissbier by the numbers
OG: 1.044–1.052
FG: 1.010–1.014
SRM: 2–6
IBU: 8–15
ABV: 4.3–5.6%

Weissbier Recipe

Weissbier

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010
IBU = 12 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients
6.25 lbs. (2.8 kg) German wheat malt
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) German Pilsner malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) rice hulls
3.1 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.2% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen) or White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale) or Mangrove Jack’s M20 (Bavarian Wheat) yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
No starter is required. This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric or lactic acid. Add 1 tsp. of calcium chloride to the mash.

This is a combined step and single decoction mash: Mash in both grains at 113 °F (45 °C) in 15 qts. (14 L) water. Hold at this ferulic acid rest temperature for 15 minutes, then raise the temperature to 131 °F (55 °C) for a protein rest. Maintain at this temperature for 10 minutes.

Pull a thick decoction (33–40% of mash with minimal liquid) and heat the decocted portion to 158 °F (70 °C) for 20 minutes, then boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Meanwhile (during the decoction), heat the main mash to 147 °F (64 °C) and hold. Recombine the two mashes and rice hulls to hit 158 °F (70 °C) . Rest for 10 minutes. Raise the mash temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) for mashout. Recirculate for 15 minutes.

Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated in the recipe.

Chill the wort to 57 °F (14 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete at 62 °F (17 °C). Rack the beer, prime, and bottle (or cask) condition, or keg and force carbonate.

Weissbier

(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010
IBU = 12 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Bavarian wheat dried malt extract
3.1 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.2% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen) or White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale) or Mangrove Jack’s M20 (Bavarian Wheat) yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of low mineral or RO water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C).

Turn off the heat. Add the malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated.

Chill the wort to 57 °C (14 °F), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete at 62 °F (17 °C). Rack the beer, prime and bottle (or cask) condition, or keg and
force carbonate.

Tips For Success:
Decoction mashing is not an essential part of this recipe, but should help develop the proper mouthfeel. If time is short on brew day, you can just do the ferulic acid rest and a single saccharification rest at about 152 °F (67 °F).

If this is your first time attempting a decoction mash, a good tool to pull the grains out of the mash tun is a stainless steel colander (and gloves). This will help drain most of liquid back into the main mash. You want a little liquid with the grains, but not too much. By the end of the boil, there should be some Maillard reactions occuring in the decoction pot, but the grains should never scorch.

Issue: March-April 2020