yup its a great beer, lots of cloves. Will Carling tried one years ago on tv and said it tasted like anti-septic. (don't let that put you off - it was Will C after all.)
Beer of the Month (December 2018)
- Thread starter braziliain
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How about making January's beer the winner from the world cup, assuming it's not too difficult to get hold of?
That’s a good shout. Second round matches are looking really close.
braziliain
Small Batch Brewer
Weihenstephaner recommend serving between 6-8°C.
Hefe is German for yeast (Yeast Wheat Beer is the full translation) and the instructions I saw for brewing Hefe Weiss are that it needs next to no conditioning time, so I would assume you are meant to rouse the yeast on this one.
Hi!
I've seen Germans pouring all but the last bit into the glass and rolling the bottle on the bar top before pouring it quickly into the glass.
The shape of the glass is important - it's designed to hold the massive foam without overspill.
Don't forget to rinse the glass with cold water first.
I've seen Germans pouring all but the last bit into the glass and rolling the bottle on the bar top before pouring it quickly into the glass.
The shape of the glass is important - it's designed to hold the massive foam without overspill.
Don't forget to rinse the glass with cold water first.
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
Ajhutch
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I had a Weinstephanenenen Weiss tonight. I’m travelling on business and picked one up in a bottle shop in Vienna.
My thoughts:
The aroma is a banana bomb. Sweet, almost haribo candy banana. I like it but I can imagine some wouldn’t! Bright yellow colour and fairly hazy as you would expect. The flavour I felt was more balanced than the aroma with some spicy notes alongside the banana. It’s all about the yeast character really, malt is supporting only and hop is basically absent. Where I really think this beer was fantastic compared to say the Franziskanser you can get in every supermarket is the mouthfeel. It’s highly carbonated but the mouthfeel is incredibly soft, almost pillowy. That must be to do with the water I guess. It was a really enjoyable beer.
As an aside, if you ever find yourself in Vienna, check this place out. Absolutely amazing selection of beers. https://www.beerlovers.at/
My thoughts:
The aroma is a banana bomb. Sweet, almost haribo candy banana. I like it but I can imagine some wouldn’t! Bright yellow colour and fairly hazy as you would expect. The flavour I felt was more balanced than the aroma with some spicy notes alongside the banana. It’s all about the yeast character really, malt is supporting only and hop is basically absent. Where I really think this beer was fantastic compared to say the Franziskanser you can get in every supermarket is the mouthfeel. It’s highly carbonated but the mouthfeel is incredibly soft, almost pillowy. That must be to do with the water I guess. It was a really enjoyable beer.
As an aside, if you ever find yourself in Vienna, check this place out. Absolutely amazing selection of beers. https://www.beerlovers.at/
I am drinking a bottle of this now, not to my taste i'm afraid.
I've led a pretty sheltered life when it comes to beer, mainly just sticking to british beers, it's only the last few years since taking up brewing that I've starting exploring further afield, there are quite a few styles now that I've never had a commercial version of, just a self brewed version of that style,mainly from greg hughes book.
Was really looking forward to trying this beer, it sounds great and has an interesting history and was something that I had considered brewing. Taste wise i'm getting the cloves but not banana (I've never tasted banana in a beer even in the commercial Belgian beers I've tried) I like the mouthfeel very soft. Aroma and taste reminds me very much of a saison i brewed which is also not exactly to My tastes but I'm slowly getting through the keg.
Not so awful I couldn't drink it (who am I kidding, I will drink anything) and I've finished the glass whilst typing this, but at least I now know not to bother brewing 23 litres of the stuff.
Here's hoping that next month's beer of the month is more to my taste, I love the concept and want to keep exploring new beers.
I'm off to the garage now to wash my mouth out with a nice pint of English bitter.
I've led a pretty sheltered life when it comes to beer, mainly just sticking to british beers, it's only the last few years since taking up brewing that I've starting exploring further afield, there are quite a few styles now that I've never had a commercial version of, just a self brewed version of that style,mainly from greg hughes book.
Was really looking forward to trying this beer, it sounds great and has an interesting history and was something that I had considered brewing. Taste wise i'm getting the cloves but not banana (I've never tasted banana in a beer even in the commercial Belgian beers I've tried) I like the mouthfeel very soft. Aroma and taste reminds me very much of a saison i brewed which is also not exactly to My tastes but I'm slowly getting through the keg.
Not so awful I couldn't drink it (who am I kidding, I will drink anything) and I've finished the glass whilst typing this, but at least I now know not to bother brewing 23 litres of the stuff.
Here's hoping that next month's beer of the month is more to my taste, I love the concept and want to keep exploring new beers.
I'm off to the garage now to wash my mouth out with a nice pint of English bitter.
braziliain
Small Batch Brewer
Nevermind Honk, trying it and disliking it is just as valid as trying it and loving it. This thread is all about sharing a cabin on this intrepid voyage of beer discovery!
I have purchased a bottle from The House of Trembling Madness in York but haven't cracked it open yet .
I have purchased a bottle from The House of Trembling Madness in York but haven't cracked it open yet .
I've just had my bottle. Particularly interested as I have an AG hefe kit to brew next.
Appearance probably 3/5 for me. Beautifully clear beer with a rich colour is sexy beer as far as I'm concerned. Naturally this is cloudy so loses points but has a rich honey colour and a thick head to pick things up again.
Taste is probably a 2.5/5 for me. I get the fruitiness initially which gives way to a creamy sweetness of beer, with a lingering spice. Didn't get clove specifically but then everyone's tastebuds are different. Otherwise lacked complexity - seemed just a bit one dimensional. Mouth feel was full of body and smooth but too much carbonation overall for my liking. Think I'll under carb my one.
Enjoyable but I've had better wheat beers. Carbonation levels mean I could only drink one or two.
I have another bottle to try when I brew mine so will be interesting if my views change on this or the home brewed version. Glad to have tried this though.
Appearance probably 3/5 for me. Beautifully clear beer with a rich colour is sexy beer as far as I'm concerned. Naturally this is cloudy so loses points but has a rich honey colour and a thick head to pick things up again.
Taste is probably a 2.5/5 for me. I get the fruitiness initially which gives way to a creamy sweetness of beer, with a lingering spice. Didn't get clove specifically but then everyone's tastebuds are different. Otherwise lacked complexity - seemed just a bit one dimensional. Mouth feel was full of body and smooth but too much carbonation overall for my liking. Think I'll under carb my one.
Enjoyable but I've had better wheat beers. Carbonation levels mean I could only drink one or two.
I have another bottle to try when I brew mine so will be interesting if my views change on this or the home brewed version. Glad to have tried this though.
Will try and find a bottle of this during the week, great thread.
strange-steve
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You'll find it in sainsbury, even in NI, I picked one up last week.
braziliain
Small Batch Brewer
Tonight is the night for me. I have a door to paint, then my bottle of Weihenstephaner will be my reward! 
braziliain
Small Batch Brewer
Well I finished the door in double quick time with the promise of my Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier in my mind.
Poured as per the video above and it came out hazy orange with a frothy brilliant white head that actually dissipated quite quickly. I possibly served this up a little too cold but I was too impatient to let it warm up. I don't have a Weizen Vase, so had to make do with an Olde English cider pint glass!
My first thoughts when I took a whiff were creamy, clean, banana, Belgian style yeast with the a hint of... orange? I got a smell that I often describe to myself as a sticky malt sweetness but I'm sure there is a proper descriptor for that that I'm too stupid to think of (toffee possibly??).
When it comes to taste, the yeast is the star of the show. The bitterness is very subtle and I think the high carbonation adds to the perception of bitterness a touch. As the bubbles and the bitterness fade, there is a slight spice. Clove? I'm not really sure I know what a clove tastes like. It makes you go back for more though.
Highly carbonated and very refreshing. I actually sank this in less than 10 minutes and I am usually the guy everyone is moaning at to shut up and finish their drink!
I drank a couple of Blue Moon down the pub last weekend and for me, this is much better. I could drink these all afternoon and come the summertime I might sell do!
The bottle says that it contains Water, Wheat Malt, Barley Malt, Hops, Yeast. So they don't give much away. I'd love to have a go at brewing a keg of something similar for when the wood fired pizza oven comes out in the spring. Recipe anyone? Has anyone captured the yeast?
Edit: Oh and that's this year's sloe gin in the picture too that I have just bottled.
Poured as per the video above and it came out hazy orange with a frothy brilliant white head that actually dissipated quite quickly. I possibly served this up a little too cold but I was too impatient to let it warm up. I don't have a Weizen Vase, so had to make do with an Olde English cider pint glass!
My first thoughts when I took a whiff were creamy, clean, banana, Belgian style yeast with the a hint of... orange? I got a smell that I often describe to myself as a sticky malt sweetness but I'm sure there is a proper descriptor for that that I'm too stupid to think of (toffee possibly??).
When it comes to taste, the yeast is the star of the show. The bitterness is very subtle and I think the high carbonation adds to the perception of bitterness a touch. As the bubbles and the bitterness fade, there is a slight spice. Clove? I'm not really sure I know what a clove tastes like. It makes you go back for more though.
Highly carbonated and very refreshing. I actually sank this in less than 10 minutes and I am usually the guy everyone is moaning at to shut up and finish their drink!
I drank a couple of Blue Moon down the pub last weekend and for me, this is much better. I could drink these all afternoon and come the summertime I might sell do!
The bottle says that it contains Water, Wheat Malt, Barley Malt, Hops, Yeast. So they don't give much away. I'd love to have a go at brewing a keg of something similar for when the wood fired pizza oven comes out in the spring. Recipe anyone? Has anyone captured the yeast?
Edit: Oh and that's this year's sloe gin in the picture too that I have just bottled.
Last edited:
MmmBeer
Brewer
Opened my bottle tonight. Immediately got both cloves and banana, but more like the foam banana sweets than the fruit. First I poured all but the last half inch and drank half like that, then swirled bottle and tipped remnants, yeast and all in. This mellowed the flavours, whilst adding the slight yeast taste.
Overall, interesting, but didn't find it particularly refreshing, so don't think I will try again.
Overall, interesting, but didn't find it particularly refreshing, so don't think I will try again.
strange-steve
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I had this earlier this evening. I didn't have time to do a full review, but this is probably my favourite hefeweizen, nicely balanced between banana and clove, a lovely bready wheatiness, very smooth and extremely drinkable. This is a bit more elegant than Franziskaner which is still a great beer but doesn't quite have the drinkability of this.
Oneflewover
Landlord.
Managed to track one down today, eventually. Passed a Sainsbury's in a neighbouring town and picked one up.
i don't imagine it would be too hard to grow up this yeast from a bottle but it's also available commercially as wyeast 3068. I did see a few recipes online or Greg hughes weissbier might be a good starting point. In the book brewing classic styles they recommend fermentation at just 17 degrees C for this yeast to get the right balance of cloves and banana flavours.
Not a beer i now intend to brew but I did do some reading up before trying a bottle.
braziliain
Small Batch Brewer
I've been collecting parts for a DIY stir plate for a while. This might be the push that I need. Hopefully I get something in a suitable reusable box for Christmas. I enjoyed the first bottle of WHW so much I actually bought another the other day from Sainsbos :)
HoppyTommy
Junior Member
"As much yeast in the glass as possible" reminds me of the time my Uni mates stayed at my house the night before my wedding (without me). I told them to help themselves to as much bottled home brew as they wanted. They'd seen me carefully pour from the bottle and shake the remaining beer and sediment before pouring it out of the bottle. One guy was insistent that this was used to give the head. Little did he know it was the bit I poured down the sink. They all had about 6 pints complete with all the sediment and large Indian takeaway. The following day they rocked up to church all mightily distended and unable to move without breaking wind!!!! The smell at the back of the church was eye watering.
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