Homebrew Recipe
Wiess
- Method:
- All Grain
- Style:
- Specialty: Historical Beer
- Boil Time:
- 75 min.
- Batch Size:
- 5 gal.
- Boil Size:
- 7 gal.
- Efficiency:
- 65
- Rating:
- Source:
- Brew Your Own
- Source Notes:
- November 2019, Vol. 25, No. 7 page 75. Part of "Extinct German Styles" brew special. The word wiess means "white" in the dialect of the city of Cologne. It is a yeast-turbid, well-hopped, roughly 4% ABV quaffing ale from the late 19th century, made with a substantial portion (up to 20%) of wheat malt. It quickly disappeared from its home turf at the end of the second World War, when it was replaced by the filtered, golden Kolsch, with approximately 5% ABV. Wiess was often matured for up to three months prior to bottling. This is probably the reason why, at the turn of the 20th century, many academics, such as the Berliner Professor Franz Schonfeld often referred to wiess as a "top-fermented, hop-bitter lager beer," which indicates that while it is fermented with a top-fermenting (ale) yeast strain, it is treated like a lager. This beer appears golden blond and slightly turbid. The head is tall and strong. On the palate, this beer has a faint sweetness and some graininess, balanced by a mild acidity. The noble hop aromas come to the fore especially in the finish. Cognoscenti will recognize this beer right after the first sip as a chewier and heftier forerunner of the modern Kolsch.
- Notes:
- Mash-in at 113F; rest 5 minutes; raise temperature to 153F; rest 30 minutes; raise temperature to 162F; rest 15 minutes; raise temperature to mash-out temperature of 172F. Boil 75 minutes, adding hops as indicated. At the end of the boil add the aroma hops and whirlpool for 15 minutes. Chill to the mid-range of your yeast's fermentation temperature, aerate, and pitch yeast. Ferment and then bottle or keg as normal.
Brew Numbers
| OG | FG | ABV | SRM | IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.04 | 1.01 | 3.8 | 4 | 25 |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % Grain Bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lager or Pilsner Malt | 5.3 lbs. | 65.43 |
| Notes: Weyermann Bohemian Floor-Malted Pilsner | ||
| Wheat Malt | 1.8 lbs. | 22.22 |
| Notes: Pale wheat malt | ||
| Crystal Malt 10 | 0.67 lbs. | 8.27 |
| Notes: Weyermann Carahell malt | ||
| Acidulated Malt | 0.33 lbs. | 4.07 |
| Total: | 8.10 lbs. | |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Boil Time | Use | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spalt | 0.95 oz. | 60 | Boil | 3.4 |
| Notes: 3.2 AAU | ||||
| Hersbruker | 3 oz. | 0 | Steep | 2.3 |
| Notes: 6.9 AAU at knockout | ||||
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hersbruker | 3 oz. |
| Spalt | 0.95 oz. |
Mash Steps
| Step | Name | Temp | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Step Mash | 113 | 5 | All Grain |
| 2 | Step Mash | 153 | 30 | All Grain |
| 3 | Step Mash | 162 | 15 | All Grain |
| 4 | Step Mash | 172 | 10 | All Grain |