Jason Foster

Check out more of Jason Foster’s beer news and views at onbeer.org

Everyone knows that the most important ingredient in beer is barley. Sure, brewers might throw some oats or rye into the mash to add a unique flavour or mouthfeel. Or they might toss in some flaked corn or rice to lighten the body (and, if they are a big corporate brewer, to lower the cost). These are all valid additions to beer, but none change the fact that the bulk of their grain bill will consist of malted barley. None of those other grasses can anchor a beer.

But there is one grain that can muscle barley to the side and dominate the ingredient list in a beer. Wheat. Yes, in certain styles wheat might get co-billing on the marquee or even majority attention. As it is summertime, the perfect season for wheat beer, I want to look a little closer at barley’s little sister in this lesson.

Wheat has been with us for thousands of years (along with barley). Earliest evidence of its domestication goes back 9000 years ago in what is now Turkey, although most experts think it was intentionally cultivated long before that. And whenever humans cultivate grain, alcoholic refreshment made from that grain is surely not far behind.

Wheat has always been a part of brewing traditions, going back to the Sumerians. So it is only natural that it continues to be a significant ingredient today.  In fact the oldest brewer operating today is a wheat brewery. Weihenstephan, a former German monastery, has been around since 1040. Sadly, Weihenstephan is not available in Alberta.

Wheat contains much higher proportions of protein than barley, which create complications for mashing and for achieving a clear beer. Also wheat is huskless also presenting malting and mashing concerns. The husks in barley create a natural filter bed, while wheat can get gummed up, messing with the brew day. It is this problematic no-husk quality that likely led brewers to gravitate to barley over time. No beer is 100% wheat, for all the reasons stated above. To be classified as a “wheat beer” it must contain at least 30% wheat and preferably more than 50%. You can get as high as 70% if you want.

Enough pesky science. What does wheat do for a beer? I argue it does three things. First, it alters the flavour, giving a sharper, more earthy sweetness It adds a refreshing edge to a beer, lightening the sweetness and body. Second it assists head retention, allowing for rocky, longstanding heads that give a beer an impressive look. Third, it resists clarification. All that extra protein in wheat hangs around post-fermentation and can create significant cloudiness in beer, if not aggressively filtered. This doesn’t necessarily change the flavour of the beer, although I think it does contribute to the sharper impression a wheat beer leaves.

You will note I didn’t talk about fruitiness, clove, spiciness or any of the other flavours often associated with wheat beer. That is because that is not the wheat talking, but the strains of yeast used to produce wheat beer. If we remember that beer styles evolved and shifted over time, then it makes sense why particular yeasts or other brewing practices have become associated with wheat. Over time brewers learned that some things complimented wheat, others did not.

For example, the light body wheat imparts is well-suited for fruit additions and for gentle spiciness. Big bitterness however, is likely to clash, creating too much harshness.  Consequently wheat beer are always lightly hopped.

There are five broad styles that rely heavily on wheat. First is what most Canadians would associate with wheat beer - American Wheat. Here we see wheat most clearly. The yeast is ordinary, only the malt bill changes.  Grasshopper might be the most well known of this style. Although a more flavourful version is Wild Rose’s Velvet Fog. Often we find American wheats spiked with fruit to create a refreshing summer drink.

Throw a special yeast in that beer however and you get the classic German Weizen. Special yeast produces banana and clove qualities that turn the beer into something unique. Weizen is actually a family of styles, varying by colour, strength and serving appearance, but sharing that fruity, spicy character.

As usual the Belgians go their own route, using unmalted wheat to produce Witbier. They also add orange, coriander and other spices to produce a more citrusy, delicate wheat beer. Hoegaarden is the original Witbier, but you must try Unibroue’s Blanche de Chambly or St. Bernardus’ Wit as more assertive examples.

The last two are officially wheat beer, but grain takes a back seat. Berliner Weisse is low alcohol, sour and, sadly, not available in western Canada. Lambics are also made with a significant portion of wheat. However, after all its spontaneous fermentation, oak aging and inoculation with wild yeasts and bacteria, this intensely tart, complex beer is less about wheat and more about process. Cantillon is the best example possible.

Wheat is perfect for summer because it increases the quenching factor in beer, plus most are light bodied and fresh. So this summer order a wheat ale and tip your glass to barley’s little sister - finally getting the credit she deserves.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 11th, 2010 at 9:51 am and is filed under Beer 101 w/ Jason Foster. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.