Lemon in Hefeweizen

[pickles]

I like lemon in certain american wheats, but no oranges for me; to overpowering.
I've got Franziskaner in my primary now. The only fruit that'll be allowed close to it is the one in SWMBO's corona when we celebrate how delicious my very first AG is (and first Hefe for that matter)!

 

[Jayfro21]

I like lemon in certain american wheats, but no oranges for me; to overpowering.
I've got Franziskaner in my primary now. The only fruit that'll be allowed close to it is the one in SWMBO's corona when we celebrate how delicious my very first AG is (and first Hefe for that matter)!

I would love that clone recipe if you cared to share it! That beer is what started this thread and I loved it!

Jason

 

[rijtjeshuis]

From what I've read, this really comes down to a personal preference thing. There is evidence for either way being traditional.

 

[KBrew75]

Most Hefeweizens I've had have a soapy taste to them. They need a whole lot of lemon to cover up that soapy taste.

 

[barrooze]

Sign me up for a lime!

 

[doctorRobert]

I prefer celery in mine. Like a bloody mary.

 

[Rundownhouse]

I also lived in Bavaria for a bit and again, never saw a lemon in a hef.

Not sure what part of germany you guys were in but I went to bars with germans iand no americans in bavaria (Schweinfurt and surronding areas) always found a lemon in my hefe. The lemon was not added to weizen or a crystal weizen. Maybe it was just me, Gunther, Helmut, and Alex that got the lemon. To clarify this was from 1983 to 1987.

 

[j1laskey]

I like a lemon in my Blue Moon Hefe...

 

[doctorRobert]

I like a lemon in my Blue Moon Hefe...

I also like grapefruit in my hefe's. And by grapefruit I mean hops. And by hefe I mean IPA.

Also, people are using the terms hefe and weizen as if they are different beers. ???????????? Krystal is different yes, but hefeweizen, hefe, weizen, or hefeweißen, of hefeweiss bier. Those are all the same.

And bluemoons a wit!

 

[EoinMag]

As a long time German barman, the only weizen that gets lemon if the customer wishes is a Krystalweizen as others have already said. They also sometimes get a sprinkling of dry rice into them to keep the head, as they generally have worse head retention than hefe weizen.

 

[rodneypierce]

Im a big fan of a slice of lemon in my Hefe. Some say it ruins it, I think it compliments it perfectly.

 

[rijtjeshuis]

As a long time German barman, the only weizen that gets lemon if the customer wishes is a Krystalweizen as others have already said. They also sometimes get a sprinkling of dry rice into them to keep the head, as they generally have worse head retention than hefe weizen.

Taking this thread a little of the topic of lemon... I've never heard of adding dried rice before. I'm curious about this.
How is it added? What beers? Is that a regionally specific thing?

 

[EoinMag]

All the rice does is provide nucleation sites and causes a head to rise, same as sandblasting on the bottom of the glass.

 

[Bruin]

I like a lemon around the rim of my glass of Heff. That's how my very first heff was served to me years ago, and that's the way I like to drink it. I too think it compliments it perfectly. On the other hand, always good to try it both ways and see which you prefer! There is no right answer. Some steak conessiurs think using steak sauce ruins a good steak. I'm one of them. Mainly because my steaks are carefully seasoned or marinated, and I think the sauce kind of ruins the flavor I intended. I'm sure there are Heff fans that feel the same way about us lemon users!

For the record, I've always thought the insertion of fruit into beer was some yuppie crap for people that didn't really like the taste of beer to begin with. When I used to work in liquor stores, I hated Corona because it came it boxes that were printed with cheap ink that would come off on your hands when you handled them. The box tops and bottoms were also fastened closed with big staples, which would lacerate your hand if you weren't careful breaking the boxes down after stocking the shelves. No other beer manufacturer was so annoying. I was totally convinced that Mexicans were pissing in the beer at the factory and laughing at the stupid gringoes drinking it! About the late eighties, I noticed this beer was flying off the shelf and every yuppie D-bag was walking around with a slice of lime in a Corona. I still refuse to engage in such silly behavior. But as I look at my slice of lemon in my glass of heff, I gotta wonder if they were on to something, or were they just trying to make a bottle of urine more palatable...hmmmm.

 

[jamnw]

I am visiting Charleston, SC and I just bought a Growler of a local witbeir after reading this post.
I decided to try the lemon. I usually don't. First drinks without lemon, and it was good.
The lemon seemed to even out some of the flavors. It is not bad. I can take it or leave it.
I have a Hefe in the primary at home, can't wait to try it with/without.