Literally, "wheat beer," but used
interchangeably with "weisse" or "weissbier," meaning "Ivory" or
"white beer," weizens are German wheat beers. The aroma and
flavor of a Weissbier with yeast is decidedly fruity and
phenolic. The phenolic characteristics are often described as
clove- or nutmeg-like and can be smoky or even vanilla-like.
Banana-like esters are often present. These beers are made with
at least 50 % malted wheat, and hop rates are quite low. Hop
flavor and aroma are absent. Weissbier is well-attenuated and
very highly carbonated, yet its relatively high starting gravity
and alcohol content make it a medium- to full-bodied beer. The
color is very pale to pale amber. Because yeast is present, the
beer will have yeast flavor and a characteristically fuller
mouthfeel and may be appropriately very cloudy. No diacetyl
should be perceived.
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4 ounces German Munich malt
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6 pounds wheat DME
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1 ounce Hallertau hops
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Wyeast 3056 Bavarian wheat beer yeast
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1-1/4 cup wheat DME
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Place the crushed specialty grains in a
nylon hop bag and steep them in 1 gallon of preheated 150º
water for 30 minutes.
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Drain and discard the spent grains.
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Bring at least 3 gallons of liquor to a
boil, remove the brew kettle from the heat source then stir
in the extract and the hops.
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Boil for 60 minutes, then remove the brew
kettle from the heat source, cover it and drop the
temperature of the wort as quickly as possible to 77º F.
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Once the wort has cooled to below 77º F,
take an original gravity reading, pour the wort into a
primary fermenter through a funnel with a strainer and add
enough cool water to create 5 gallons.
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Once the wort has been transferred to the
primary fermenter, pitch the yeast, stir the wort
vigorously, seal the fermenter with an airlock and ferment
at approximately 68-72º F for 1 week.
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Rack the beer to a secondary fermenter and
allow the beer to finish fermentation.
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Once fermentation is complete, rack the beer
to a bottling bucket, prime with the wheat DME and bottle
and condition as usual.
