What is Wheat Beer?

In today’s world of specialized beers, it is difficult to keep up on what makes each drink special. It may be the coloring, the flavor or a distinctive classification such as wheat. The unique recipe distinguishes it as wheat beer. To understand what feature places a beer under that label, you must know more about what goes into creating one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages.

Manufacturing

Beer is made through a process of starch saccharification and fermentation. That is a fancy way of saying brewers mix a starch with hot water to create mash. The mashing process turns the starch into sugar. After more boiling and additional tweaking, they place everything into a fermenter to cool. Yeast added to the recipe stimulates the fermentation process. After anywhere from a week to months, the liquid transforms into beer.

The starch in beer usually comes from grain, often malted barley. In wheat beer processing, manufacturers use a combination of malted wheat and barley to create the beverage. The addition of wheat leads to the label that defines it.

Benefits

Wheat beer tends to have a stiffer, longer lasting head. This comes for the extra protein found in the drink. Wheat beers maintain effervescence better that a recipe that includes only barley. You will find that wheat varieties have a hazy look to them that adds to the coloring. Wheat does not change the overall flavor of the beer, but it does give it a silky feel in the mouth that distinguishes it from all barley brands.

Varieties

There are many varieties of wheat beers, but certain forms have become synonymous with wheat brewing.

Hefeweizen – One of the original styles develop was the German variety of hefeweizen, also known as weissbier. One characteristic trait of hefeweizen beer is the cloudy sediment that rests in the bottom of the glass. Hefeweizen beer is unfiltered. This leaves yeast particles floating in the liquid. The yeast settles to the bottom after pouring.

Hefeweizen beers have a full body and sweet fruity taste. The pouring technique is somewhat different from other types of beer. Ideally, one would pour at a tilt and stop after the glass is one-quarter full. Swirling stirs up the sediment at the bottom. Filling the rest of the glass quickly leaves the beer with a full, stiff head.

Berliner Weisse – Manufacturers of this interesting wheat bear use a recipe that relies on more than just yeast for fermentation. These beers are made with a bacterium that adds to the flavor. The additional ingredient gives the beer a sour taste that will make your mouth pucker when it drink it.

Brewers are always looking to create a beer that is different from any other. This has led to some interesting flavors of wheat beer. Changing yeasts, adding darker wheat or altering the filtering technique all changes the core of the beer. Not every beer is right for every person. Part of the fun is finding your favorite wheat beer by sampling them all.

Welcome to Good Food! This page is Copyright © GoodFood. All Rights Reserved. No infringements are intended. Any copyrighted materials used here remain the properties of their respective owners. The links provided on this site are intended only for reference and do not mean that I endorse what other sites tell you. Surf at your own risk!


MENU HOME About Privacy Websites Cakes Cheese Dip Coffee Huckleberries Sausage Wheat Beer		What is Wheat Beer? In today’s world of specialized beers, it is difficult to keep up on what makes each drink special. It may be the coloring, the flavor or a distinctive classification such as wheat. The unique recipe distinguishes it as wheat beer. To understand what feature places a beer under that label, you must know more about what goes into creating one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages. Manufacturing Beer is made through a process of starch saccharification and fermentation. That is a fancy way of saying brewers mix a starch with hot water to create mash. The mashing process turns the starch into sugar. After more boiling and additional tweaking, they place everything into a fermenter to cool. Yeast added to the recipe stimulates the fermentation process. After anywhere from a week to months, the liquid transforms into beer. The starch in beer usually comes from grain, often malted barley. In wheat beer processing, manufacturers use a combination of malted wheat and barley to create the beverage. The addition of wheat leads to the label that defines it. Benefits Wheat beer tends to have a stiffer, longer lasting head. This comes for the extra protein found in the drink. Wheat beers maintain effervescence better that a recipe that includes only barley. You will find that wheat varieties have a hazy look to them that adds to the coloring. Wheat does not change the overall flavor of the beer, but it does give it a silky feel in the mouth that distinguishes it from all barley brands. Varieties There are many varieties of wheat beers, but certain forms have become synonymous with wheat brewing. Hefeweizen – One of the original styles develop was the German variety of hefeweizen, also known as weissbier. One characteristic trait of hefeweizen beer is the cloudy sediment that rests in the bottom of the glass. Hefeweizen beer is unfiltered. This leaves yeast particles floating in the liquid. The yeast settles to the bottom after pouring. Hefeweizen beers have a full body and sweet fruity taste. The pouring technique is somewhat different from other types of beer. Ideally, one would pour at a tilt and stop after the glass is one-quarter full. Swirling stirs up the sediment at the bottom. Filling the rest of the glass quickly leaves the beer with a full, stiff head. Berliner Weisse – Manufacturers of this interesting wheat bear use a recipe that relies on more than just yeast for fermentation. These beers are made with a bacterium that adds to the flavor. The additional ingredient gives the beer a sour taste that will make your mouth pucker when it drink it. Brewers are always looking to create a beer that is different from any other. This has led to some interesting flavors of wheat beer. Changing yeasts, adding darker wheat or altering the filtering technique all changes the core of the beer. Not every beer is right for every person. Part of the fun is finding your favorite wheat beer by sampling them all. Welcome to Good Food! This page is Copyright © GoodFood. All Rights Reserved. No infringements are intended. Any copyrighted materials used here remain the properties of their respective owners. The links provided on this site are intended only for reference and do not mean that I endorse what other sites tell you. Surf at your own risk!

MENU

What is Wheat Beer?

Manufacturing

Benefits

Varieties