Witbier = Belgian, Coriander and Orange Peel. It, too, is a top-fermented beer and is generally served unfiltered leaving the yeast in a semi-suspension imparting a cloudy or hazy appearance to the beer. I was looking to see if someone else was going to mention raw/torrified wheat in the bill. Here's the 2015 Guidelines for the 2 styles: In addition to everything else mentioned in this thread, witbiers generally use unmalted wheat, while hefeweizens use malted wheat. … I don't know why the BJCP never html'd their latest style guides, but thankfully the community has done it. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Therefore, the Belgians had to experiment with ingredients other than hops. The below details are a summary of what you should expect from a weissbier Wit- Belgian in origin, brewed with a unique Witbier yeast strain, usually brewed with coriander and orange peel as spicing American Wheat- early craft brewers take on a Hefeweizen, they use an american yeast strain, the result is usually a pretty bland beer (widmer & Pyramid) unless you hop it to hell (gumballhead & little sumpin' sumpin') Weissbier Vs Witbier After a discussion we had with some friends on white beers and basically if there are differences between Wit Beer and HefeWeizen we attempt to give a brief description of both so you will end up with your own conclusions . A subreddit to discuss your favorite beers and breweries, and share beer related articles. They are similar beer styles but they are definitely very different in taste if you're used to either or both. Press J to jump to the feed. The Weizenbock is typcially a strong (Starkbier or “strong beer”) beverage enjoyed during the cold winter months; it can also be referred to as Weizenstarkbier (literal translation: “Wheat Strong Beer”). Depends on the brewery. Belgian Witbier. Try pairing hefeweizen with hearty frittatas and leafy green salads spiked with citrus segments and nuts. Weissbiers are top-fermented as required by The Bavarian purity law and specialized strains of yeast are added to produce the banana, clove and apple notes that are common to the style. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Fun fact: There are so many beer styles that fit under the wheat beer umbrella -- Hefeweizen, Berliner Weisse, Belgian Witbier to name a few -- but one thing that unifies all these styles is that they're made with wheat malt as well as barley malt. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. After a discussion we had with some friends on white beers and basically if there are differences between Wit Beer and HefeWeizen we attempt to give a brief description of both so you will end up with your own conclusions . Surprisingly, chamomile is the third most common ingredients in Wittes beside curacao peel and corriander. Edit: It's obviously a joke on the reputation of that brand. 5. Since it’s an unfiltered, top-fermented beer, it continues to ferment after bottling. They are similar. Visit Cyprus Beer Maniacs's profile on Pinterest. Some popular Weiss Beers are: Erdinger, HB Weiss, Franziskaner Weissbier, Is very similar to the Weissbier but is brewed primarily in Belgium and the Netherlands. Also worth noting that hefewizens will always be brewed with hops, and witbiers won't, often using Gruit instead. The main thing you'd get in a wit is that spiciness and maybe the hint of lactic. Belgian Witbier, or "white beer", have no regulation for wheat content, but usually contain around the same. This style originated without … Hefe is more of a subset of Weißbier, it lacks that sharpness and sourness and the yeast and grain flavours are at the forefront. It's also usually unfiltered and poured with the yeast. “Hefe” means yeast in German and “Weizen” means wheat, so traditionally, a Hefeweizen refers to an unfiltered wheat beer with yeast in it. Belgian Witbier, or "white beer", have no regulation for wheat content, but usually contain around the same. While the Reinheitsgebot has long since been replaced by the Provisional German Beer Law, many German breweries still abide by the standards set forth in it. Quality content encouraged. I've also never tasted that banana flavor in wits that you often get in hefeweizens. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Both beers are made from wheat, predominately. It's also usually unfiltered and poured with the yeast. Some popular Wit Beers are Hoegaarden, Brugs Witbier. Belgian yeast tends to be phenolic, meaning it's more "zesty" or "spicy". HuffPost is part of Verizon Media. But that's just my €0,02. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. The hefeweizen yeast is what gives this beer its lovey banana and clove notes. (The filtered version is called a Kristalweiss.) Is a specialty Bavarian beer in which a not-insignificant portion of the malted barley is replaced with a different cereal: malted wheat. The Witbier (White beer) is very similar to the Weissbier but is brewed primarily in Belgium. They taste similar since their both wheat beers, but I've never had them side-by-side. The modern Witbier is descended from those experiments and replaces hops with gruit – a mixture of coriander, orange, hops and bitter orange – resulting in a much less hoppy and slightly fruitier beer. Wit uses raw or torrified wheat. Also, most witbiers have other adjuncts brewed with it - Corriander and orange peel are the usually suspects, but there's a lot more variation. There are sub-categories of the Weissbier also. In my mind they are a completely different category. The Kristallweiss, on the other end of the spectrum, is heavily filtered resulting in a very clear beer. In the Hefewiezen, the yeast is not filtered out which creates a thick, white cloudy appearance. White beer, witbier, as it is called in Belgium is a unfiltered, top fermented, bottle conditioned wheat beer. I realize that one has Belgian origins while the other is German, but other than that I don't really know much. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CZECH, GERMAN, AND AMERICAN PILSNER. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. I never actually knew what made a kristalweiss different before now. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. If you were to attempt to create a classic hefe with anything other than a weizen yeast, you would not have a true hefeweizen. In Germany, Hefeweizen (or “Weissbier”) has a long history. And it’s the wheat that defines it – Hefeweizens are top-fermented and use significant amounts of malted wheat. The hefeweizen yeast is what gives this beer its lovey banana and clove notes. Hefeweizen’s lightly sweet, fruity, and effervescent flavor profile makes it ideal for pairing with milder cheeses like mozzarella, German sausages, egg dishes, and fresh fruit and vegetables. The Weizen Eisbock uses a freezing process similar to that used in an Eisbock to remove some of the water thus concentrating the result. I enjoy both styles, but I typically find myself liking the hefes more than the wits and I'm not totally sure why. Also popular in Bavaria is the dunkles Hefeweiss (Dunkelweizen elsewhere in the world). For instance, the most common type of Weissbier in the U.S. is the Hefeweizen widely known as “Hefe“. Style Profile & Characteristics. A similar law existed in 14th Century France (Belgium was at the time, a French territory) outlawing the use of hops in beer. The last two sub-varieties of the Weissbierare the Weizenbock and the Weizen Eisbock. "Hefe" meaning yeast and "weizen" meaning wheat. (The filtered version is called a Kristalweiss.). As far as I'm concerned they're really different. This is more or less what I would post as well. This beer is brewed with very dark malts and results in a very dark, bready beer. I live in the Netherlands, so I have easy access to both. Hefe and Wit are both wheat beers.