Specialty
Beers
Here
are a few of the more popular specialty beers. Most of these
types can be faithfully reproduced in your own home.
Weizenbier
(Weissbier) – Weizen is the German word for
wheat. Weizenbier is an ale made wheat. The German word weiss
means white. This ale, is a golden color but is cloudy and
sometimes casts a whitish appearance. Don’t worry about
it being cloudy, it won’t hurt you! A Weizenbier is
a very refreshing, effervescent beer. The taste has hints
of cloves and banana. If when bottling, a little yeast is
added, the Weizenbier is referred to as a Hefeweizen. “Hefe”
means yeast. A Weizenbier has to have at least 50% wheat malt
to be considered a Weizenbier. Many times, a Weizenbier is
enjoy with a twist of lemon. Try this light bodied, spicy
beer in the summertime.
OG
(Original Gravity): 1.046–1.056
FG (Finished Gravity): 1.008–1.016
IBU’s (International Bittering Units): 10-15
SRM (Standard Reference Method): 3-9
Alcohol (% by volume): 5.0-5.6
Examples: Brauerei Weihenstephan’s Weihenstephaner Hefeweisbier,
Hacker-Pschorr Brau’s Hacker-Pschorr Weisse
Smoked
Beer – One of the more unusual beers is the
smoked beer. In Bamberg Germany this style is very popular
and referred to as Rauchbier. In this style, a brewer will
fires his malt over a wood fire and lets the smoke absorb
into the grains. This imbues a smoky character in the taste
of the brew. Many homebrew recipes call for duplicating this
smoky taste with liquid smoke. A Porter is a good beer for
making a smoked beer because of its high malt, low hop ratio.
OG
(Original Gravity): 1.048-1.052
FG (Finished Gravity): 1.012–1.016
IBU’s (International Bittering Units): 20-30
SRM (Standard Reference Method): 10-20
Alcohol (% by volume): 4.3-4.8
Examples: Alaskan Brewing Co.’s Alaskan Smoked Porter,
Stone Brewing Co.’s Stone Smoked Porter
Fruit/Vegetable
Beer – Adding fruit to beer is a relatively
new concept in America. However, in Belgium this has been
done for centuries. Just about any beer can have fruit extracts
or syrups added and they are readily available at homebrew
supply shops. With fruit or vegetable beers, there’s
no telling what you might find because the different recipes
are so varied.
OG
(Original Gravity): ?
FG (Finished Gravity): ?
IBU’s (International Bittering Units): ?
SRM (Standard Reference Method): ?
Alcohol (% by volume): ?
Examples: New Glarus Brewing Co.’s Wisconsin Belgian
Red, Weyerbacher Brewing Co.’s Raspberry Imperial Stout
Herb/Spice
Beer – Herb or Spiced Beer is very similar
to Fruit Beers in that it’s a fairly new trend for American
brewers. With the amount of spices available, there are a
myriad of recipes to satisfy any urge. As in Fruit Beer, any
type of beer can be used as a base for selected herbs or spices.
With these types of beers, you can really let you imagination
run wild.
OG
(Original Gravity): ?
FG (Finished Gravity): ?
IBU’s (International Bittering Units): ?
SRM (Standard Reference Method): ?
Alcohol (% by volume): ?
Examples: Highland Brewing’s Cold Mountain Winter Ale,
Smuttynose Brewing Co.’s Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale
One
Final Note: There are many other ingredients typically
used in specialty beers ranging from coffee to nuts to chocolate
and just about anything else you can think of. Sure it’s
good to have true beer styles consisting of only malt, hops,
yeast and water, but it’s OK to experiment and try something
new from time to time.
Looking
for a Particular Specialty Beer?
Are
you looking for a particular type of specialty beer? Try a
search in the box below. If you don't remember the name, just
type in the words "specialty beer".
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