Beer Review: Hefewiezen

[bbqjoe]

I took the wife out for lunch yesterday, went to our regular pizza joint.
I asked what was new on the tap.
She told me Hefewiezer. I asked her to bring half a pitcher.

Out she comes with this cloudy, (cloudy isn't the word maybe murky) yellow looking pitcher of beer, rimmed with about a dozen lemon slices.

Now I love beer. I'll try anything once. I took a sip and thought (no probably shouted) Yuk!!!

The wife tried it, made a face, and then put some lemon in and tried again. She then added a little salt, and said well that's a little better.

I did the same and was not impressed.

I looked over at the condiment basket and grabbed some hot sauce. That didn't work. Next some worcestershire sauce, that didn't work either, so I grabbed some ketchup............

Waitress!!! A pitcher of Bud please!!!!

Brothers heed my warning don't even bother with this swill, it suks dingo's kidneys!!!!

[Arlin_MacRae]

OK, OK, I gotta set ya straight here, Joe.

It's "hefeweizen" which, in German, means it's a yeasty wheat beer. Let's explore those two terms, shall we?

Yeasty. Simply put, without yeast, we don't get beer. Yeast eats the fermentable sugars in the "proto-beer", called wort, and metabolizes them into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The yeast cells also multiply and die, kinda like us. Those living and dead cells stay in the beer - unless you filter them out. While most large beermakers do filter them out, some that make "specialty beers" leave the yeast in. This slurry of yeast cells provides the murk you talked about, but it really doesn't add any flavors to the beer.

The wheat in a weizenbier is just an ingredient that, along with the normal barley, adds fermentable sugars and a certain unmistakable taste. In my experience you either like wheat beer or you don't; there's no maybe about it!

I gather from your story above that you are one of the many that do not. Cool. More for me. :biggrin:

As far as the warning goes, shame on you. What if that pepper-allergic customer of yours tried your ABTs, gagged a little, then blogged about how bad they sucked, issuing a stay-away warning to all her readers?

Golly...

[Jorge]

Shiner does an acceptable bottled version. If you have it available give it a try, and follow the instructions on the label. The only place I've found a decent attempt on tap here in the states was at a microbrew place.

I'm sure Arlin will be along shortly.:lol:

or sooner

[Arlin_MacRae]

Lol!

[BrooklynQ]

Wheat beers with a topping of raspberry syrup and spicy sauerbraten and I'm in heaven.

[bbqjoe]

Now don't get me wrong, I've had many a home brew, and wheats alike, I do prefer if it has been allowed to "Settle out" before kegging or bottling.

I've also brewed many, many gallons of homebrew myself, but this just appeared and tasted awfully "Green"

And I'm pretty much put off by most any beer that requires something to be added.

Okay, I'm awful, I said don't bother.
What I meant to say is go ahead and invest in a case and see if you like it:wink:

[Arlin_MacRae]

Right on, Joe. Just pickin' atcha, bro. ;)



Ooh yeah, Rob, that's a nice flashback....

The Germans make a wheat beer called "Kindlweiss" that they traditionally serve three ways: Flavored with raspberry syrup, woodruff syrup (green), or straight. It took me a long time to be able to drink that stuff straight 'cause it's powerful tasting stuff.

[BBQ_MAFIA]

I spent a lot of time in Germany and love hefeweizen.
Especially Goffel and Paulaner which is imported in to the USA.
This type of beer and a port knuckle are great.

[Sawdustguy]

Anyone coming out to Long Island way, give me a months notice and I will whip up a Hefewieze that will curl your toes. Joe, remember that Hefewiezen is unfiltered. For Long Island Brethren (Brooklyn is close enough also) stop by the Black Forest Brew House (Republic Road and Smith Street) in Farmingdale. Their Hefeweize is pretty good and their sausage platter (which includes bratwurst) is great. Ich wettete, daß wir Kerlgedanke Polocks kielbasa aßen und Wodka tranken.

[jt]

I want to go drinking with Arlin...

[CharlieBeasley]

There are good wheat beers even some brewed in the US (Harpoon for one) Being someone who will drink a beer now and then I like the wheat beers as long as they are beer not fruit drinks Raspberry I would rather drink American lite mess that fruit drinks resembling beer

[SinginBob]

Hefeweizen is all the rage with yuppies and up here in KC they garnish it with an orange slice.

It's OK, but if I've got other microbrew choices I'll go with them--reds and nut brown ales are my favorites. Nothing that looks cloudy, thank you!

[Arlin_MacRae]

Ich möchte Bier und Wodka mit meinen Bruder Polocks trinken!


ORANGE SLICES? Good Gawd...the humanity...

[jrick33]

Does anyone else find that the weis beers have a slight "bubble gum" after taste??

Great breakfast beer with bagels....

[jt]

Great breakfast beer with bagels....
Beer: it's not just for breakfast anymore.

[Arlin_MacRae]

Does anyone else find that the weis beers have a slight "bubble gum" after taste??

Great breakfast beer with bagels....

HEHEHE You know, jrick, I ask first time (European) wheat beer drinkers if they taste that and invariably their eyes go wide and they sputter, "Yeah, I do!!" :-D It's an ester produced by the European strain of yeast that you won't find in an American wheat. Good catch!

Beer: it's not just for breakfast anymore.
And jt -- I HAVE that sign at home. ;)
Arlin

[Rickwieser]

Boulevard makes a good wheat beer. Michelob made one for a while that was ok but they made a black and tan that was wonderful. And like all things I really like they quit makin it. Use to drive to st. Louis to pick up 5-10 cases at a time. havent been to st louis since.

[Jorge]

Boulevard makes a good wheat beer. Michelob made one for a while that was ok but they made a black and tan that was wonderful. And like all things I really like they quit makin it. Use to drive to st. Louis to pick up 5-10 cases at a time. havent been to st louis since.

Welcome to the club. Suck it up, buy the Guiness, the Bass, pint glasses, and use a knife for the pour to get the proper seperation. It tastes that much better after you spend the time pouring it right, anyway.

[mbowker64]

Bell's Oberon is a tasty wheat beer as far as wheat beers go. No bubble gum taste though.

[StLouQue]

St. Louis-brewed Schlafly Hefeweizen isn't bad. Hef's aren't really my favorite...and I definitely don't need a wedge of anything in my beer. Personal preference. (To me Corona tastes like Kleenex water, so I guess that explains the flavor enhancer.) Schlafly had it's annual outdoor beer festival downtown a couple weekends ago (Fall Bash weekend to be exact--my no-show alibi is out). They featured 40 different beers to sample. Quite a cool event. My favorite this year was the Chocolate Porter--yum, yum. Admittedly not everyone's mug o' suds. If you're in town check them out.

[butts]

I couldn't describe the flavor any better Joe:eek: :eek: .

Worst thing I ever put in my mouth:confused: :eek: :sad: :mad:

[FatDaddy]

shiner bock heifenwiezen is awesome. I like to get the family reunion pack from shiner that has a selection of all of their brews. works great for a weekend of queing and football or nascar.

[bbqjoe]

I may have made a major faux paux. I thought the brand name of the beer was Hefeweizen. I wasn't aware that it was a style. Then again they don't put labels on pitchers.
I would rejoice at trying shiners version.

[Sawdustguy]

Ich möchte Bier und Wodka mit meinen Bruder Polocks trinken!

Die zwei fetten polocks würden lieben, Bier und Wodka mit Ihnen zu trinken. Wir würden auch lieben, einiges kielbasa und pierogies mit Ihnen zu teilen.:biggrin:

[FatDaddy]

i dont care for pauleners version. if thats the right one . got the beer chick on the front . taste like dishwashing liquid to me. bout the same as Sam Adams. That is some nasty chit. but being from texas. it appears that Sam Adams and etc. is popular along the east coast. just never aquired a taste for it.

[Arlin_MacRae]

Die zwei fetten polocks würden lieben, Bier und Wodka mit Ihnen zu trinken. Wir würden auch lieben, einiges kielbasa und pierogies mit Ihnen zu teilen.:biggrin:

ISS!
TRINK!
RAUCH!

[PimpSmoke]

Shiners Hefe is OK at best.

Paulaner is a true weissbier, period.

If you don't like it you don't like it.

I love craft beer, but I try to restrain myself from bashing Corona or Bud Lite in a public forum. Just because I dislike them doesn't mean they are bad. And I surely would not bash ALL macro lagers like Bud just because I tried one and it was bad.

Weissbier is a very intricate flavor profile. And putting a lemon or orange in weiss is just ruining it. Thats a yuppie thing like putting a lime in swill like corona (oop's did I say that out loud?:lol: ) or drinking PBR.

To each his own I say.

(Oh and IMO, Sam Adams is probably THE BEST macro out there, again MO)

[Arlin_MacRae]

Pimp, you and I see eye to eye, bruddah. And have you had Sam Adams Light? I tried one just for giggles once and it's a great beer, period, let alone a fantastic light model.

[PimpSmoke]

I'll have to add that to my list for the weekend.:-D

As well as the Dog Fish Head 90 min. IPA that Voodoo got me at the bash. That beer is so good it makes me want to cry.:cry:

Gotta remind myself to get in touch with RonL for some of that Chimay he hooked up for the bash.

I really like beer...........................even more than Jeff's cooker.:lol:

[Arlin_MacRae]

Dog Fish head makes some GREAT beers. If you like stouts you have GOT to find their Worldwide Stout. It's...barely describable. HUGE...

[bertkemtncurs]

Franzikaner is the only wheat beer I can handle. The Sam Adam's Hefe is ok, but wheat beer just ain't my thing.