What’s So Great About Wheat Beer? How to Make It At Home
Beer is beer, right? Wrong! There are many different kinds of beer. They can differ in brand, flavor, and even in ingredients! Though most beer is traditionally made from barley, a common alteration is wheat beer. When wheat beer is made, the majority of the barley used to make the beer is replaced with barley. This results in a completely different taste—and a completely different process is involved when you make wheat beer at home!
A Different Kind of Beer
Before you learn how to make wheat beer at home, you should verify that wheat beer is the kind of beer you would like to make. Wheat beer, also known as white beer, used to be very popular throughout Europe, but its popularity declined at the beginning of the century. In recent years, it has begun to increase in popularity once again.
The main difference between wheat beer and other kinds of beers is in the taste. Wheat beer is much lighter than other kinds of beers. The flavors are rarely malty or bitter; instead, they can range from lemon to coffee to fruit flavors. Wheat beers, which can sometimes be served with a lemon, are also lighter in color than other beers, and they might sometimes appear cloudy.
Home Is Where The Beer Is
If you want to learn how to make wheat beer at home, then there is no need to worry about difficulty. The process for how to make wheat beer at home is just as easy—if not easier—than brewing other beers at home. The only thing that is different is a few ingredients—other than that, you can use a modern beer recipe to make your own wheat beer at home.
The ingredients you will need to make wheat beer at home are: a brew kit, wheat extract or middlings, sanitizing equipment, and brewery equipment. After sterilizing all of your equipment, begin by deciding how much wheat and how much barley you will use in your beer. Typically, wheat beer is anywhere from 30% to 60% wheat. Next, boil the amount of water specified in the recipe you are using, and add the malt. Add the hops and allow the mixture to boil for one hour.
Remove the boiling mixture from the heat and quickly cool it by placing it in a stopped sink filled with cold water. Add the yeast and tightly seal the container, so that the mixture can ferment for two weeks. Add priming sugar so that the beer can be carbonated, and then let it sit for another two weeks. When you are finished, chill and serve!
A Rare Attempt
Though learning how to make wheat beer at home is by no means difficult, it is one of the least common beers out there. Many people don’t think of wheat beer when they decide to brew their own beers. Yet, wheat beer is increasing in popularity, and knowing how to make it could serve you well in many future situations.
