Wheat Beers

Wheat beers are beers that are brewed with both malted barley and malted wheat, rather than using just barley. The addition of wheat will lend wheat beers a lighter flavor and somewhat paler color than most all barley ales and beers. Wheat beer is normally top fermented, which is fermentation with ale yeast.

All types of wheat beers have become very popular in the last several years, especially in warm weather. In earlier centuries, the brewing of wheat beer was illegal in many places, simply because wheat was too important as both bread and cereal to waste it with brewing beers.

The two most important varieties of wheat beers are Belgian and German.

Belgian Belgian wheat beers are easily the best known, as they get their name from the suspended wheat proteins which give it the whitish color. Belgian white beers often have spices such as coriander or orange peels added, which help to give them a hint of fruity flavor.

German German wheat beer is a well known variation through the southern part of the country. The German yeast wheat is a variety in which the yeast isn't filtered out. The filtration will take the yeast out, and also strips wheat proteins which will make it appear cloudy.

A lot of microbrewers in the United States as well as Canada that make their own variations of wheat beer, which is particularly popular in Portland Oregon, which is considered to be the beer capital.

In Europe, wheat beer is normally served in special types of wheat beer glasses. In Belgium they are normally solid glasses. Other countries will take half a liter, in which the glasses are normally tall and slim, tapering slightly towards the base.

In the United States, wheat beer is normally served with a slice of lemon.