A cloudy, unfiltered style of
weizen native to
Germany. Hefeweizen is generally lighter in colour and has a full body and medium
alcohol content - around 5-6%
ABV. The use of
weizen yeast to ferment the
wort means that hefeweizen is cloudier than other types of
bottle conditioned beer and to fans of hefeweizen this is a good thing. The "hefe" (yeast) has its own flavour as well as contributing banana and spice flavours to the rest of the beer. If you like
weizen but would rather not drink the yeast there exists
kristall weizen which you might prefer. The use of
wheat malt makes the beer a taste often described as "crisp" and refreshing, but without compromising the complexity as in the manner of many
pilsners.
Like other
weizen, hefeweizen has large amounts of head and is very effervescent. Hefeweizen is considered an
ale.
To pour a hefeweizen, the sediment should be undisturbed when the bottle is opened. The clear beer should be
decanted from the top into the glass, and care should be taken to pour slowly into a tilted glass so no head is produced. Once there is approximately 150ml left, the bottle should be shaken - side to side so as not to spill - and then poured straight into the glass, providing a generous head and letting the yeast sediment to cloud the entire drink. The more the bottle is shaken, the more head is produced. The "correct" amount of head is really a matter for personal preference, and local standards vary.
Hefeweizen is generally labelled as such. Good, widely available hefeweizen beers are brewed by
breweries including
Weihenstephanerer and
Schöfferhofer.