Wheat beer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As wheat beer is beer called that a high proportion of wheat are produced. The names for these beers are wheat , white and white . “Wheat” and “ white ” have the same etymological origin. Wheat beers are mostly brewed top-fermented . Colloquially, the term " wheat beer " is often used as a synonym for wheat beer, especially in southern Bavaria. Traditionally, wheat beers can also be (top-fermented) beers brewed with barley.

history

Beer was made with wheat thousands of years ago in Babylon and Egypt . In Europe, until the late Middle Ages, it was common to use all types of grain for brewing - including wheat, if available locally. Today's types of wheat beer did not emerge until the 16th century.

Bavarian wheat beer

Wheat beer (Hefeweizen) in a typical glass for Bavarian wheat beer

Bavarian wheat beer is top-fermented and usually has an original wort content between 11 and 14 degrees Plato. The alcohol content is accordingly five to six percent by volume . However, there are strong wheat beers with an original wort content of up to 20 percent and an alcohol content of over eight percent by volume as well as alcohol-free wheat beers. Wheat beer has - depending on the brand - a calorific value of approx. 220 kJ per 100 ml.

If it was brewed in Berlin, Bavarian wheat beer is considered a traditional variant of Berlin wheat beer . It was considered a typical summer beer in earlier times (i.e. essentially before the invention of the Lindeschen refrigeration machine , which only gradually became established, so that one cannot speak of a sudden change).

history

A wheat beer owner from 1685, portrayed in the Nuremberg house books .

In 1548 Baron von Degenberg was granted the privilege to boil wheat beer north of the Danube. In the rest of Bavaria, brewing wheat beer was forbidden at that time (→ Reinheitsgebot ). On the one hand, wheat should be secured to feed the population, on the other hand, the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV was able to bind the Degenbergers closer to himself. The state sovereignty over the Degenberger was still controversial at the time. In return for the privilege, Baron von Degenberg had to make annual payments. The brewing of wheat beer was often banned in Bavaria in the 16th century because not everyone adhered to the original ban, and the Degenbergers had to have the privilege confirmed several times during this time.

When the male line of the Counts of Degenberg died out in 1602, the privilege of brewing wheat beer reverted to the Bavarian Duke Maximilian I. He quickly took over the Degenberg legacy, took over their “White Breweries” and founded new ones himself, in 1607 the first and oldest still in existence in Kelheim . With some cities or markets he concluded contracts that secured a large part of his income and that he could terminate at any time. Thus the sole right to brew wheat beer was in the hands of the respective Bavarian sovereign. Unlike his great-grandfather, the Duke no longer accepted the argument that wheat had to be secured for food. This wheat beer monopoly (also known as the wheat beer privilege or wheat beer shelf) was a secure source of income for the Bavarian state: large parts of the Bavarian state income came from the wheat beer monopoly.

Wheat beer was soon brewed in other German countries as well. Since 1643, wheat beer has been brewed in Nuremberg , then still a Free Imperial City , at the instigation of the council. Here, too, there was a monopoly of the authorities to brew wheat beer.

The income from the White Breweries in the Straubing Rent Office went to the sovereign's private coffers. In addition, innkeepers across the country were required to serve wheat beer or their license would be withdrawn. Wheat beer was subject to special taxes, but was only sold so dearly that sales were secured. As a result, Duke (Elector) Maximilian I succeeded in paying off his father's debts and leaving his son Ferdinand Maria with an orderly state budget.

In the 18th century the market share of wheat beer steadily declined, and with the law of August 6, 1798, the Bavarian elector Karl Theodor lifted the monopoly. At the time of the abolition, there were still white breweries in Cham , Grafenau , Kelheim , Regen , Traunstein , Vilshofen and Weilheim . Back then, anyone could acquire the right to brew wheat beer in Bavaria for a redemption and annual payments. An exception was the Weisse Hofbräuhaus in Munich, which remained in state hands but was leased. Wheat beer was brewed for the last time in the Weißen Hofbräuhaus in Munich in 1871. The last tenant (from 1855 to 1873) was Georg Schneider , who in 1872 acquired the wheat beer brewing rights of the Hofbräuhaus from the Hofbräuamt and thus founded his own wheat beer brewery in Munich.

Manufacturing

Bavarian wheat beers are brewed with top-fermenting yeast . In addition to barley, wheat malt is also used in different proportions for the mash, often up to 70% wheat.

Wheat young beer is usually fermented for the final fermentation, also called the maturation phase, in the bottle. In order to produce the beer extract during maturation and thus to ensure sufficient enrichment with CO 2 and to increase the maturation speed, a "food" is given. For this purpose, “food” made from front / cast wort or herbs is added to the young beer, the ferulic acid content of which can support the development of a phenolic note ( aroma reminiscent of cloves ). Isoamyl acetate is responsible for the slight taste of banana that is often present . The yeast Torulaspora delbrueckii plays an important role in the creation of the flavors . The "tubing" with increased extract difference, in which the wheat malt is less well dissolved, is used less often.

In the classic bottle fermentation process, maturation initially takes place at high temperatures (one week at 15–20 ° C). A warmer ripening favors the formation of esters . With increasing temperature and cold storage time, however, the increases Autolysegefahr . This is followed by a cold storage phase of two weeks at 10 ° C. The yeast multiplication (yeast cell number) at the beginning of the maturation phase is set via separation or bypass . A preliminary clarification and subsequent addition of yeast together with the "food" is common. Top-fermenting yeast tends to support the formation of flavorings , while bottom-fermenting yeast forms fewer fermentation by-products. It should be noted that both types of yeast settle on the bottom at the end of maturation due to the pressure in the bottle.

Manufacturers who do not use bottle secondary fermentation allow the beer to ferment in large storage tanks . The process management is similar. However, the cold storage phase often takes place at lower temperatures (−1 ° C). The aroma formation is generally less pronounced in the tank maturation process.

In the "stabilizing" the beer is often filtered and again in the meantime heat-killed lees and the previously filtered with her when filling sediments displaced. In this way, the longest possible shelf life of the product with the same taste is achieved without pasteurizing the entire beer. When using vital yeasts, the plate heat exchanger can be used without prior filtration without damaging the cells.

The color of the wheat beer depends on the type of malt . Crystal wheat is usually very light in color. The yeast wheat beers range from light, golden-yellow varieties to nut-brown beers to deep-dark brown black wheat malts with a full-bodied, malty-smoky aroma. The proportion of hops in wheat beers is lower than in other beers, which is why people who find the bitterness of the hops too strong often turn to wheat beers.

non-alcoholic

As with other non-alcoholic beers, the low alcohol content of an alcohol-free wheat beer is achieved by stopping the fermentation process or later dealcoholization. Alcohol-free wheat beer is advertised as a thirst quencher and sports drink because it is isotonic and is said to have health-promoting properties. Proof of the “healthy” effect of alcohol-free wheat beer is supposed to be a sports medicine study - financed by a brewery - on the effect of the polyphenol contained in alcohol-free wheat beer as an anti-inflammatory. These alleged advantages of alcohol-free beer, especially for athletes, should be viewed critically: Many foods contain polyphenols, for example alcoholic beer and wine, but also fruit and vegetables. In addition, alcohol-free wheat beer only covers part of the needs of intensive athletes.

Wheat beer glass

Wheat beer glasses with bases colored by ingredients

Bavarian wheat beer is traditionally served in specially shaped, tall, slim glasses. In certain parts of Bavaria these are also known as " Weißbierstutzn ".

The shape of the wheat beer glasses was chosen so that the carbon dioxide pearls can rise through the drink for a long time and keep it fresh and sparkling for a long time.

The reinforced glass floor is used to shift the center of gravity downwards. On the one hand, this prevents the tall glasses from tipping over and, on the other hand, creates a pleasant, non-slip feeling. In order to prevent glass breakage if it is carelessly knocked, wheat beer glasses are knocked with the bottom below the handle.

A collection of wheat beer glasses and further information can be found in the wheat glass museum in Nuremberg .

Mixed drinks

In many places, mixed drinks exist under the most diverse regional names, which mostly contain lemonade in addition to wheat beer. Ready-made mixed wheat beer beverages are now increasingly being offered.

Nutritional values

The physiological calorific value for 100 ml wheat beer is on average 222 kJ or 52 kcal . It contains approx. 0.3 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat and 4 g alcohol. Alcohol-free wheat beers have a calorific value of around 100 kJ or 24 kcal per 100 ml.

Lambic

Lambic is a spontaneously fermented Belgian beer specialty with wheat and barley malt.

Witbier

Witbier or Witte is a type of top-fermented wheat beer that is particularly widespread in Belgium and the Netherlands . It is usually seasoned with greens , coriander and orange peel .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bier und Brauhaus, issue 35, p. 45
  2. ↑ Information on the nutritional information of wheat beer (accessed on May 21, 2011)
  3. ↑ See the works Heinrich Letzing, Margareta Schneider, Umberta Andrea Simonis: Weißbierlust. The first wheat beer book in the world. 125 years of the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery. With the wheat beer dictionary. Private wheat beer brewery Schneider und Sohn, Kelheim 1998, ISBN 3-00-003147-2 . and Heinrich Letzing: Royal Bavarian beer. The history of beer under the Wittelsbach family in Bavaria. Augsburg 2000, ISBN 3-9806809-3-2 based on Heinrich Letzing: The history of the beer brewing of the Wittelsbacher, Diss., Augsburg 1994, Augsburg 1995, see there especially the output figures of the wheat beer brewery Kelheim in the 17th century in the appendix 19
  4. ↑ Document in the Bavarian Main State Archives: BayHStA GU Degenberg 536
  5. ↑ Bay HStA Kurbayern Outer Archive 693
  6. ^ Prohibition of special payments from Degenberg in 1567: Bay HStA Staatsverwaltung 1789 and V. Wittmmütz: Gravamina of the Bavarian estates in the 16th and 17th centuries as a source for the economic situation and development of Bavaria. Munich 1970, p. 85
  7. ↑ z. B. Viechtach: HStA Kurbayern Hofkammer No. 158, fol. 331r
  8. ^ Karl Gattinger: Beer and sovereignty. The wheat beer monopoly of the Wittelsbachers under Maximilian I of Bavaria. 1598-1651. Munich spring 2007, pp. 166–169
  9. ↑ Source for the special taxes: Accounts books of the Weißen Brauhaus Kelheim, published on the Internet at www.schneider-archiv.de: Historical Notes 1630-1636 / 37, Chapter “A new beverage surcharge in Bavaria” and the following account books as well as in the respective historical notes the graphics with the price development;
  10. ↑ Collection of the Churpfalz-Baierischen general and special provincial regulation of Sr. Churfürstlichen Highness Karl Theodor etc. in judicial, financial, landscape, toll, police, religious, military and mixed matters. Sixth volume. Edited by Georg Karl Mayr, Volume 6, Munich 1799, pp. 45–46
  11. ^ In the Munich State Archives, the account books with the signatures StAM HB 201–214 and 892-893
  12. ↑ https://brauerei.mueggelland.de/bieraroma-details/items/5.html
  13. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from August 18, 2011 on WebCite ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / web.mst.edu
  14. ↑ http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/21659904
  15. ↑ http://www.gesundheit.de/ernaehrung/richtig-trinken/alkohol/alkoholfreies-bier
  16. ↑ Nutritional and mineral information. Yazio.de, accessed on July 2, 2010 .
  17. ↑ Franziskaner Weissbier alcohol-free 500 ml. Das-ist-drin.de/, accessed on January 4, 2012 .

literature

  • Heinrich Letzing: The history of the beer brewing of the Wittelsbacher: the establishment of the Hofbräuhaus Munich and the emergence of the ducal wheat beer monopoly in the dispute with the state estates up to the state parliament of 1612 as well as the basics of beer compulsory; Studies on the state budget, administrative practice, economic, social and agricultural history of old Bavaria. Augsburg 1995.
    • Heinrich Letzing: The accounting books of the Weißen Bräuhaus Kelheim for the years 1612 and 1613. (Source texts for Bavarian brewing history 1) Kelheim 1995.
    • Heinrich Letzing: The account books of the Weisses Bräuhaus Kelheim for the years 1623, 1624 and 1625. (Source texts on the Bavarian brewing history 2) Kelheim 1997.
    • Heinrich Letzing: The account books of the Weisses Bräuhaus Kelheim for the years 1628 and 1629 as well as 1636 to 1638. From the archives of Georg Schneider & Sohn, Kelheim (source texts on Bavarian brewing history 3) Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-00-003889-2 .
    • Heinrich Letzing: When Margareta goes to the attic. The sensational find Kelheimer invoice books sheds new light on the history of wheat beer. In: Charivari. (Munich) 24, 1998, 7/8, pp. 42-45.
  • Heinrich Letzing, Margareta Schneider, Umberta Andrea Simonis: Weißbierlust. The first wheat beer book in the world. 125 years of the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery. With the wheat beer dictionary. Private wheat beer brewery Schneider und Sohn, Kelheim 1998, ISBN 3-00-003147-2 .
  • Werner Back (Hrsg.): Selected chapters of brewery technology. Hans Carl, Nuremberg 2006, pp. 237-254.

Web links

Commons : Wheat Beer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Wheat beer  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations