Wheat Beers

Wheat Beers

Wheat beers are beers that are brewed with both
malted barley and malted wheat, rather than using
just barley. The addition of wheat will lend wheat
beers a lighter flavor and somewhat paler color
than most all barley ales and beers. Wheat beer
is normally top fermented, which is fermentation
with ale yeast.

All types of wheat beers have become very popular
in the last several years, especially in warm
weather. In earlier centuries, the brewing of
wheat beer was illegal in many places, simply
because wheat was too important as both bread and
cereal to waste it with brewing beers.

The two most important varieties of wheat beers
are Belgian and German.

Belgian
Belgian wheat beers are easily the best known,
as they get their name from the suspended wheat
proteins which give it the whitish color. Belgian
white beers often have spices such as coriander
or orange peels added, which help to give them
a hint of fruity flavor.

German
German wheat beer is a well known variation through
the sourthern part of the country. The German
yeast wheat is a variety in which the yeast isn’t
filtered out. The filtration will take the yeast
out, and also strips wheat proteins which will
make it appear cloudy.

A lot of microbrewers in the United States as
well as Canada that make their own variations of
wheat beer, which is particularly popular in
Portland Oregon, which is considered to be the
beer capital.

In Europe, wheat beer is normally served in special
types of wheat beer glasses. In Belgium they are
normally solid glasses. Other countries will take
half a liter, in which the glasses are normally
tall and slim, tapering slightly towards the
base.

In the United States, wheat beer is normally served
with a slice of lemon.