The Lost Colony Brewery makes British-style ales. When we decided to do a wheat beer there was no style guide. Germany and Belgium seem to have the franchise on wheat beers. The British do use wheat in their beer but only for head retention and body/mouthfeel, not flavor. Here are some wheat styles;
Hefeweizen -This ale hails from the land of lagers, but it is packed with surprising flavors you will never find elsewhere. Using an authentic hefeweizen yeast strain is a must, as they provide the clove and banana notes that hefeweizen is known for. Cloudy, tart, soft, full-bodied, fruity. Hefeweizen is traditionally served with the yeast mixed in.
Dunkelweizen -The Dunkelweizen is a close counterpart to the Hefeweizen but brings in some darker grains to make a reddish-brown color and lend some malt intensity.
Weizenbock -A German wheat beer brewed to higher alcohol levels, with intense malt flavors. The same banana and clove yeast character, with occasional tartness or fruity characteristics, that can be found in a Hefeweizen,
Witbier -Witbier, Belgium's idiosyncratic wheat beer, is an inventive alternative to the German Hefeweizen. The yeast in Witbier imbues more fruit than clove flavors. It is commonly brewed with spices, usually coriander and orange peel.
American Wheat Beer -The American style of wheat beer is derived from the German tradition, but greatly tones down the influence of the yeast. The use of neutral yeast removes the usual clove and banana flavors and keeps the beer crisp, with a bit of hop bitterness not found in other wheat beers.
We are going with a “British” variation of our own. We will use one hundred percent British Isle ingredients.
Wheat will make up fifty percent of the recipe. The other fifty percent will be I light base malt from Ireland. We want an easy-drinking light summer beer.
Our yeast will be our British strain eliminating the clove and banana flavors but adding some light fruit.
Hops will be English stains of Fuggles and Challenger.
Any brewer trying to add coriander and/or orange peel will be flogged and sent to a dry monastic bakery to study biscotti making.
