Weissbier
Also known as hefeweizen, this is one of the great summer beer styles, from its flavor profile to its light, fluffy body—heck, even the way sunlight illuminates its hazy, golden color.
Style: A world-classic style, weissbier is a pale, drinkable wheat beer with modest ABV, virtually no bitterness, and a distinctive appearance and flavor profile. By tradition, the grist is at least half malted wheat, which contributes a nice bready background. Grist isn’t where the interest is here, though—what really makes a weissbier is its yeast. The traditional strains are persistent non-flocculators. Most leave a lot of yeast in suspension, which adds a unique mouthfeel. More important, though, are the characteristic esters and phenols—specifically, trademark aromatics of banana and clove. Want to know if you’re holding a weissbier? Give it a sniff.
Ingredients: To be true to its history, at least 50 percent of the grist should be malted wheat, but I go higher—as high as I can and reliably lauter and sparge without getting stuck. In combination with floor-malted pilsner, you should get some great low-lovibond breadand-biscuit aromatics with a touch of honey. You can stop here, but if you want to add a bit more light-malt flavor (which I recommend), add just a dash of your favorite 20-ish Lovibond character malt (such as Victory). Alternatively, go the traditional route (if you have the time) and do a decoction mash. Finally, some rice hulls will help you mash all that gummy wheat. Hops are simple here: about 10 IBUS of anything, right at the start of the boil. Something German, such as Hallertauer or Tettnanger, is more authentic, but in a pinch, I’ve used generic bittering hops with no obvious ill effects. If you want more floral notes in your final product, keep the IBUS level but try a single 30-minute addition instead of a 60-minute, adjusting for the lower isomerization level. As for yeast, there’s only one answer here in my book: The classic Weihenstephan strain. Process: Dough-in with the rice hulls along with the grains: The rice hulls will help prevent a stuck lauter/sparge. Boil as usual, chill, and pitch—but don’t go overboard. I’m not telling you to deliberately under-pitch, but don’t take whatever steps you normally take to encourage yeast growth. Don’t grow up a starter. Don’t oxygenate the wort. One smack-pack, no oxygen or aeration. Why? Because if you provide too much help, your yeast may not produce the flavors you want. Unstressed yeast will coast through and produce minimal esters (and phenols, I’ve found). Less is more here. Enjoy the break.
Ferment warm-ish. You’ll notice changes in the esters and phenols if you tinker with the temperature; I find 66°F (19°C) to be right on the money. It results in a good balance between fruity and spicy, without wandering too far into bubblegum and pepper. Don’t cold crash—just package and carbonate to a healthy 2.5 volumes of CO2. You can drink this one right away, but it can age surprisingly well if you store it cold.