what is the difference in wheat beer??

[bigler-bier]

Hello Everyone!
I live in Zermatt, Switzerland and there is no breweries here.. So, I thought I should give it a go. I started with this Brooklyn Brew set making 1 gallon batches and I'm now starting with 5 gallon fermenters.. I have tons of questions about different beer types. As I speak with people everyone apparently knows the difference…
What I want to make is good Weizen beer or Wheat Beer. With the Brooklyn Brew shop kit I got a mix to make a Summer Wheat Beer and it came out really nice. Is that a Weizen Beer???
What is the difference between Ale, Weizen, Hefe Weizen, Blonde, Stout, Pilsner, Amber, IPA????

I can see the difference in color but as far as the process, what makes them different from each??? Are they all Ales?? Are Weizen beers just wheat beers?

So, I'm looking for a good simple Wheat/Weizen beer for my first 5 gallon batch. Found one on here already here called Belgian Witbier… Is that a Weizen or is it only a Weizen when its German style???

Cheers!

 

[unionrdr]

Different styles of beer use different malts to give them their color & flavor. The yeasts used have esters that compliment the style. Besides making them either ales or lagers. Ales ferment at warmer temps than lagers. Hefeweizen is a German name/style that has a nectar/floral hint to them. Some others have banana esters from the yeast. Other wheat ales, like Franziskaner are clean tasting with no flavors from the yeast esters. English styles have a yeast ester that gives a non-descript fruitiness. American styles are generally cleaner when it comes to yeast esters, but have more hop flavors.

 

[mxstar21]

My best advice is to check out the BJCP guidelines. They have an app or you can google it. Will tell you everything you need to know about the many styles of beer. The iPod/iPad apps are pretty handy.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[hunter_le five]

Different grains/hops/yeasts used in different combinations create different styles.

"Ale" is a broad classification of beers fermented on the warmer end of the temperature spectrum using top-cropping yeast that includes but is not limited to hefeweizens, stouts, porters, bitters, altbiers, kolsches, pale ales, IPAs, saisons, etc....

"wheat beer" in itself encompasses a whole spectrum of ales, including hefeweizens and many others. The common denominator is that they all contain a large amount of wheat in the grain bill.

Most beer styles tend to be predominantly made with malted barley, but rye, wheat, corn, rice, and other grains are common as well. Barley in itself can be malted/roasted/kilned in a variety of ways that result in different flavor contributions and thus different beer styles.

Sounds like you have a lot of reading to do to sort it all out. The BJCP is a good place to start, as has been mentioned.

 

[mmb]

I can see the difference in color but as far as the process, what makes them different from each??? Are they all Ales?? Are Weizen beers just wheat beers?

So, I'm looking for a good simple Wheat/Weizen beer for my first 5 gallon batch. Found one on here already here called Belgian Witbier… Is that a Weizen or is it only a Weizen when its German style???

Cheers!

The difference between an American Wheat Beer, a German Weizen, and a Belgian Witbier are going to be, mainly, down to the yeast used. Different basemalts are going to be based on regional availability and historical use but the major factor between a Wit, Weizen, and American Wheat are the yeast profiles.

 

[bigler-bier]

Alright! Thanks a lot for the info! I'll definitely check out the BJCP.
Cheers!!!!