Not a Mooweizen, but a HEFEWEIZEN

I thoroughly apologize for the title to this post, but I just had to do it. It's like one of those really bad pirate jokes, that just makes you giggle like a school girl.

On to the beer!

Our second beer review will be a Bavarian Hefeweizen. But I first wanted to introduce the style. We briefly touched on this style in "Where's the Wheat", but it deserves a bit more attention and appreciation. As you can guess, the Bavarian Hefeweizen is from the southern region in Germany. The Hefeweizen is brewed with wheat malt and barley malt. Due to the wheat malt, the beer has a nice frothy head and a delicious silky mouthfeel. It is also unfiltered, so all the yeast and proteins are included for your enjoyment. So what makes the Bavarian Hefeweizen so magical?



The magic behind a Bavarian Hefeweizen is, none other than, its yeast.

Here's the low down on types of yeast. . . .

There are two different types of yeast:
1/ Top Fermenting Yeast
2/ Bottom Fermenting Yeast

-Top fermenting yeast is the type that is used predominately in craft beers. It ferments at a warmer temperature and usually gives the beer a sweet/fruity taste. This is the type used in the Bavarian.

-Bottom fermenting yeast is the type that is used primarily in cold brewed lagers (ie: Coors)

The common yeast strain used in the traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen is a top fermenting strain that is called Torulaspora delbrueckii. This yeast strain imparts a banana and clove taste to the beer. This type of beer can be very difficult to brew, since temperature can increase/decrease any of the flavors and will throw off the overall ideal mixture of banana and clove.

There is one thing I will never put in my Bavarian Hefeweizen and this is. . . . a LEMON. I feel like it is my duty to spread the word that a slice of lemon does not need to hang out on the side of your glass. A delicious Bavarian Hefeweizen tastes fruity, citrus flavor and spicy and does not need to be enhanced by a shriveled hunk of 3-day old lemon. At least try the beer before adding the lemon to capture the flavors that the brewer worked hard to impart into the beer. If you are a lemon-a-holic, try that first non-lemon sip. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

There is a trusty Bavarian Hefeweizen that is usually at most mainstream bars,Hacker-Pschorr Weisse (pronounced "Hacker Shore"). There are definitely better representations of this style, but if you want to try it, you will probably find this brand when you are out at a bar. If you don't see this on the menu, ask your neighborhood bartendar to recommend a Bavarian Hefeweizen.



Stay tuned for the next beer review, chosen by you!