Imagine you're hot, sweating, thirsty and German. What do you drink to cleanse this killer urge to have your throat soothed and body cooled? If you said Saison (Belgian farmhouse ale), you're on the right track. The answer, of course (as some of you probably figured out from my ridiculous pun for a title), is hefeweisse! In German, this word literally means yeast-wheat, because the yeast plays such a critical part of this beer.
If you had to brew American beers for the rest of your life, you could get by with one yeast strain. Many breweries do this (Rogue for instance) because they have a house strain or a neutral variety of yeast. But for a hefeweissen, if you don't have the right yeast you are only making a beer with wheat in it.
Hefes are made of German pilsner malt and malted wheat, usually in equal measure. Wheat, malted or un-malted, contains very high percentages of protein. This protein will make the beer cloudy and create an amazing head. You've probably seen a weisse glass before; they are very tall and lead to a rounded top.
They are made this way to accommodate the ridiculous amount of foam, made even bigger due to the high carbonation.
You've also probably seen this glass with a slice of lemon or orange wedged into the rim. Please don't do this; not only is it inappropriate for the style, it kills the head, and no one likes bad head! The fruit slices are largely due to American marketing (- cough - Blue Moon - cough -) trying to make their beers look super rad!
To someone who has never tried it before, Hefeweisse is a bit strange tasting for a beer. Often loaded with tons of clove and banana-like aromas and flavors, this beer can be off-putting to people who aren't prepared for it. The key to a great hefeweisse is balance between these two tastes. They also have great wheat malt tastes (think bread) and a subtle hop aroma.
Medium bodied, low bitterness and moderate alcohol (4 to 5 percent by volume) are all characteristics. Tart, citrus flavors are possible from the yeast. The best way to describe it is lemon without the acidity. As I mentioned before, the yeast is critical! That's where all these wonderful flavors come from.
Pouring a hefeweissen is no small task. First you need to have a glass big enough to fit all the delicious head. Then take your bottle and roll it back and forth in your hands for a minute. This is to get the yeast off the bottom of the bottle and into the beer. Next, take your bottle, uncap it, and fit your glass over the top of the bottle, so that the bottle is firm against the bottom.
Holding both, turn it upside down so that the glass is right side up and the bottle is upside down. Now, slowly pull the bottle up and keep it slightly above the rising beer level as you fill the glass. This looks really cool, and will definitely score points with a date. Really, I promise.
Hefeweisse is a style, like women, that is best young and fresh (I'm just kidding ladies!). Ideally, you should be drinking a two week old beer. Always pick keg over bottle if you can, and if the bottle is old and dusty, avoid it.
For beers, this week I bring you two, a sort of a best of the best thing: one German, one American.
Schneider-Weiss represents the pinnacle of German hefeweisse and is definitely the pick of the litter. Along with a dark golden color, this beer comes with a strong head and a strong clove aroma balanced with a gentle banana background with other fruit scents.
The wheat and pilsner malts are balanced perfectly with the clove and banana tastes. There are also hints of apple and pear to go along with the strong yeast flavors. This beer lingers in your mouth with a slightly sweet clove taste. Definitely an easy drinker, and luckily these come in pint bottles.
Flying Dog's In Heat Hefeweisse is my second pick, and for good reason. Like Schneider, this beer is all about balance between the flavors. Light golden and cloudy, this beer packs a stronger malt influence but certainly does not forget the great banana and clove flavors. It is slightly less bitter which lets the grainy sweetness shine through. Hints of lemon are there with exceptional wheat flavors. Don't pass this one up!
Until next time, prosit!
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