Beer Viking
Beer Lover
I have been wondering how come Germany has traditional hefeweissbiers which are made from wheat instead of barley, yet it has had the German purity law since 1516? Do ales not count under the law as they are top fermenting?
How were hefeweissbiers brewed under the German purity law?
- Thread starter Beer Viking
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The law has been modified over the years and as early as the mid 1500s wheat was allowed... more specifically “malted grains”. Yeast was also recognized and added later too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot
The Reinheitsgebot came out of Bavaria in the 1400s, but Germany wasn’t a unified country at that time. As Bavaria grew, the law grew as well to its areas. Still, until recently (1880s and later) it applied only to the areas that were in that zone.
Still there were so many exceptions that it really didn’t mean as much as we today believe it did. I can’t remember some of the history I learned from a German beer tour, but as other regions became a part of the unified country, there were exceptions made for wheat beers, top fermented beers, spice beers like wits, etc.
Still there were so many exceptions that it really didn’t mean as much as we today believe it did. I can’t remember some of the history I learned from a German beer tour, but as other regions became a part of the unified country, there were exceptions made for wheat beers, top fermented beers, spice beers like wits, etc.
OP
OP
Beer Viking
Beer Lover
Well that explains that, thanks guys!
The Reinheitsgebot was conceived as a public safety measure to prevent less scrupulous brewers from including unsafe and often bizarre ingredients to either cut costs, add flavor and/or boost ABV. At the same time, by dictating that only barley could be used, it excluded wheat in order to prevent the beer industry from competing with the food industry for the limited supply of wheat. This was a protective measure to the monarchy; let people starve for lack of bread and the crown would soon become a noose. However, licenses to brew with wheat could be obtained and were granted to breweries that were either politically connected to the monarchy or outright owned by it, creating a monopoly over the production of Weissbiers, which were in high demand at that time.
I'd cite a source but this is my recollection of a few different things I've read. Take it with a grain of salt.
I'd cite a source but this is my recollection of a few different things I've read. Take it with a grain of salt.
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