Baron Von Kessler's Hefeweizen

5-Gallon All-Grain Homebrew Recipe

THE CHARACTER

Baron von Kessler has opinions. About the proper temperature for serving wheat beer (seven to eight degrees Celsius, no exceptions). About the correct glass (a Weizenglas, obviously — what are you, a peasant?). About the angle of the pour (forty-five degrees, then straighten, then wait, then finish — and God help you if you rush it). He is refined. He is particular. He is, by his own admission, slightly eccentric. He is also the most generous man at the bar. His monocle falls off when he laughs, which is often. His Hefeweizen is brewed in strict accordance with Bavarian tradition — wheat, barley, water, yeast, and nothing else. The Reinheitsgebot exists for a reason, and the Baron will explain that reason to you at length whether you asked or not.

THE STYLE

Hefeweizen — literally "yeast wheat" in German — is Bavaria's signature wheat beer and one of the most distinctive styles in the world. The style dates back to at least the 15th century in southern Germany, where it was originally brewed exclusively by the Bavarian royal family under a monopoly known as the "Weissbierrecht" — the right to brew wheat beer. This royal privilege existed because wheat was a valuable bread grain, and its use in brewing was considered too extravagant for commoners. The monopoly was eventually relaxed, and by the 17th century, Georg Schneider was granted the first non-royal license to brew wheat beer in Munich — his brewery, Schneider Weisse, still operates today. 

 Hefeweizen is brewed with at least 50% malted wheat and fermented with a specific strain of Bavarian wheat beer yeast that produces the style's signature banana (isoamyl acetate) and clove (4-vinyl guaiacol) character. The beer is traditionally unfiltered — "hefe" means yeast — resulting in its characteristic cloudy, hazy appearance. This is the ONE beer in the Duffy & Ward lineup where haze is not just acceptable — it is MANDATORY.