The difference between wheat beer and weizen

The difference between wheat beer and weizen

Posted by Rick Kempen, beer ambassador Beer&cO on 23rd Jan 2023

What is the difference between wheat beer and weizen?

Everyone knows witbier and weizen - fresh, fruity and very thirst-quenching styles of beer. Both styles are very similar but certainly not the same. Because there is much to discover and enjoy in both beer styles, we list the differences between witbier and weizen for you, so you can choose even better. Do you Uiltje?

Similarities and differences between wheat beer and weizen

Witbier comes from Belgium, weizen from Germany. Meanwhile, numerous breweries around the world brew both types of beer, and we even know of a wheat beer brewed by Trappists. Let's first establish that witbier and weizen have as their main similarity that wheat plays a very large role. Wheat is a grain and that, along with water, hops and yeast, is an important ingredient in any beer. The most commonly used grain is barley, and many beers are made solely from barley. Other grains can really only be used alongside barley. Wheat is the second most commonly used grain by brewers. Unlike barley, which gives mainly a bread- or biscuit-like flavor, wheat gives a fresh-sour taste and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.

The differences lie in two important things: Belgian witbier is flavored with spice tubes, with German weizen this is absolutely not allowed - because of the Reinheitsgebot. Don't stress if you don't know what the Reinheitsgebot means; we'll come back to that later in this blog. German brewers create the characteristic taste by using specially cultured yeast in the beer: aromas of green apple, banana and apricot can always be found. Belgians (and other white beer brewers) like to use anise, coriander and curaçao peel to add to the freshness of the beer. A slice of lemon in the beer belongs to neither: this outrageous custom seems almost extinct, Godlof.

In addition, we know Belgian white beer only unfiltered; weizen comes in more varieties. Hefeweizen is the unfiltered, most common version: Hefe means yeast, which gives extra flavor. Kristallweizen is the filtered version, and Dunkelweizen is made with dark malt. The flavor differences are significant: Dunkelweizen is spicy, Hefeweizen creamy-fruity, witbier rinsed and Kristall less intense because of filtering. None of them are white beers but wheat beers.

Why white beer is not 'white beer'

About forty years ago, some Belgian beers reluctantly entered our country - one of those newcomers was Hoegaarden, a white beer. The name of that beer type seems logical: it remains unfiltered and is milky pale, off-white in color. Yet witbier is anything but white beer, though its name and appearance suggest otherwise. It is a Babylonian confusion of tongues. The origin of the beer type is in Bavaria, where it is called weizen. Weizen is German for wheat, the grain that thus plays the main role in the preparation of these beers, both German and Belgian. Weizenbier is actually mistranslated: it should have been called "wheat beer," not witbier.

Fun facts about wheat beer and weizen

One of the most famous Hefeweizen breweries is the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, located just above Munich in Freising. The brewery is not only the oldest in the world - brewing began there in 1040! - but also houses the campus of the brewing faculty of the Technical University of Munich. The brewery is owned by the Bavarian Ministry of Culture. That's how seriously they take beer, there in Bavaria!

Wheat contains more protein than other grains and therefore gives a richer head. You notice this in both styles of beer. And, in both Belgian wheat beer and German weizen, the yeast, combined with wheat, gives pleasant aromas ("esters") reminiscent of fruit. These range from citrus to banana, apple to apricot. Both styles of beer are usually packaged unfiltered: proteins and yeast residue are deliberately left in the beer to achieve a fuller, smoother flavor.

For weizen one uses mainly malted wheat (sprouted and then dried); for witbier, on the contrary, unmalted wheat. The latter gives beer that tastes slightly less sweet and full-bodied. This makes witbier just a little easier to drink through than weizen, which often also contains much more carbon dioxide.

The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot stipulated in 1516 that wheat was only for bakers, and brewers could only work with barley. An exception was made for Bavarian princes: they were allowed to brew "Hefeweissbier. In 1872, this monopoly was lifted: Georg Schneider then created the first "popular" Hefeweissbier.

White beer is the perfect accompaniment to whitefish and seafood. The mildly sour taste, enhanced by the herbs and spices used, pick up the salty flavor. Exactly as a few drops of lemon juice would do! Weizen is traditionally drunk alongside Weisswurst, a blanched veal sausage eaten with a Bretzen and sweet mustard. It also goes great with satay and many spicy Asian dishes.

Typical weizen beer glasses are long, slim and usually rounded. This keeps the generous, protective head of foam long and beautiful. Tip: pour weizen carefully, leaving a layer in the bottle. Then "roll" the bottle through both hands and pour: the yeast deposit dances gracefully into the beer!

Uiltje witbier & weizen beer package

Now that the differences and similarities between white beer and weizen are clear to you, it's time to taste for yourself. Of course we have put together a ready-made white beer and weizen beer package for you. In it you will find German, Dutch and Belgian examples of both witbier and weizen. Discover your own favorite!

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