Hefeweizen
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Hefeweizen, is a German style of wheat beer in which the yeast is not filtered out. Though Kristallweizen (clear), Dunkelweizen (dark) and Weizenstarkbier (higher alcohol content) varieties are available, they are not considered true hefeweizen unless left unfiltered. The filtration which takes the yeast out of Kristallweizen also strips the wheat proteins which make Hefeweizen cloudy. Bavarian weizen beers are fermented with a special strain of top-fermenting yeast, which is largely responsible for the distinctive flavor.
Hefeweizen is the most popular variety of wheat beer in the United States[citation needed], though most American hefeweizen has a lower wheat content (the difference being made up by the inclusion of barley malt). Hefeweizens are frequently served with a slice of lemon or orange in the U.S., but this practice is frowned upon in Germany, where the lemon slice is common only for Kristallweizen. The addition of a lemon or orange wedge is also frowned upon by some beer connoisseurs because it eliminates the head. American Hefeweizen is usually lighter in color than the parent variety.
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[edit] Names
- Hefe-Weizen
- Hefeweißbier, sometimes Weißbier
- Hefeweiße
- Weizenstarkbier (not necessarily a hefeweizen unless left unfiltered)
Leo.org's online dictionary translates das Hefeweizen as "beer brewed from wheat." Die Hefe is translated as "barm" (yeast formed on fermenting malt liquors) as well as "yeast"; also der Weizen is translated as "wheat." Weiß is translated as "white", bier is "beer," and stark can be translated as "strong" or "potent" etc. Although weiß means white, it does not refer to the color of the beer, instead, the name comes from the color of the foam during the fermenting process.
Note: "Der", "die", and "das" are all translated as "the"; they represent the three grammatical genders in the German language (male, female, and neuter respectively).
[edit] Breweries producing Hefeweizen
Nearly all commercial examples of the traditional German Hefeweizen style are produced in Germany. Most are exported and readily available around the world. Some prominent commercial examples are produced by Paulaner, Schneider Weisse (original amber only), Franziskaner, Hacker-Pschorr and Weihenstephan.
[edit] American breweries brewing Hefeweizen
There are currently no American breweries producing traditional Hefeweizen on a significant scale. There are a number of breweries that are producing beers labeled as Hefeweizen (like Pyramid, for example) but these mostly fall into the American Wheat Ale category, lacking nearly all the defining characteristics of the traditional German style.
[edit] See also
- German beer
- Wheat beer
- Wheat beer glass
- ß- The German letter known as the "Eszett" (similar to the largely abandoned English letter "ſ" or the Long s).
[edit] External links
- Dict.Leo.org - Leo's German/English translation page (in English). Note: Pronunciations can be heard in Leo by clicking the lower case blue "i" to the right of the German word and then clicking on the word "Aussprache."
- GermanBeerGuide.co.uk - A British website's guide to Hefeweizen
- beeradvocate.com - A Beer Advocate article on Hefeweizen
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