What's in a wheat?

Why is wheat beer so delicious and perfect for those hot summer afternoons when all you want to do is relax with a good cigar and a cool drink? It has something to do with that bready, yeasty flavor that the wheat malt and left-in yeast imparts, sure. But is there more? Of course!

The yeast is the most important factor here. It gives the beer that sweetness and smooth fullness without being too heavy. It's also the source of those tasty esters isoamyl acetate and 2-methylbutyl acetate (banana) and the clove-like aroma from 4-vinyl guaiacol.

The thing to remember here is that in top-fermenting wheat beer yeasts, the enzymes that generate sweet, fruity banana flavors are most active ~65-75 degrees Fahrenheit and the ones that generate clove aromas are most active ~70-55 degrees Fahrenheit. 70 degrees is considered a pleasant balance for simple brews, but the nice part about homebrew is that it's all up to you! I myself will be leaning heavily on the banana side because of the trouble I've had with keeping the brew cool enough, which is dangerous in its own right; higher temperatures increase the probablitily of autolysis, which breaks yeast cells and adds off-flavors to the beer. Ice and a splash pad do wonders, though, so we will see if I can get the temperature to stabilize out to a hair over 70. Apr. 10 Edit: Good news! The weather got cooler and lowered the humidity quite a bit, so the brew is 70 without any extra fiddling.

Fun fact: the term 'enzyme' actually comes from the Greek for yeast! Eduard Buchner won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1907 when he demonstrated that some chemical was still active (and could ferment) even when yeast cells had been broken apart. He called it an 'enzyme' for 'in yeast.' How's that for brewing's influence on science?

Aaaand wheat beer yeasts are kinder to the stomach (or at least a case study involving mine does), even when they are alive. Most commercial wheat beers actually add dead yeast once the beer is brewed and carbonated so that only exactly as much yeast as is pleasant is drunk. We can do the same thing with our brews, but it's more complicated and not really worth the time, especially since the flavor tends to be only slightly different.

Glassware! Glassware is always important, but with wheat beer is it especially so because of the aroma profile. Wheat beer must be experienced with a wheat beer glass, which is long and slim with an almost tulip shape to the top. The shape is such that bubbles take a long time getting to the top, so they keep a pleasant, thick head and the beer stays fresh and spritzy. The curve also helps concentrate that aroma profile we worked so hard to make.

Before drinking, the beer is cool but not cold (because the esters won't come out of the beer if it's too cold), maybe 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The glass is rinsed with cold water and filled at a 45 degree angle, straightening as the bottle empties. The settled yeast is usually dropped right on top of the by-then thick head which just crests your glass. Yum!

So now we have our wheat beer: it can be dark or light depending on the wheat malt used, it's lightly but nobly hopped, estery, the yeast clouds it, and it's smooth and cool. It's time to take that first lovely sip of the cooling afternoon. Cheers!