Hefeweizen
A cloudy Bavarian wheat beer whose yeast gives it distinctive banana and clove aromas.
About the Hefeweizen style
Hefeweizen, meaning yeast wheat, is the classic wheat beer of Bavaria. For centuries the right to brew it was a royal monopoly, and it remains one of southern Germany's favourite everyday beers.
The style is defined by its yeast, which throws off banana-like esters and clove-like phenols during a warm fermentation. It is served unfiltered and cloudy, with the yeast rousing into the pour, and topped by a tall, dense white head.
Grain, hops and yeast
Malt and grain: At least half malted wheat with pale barley malt, giving a soft, bready base and a big fluffy head.
Hop character: Very low, noble German hops purely for balance; hops must not intrude on the yeast character.
Yeast and fermentation: A Bavarian weizen yeast that produces the signature banana ester and clove-like phenol, and typically stays in suspension for the haze.
A typical Hefeweizen runs 4.3 to 5.6% alcohol by volume, with a bitterness of about 8 to 15 IBU and a colour of 2 to 6 SRM. It is traditionally served in a weizen (vase) glass. These figures describe the usual range for the style; a given example may sit a little outside them.
Yeast and fermentation notes
The whole character of a hefeweizen is the yeast. Ferment a Bavarian weizen strain warm, in the high teens to low twenties Celsius, to build banana esters; a cooler ferment shifts the balance towards clove. A large healthy pitch and an underpitch each push the balance differently, so this is a style to control by fermentation.
Serving in brief
Serve a hefeweizen cold, around 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, in a tall weizen glass, and rouse the yeast sediment into the pour so the beer is properly cloudy. It takes a high carbonation, so on a kegging setup set a higher pressure than for an ale.
Classic examples
Well-known commercial examples of the style include Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, Schneider Weisse and Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier. Tasting a benchmark example is the best way to understand what a style should be before brewing your own.
| Vital statistic | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Origin | Germany (Bavaria) |
| Strength (ABV) | 4.3 to 5.6% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 8 to 15 |
| Colour (SRM) | 2 to 6 |
| Traditional glass | Weizen (vase) glass |
Typical published ranges. Individual examples vary.
Pick the yeast for a Hefeweizen
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Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines