MARITIME HOME BREW CHALLENGE

This challenge is an annual competition to find the best home brewers in the Maritimes.

6TH ANNUAL MARITIME HOMEBREW CHALLENGE STYLES

Belgian Witbier OR German Weissbier. A portion of every brew needs to be partially mashed or steeped.

WEISSBIER

Overall Impression: A pale, refreshing, lightly-hopped German wheat beer with high carbonation, dry finish, fluffy mouthfeel, and a distinctive banana-and-clove weizen yeast fermentation profile.

Appearance: Pale straw to gold in color. Very thick, moussy, long-lasting white head. Can be hazy and have a shine from wheat and yeast, although this can settle out in bottles.

Aroma: Moderate to strong esters and phenols, typically banana and clove, often well balanced and typically stronger than the malt. Light to moderate bready, doughy, or grainy wheat aroma. Light vanilla optional. Light floral, spicy, or herbal hops optional. Bubblegum (strawberry with banana), sourness, or smoke are faults.

Flavor: Low to moderately strong banana and clove flavor, often well balanced. Low to moderate soft, somewhat bready, doughy, or grainy wheat flavor supported by the slight Pils malt grainy sweetness. Very low to moderately low bitterness. Well-rounded, flavorful palate with a relatively dry finish. Light vanilla optional. Very low floral, spicy, or herbal hop flavor optional. Any impression of sweetness is due more to low bitterness than any residual sweetness; a sweet or heavy finish impairs drinkability. Bubblegum, sourness, or smoke are faults. While the banana-and-clove profile is important, it should not be so strong as to be extreme and unbalanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body; never heavy. Fluffy, creamy fullness progressing to a light, spritzy finish aided by high to very high carbonation. Effervescent.

Comments: Also known as hefeweizen or weizenbier, particularly outside Bavaria. These beers are best enjoyed while young and fresh, as they often don’t age well. In Germany, lower-alcohol light (leicht) and non-alcoholic versions are popular. Kristall versions are filtered for brilliant clarity.

Characteristic Ingredients: Malted wheat, at least half the grist. Pilsner malt. Decoction mash traditional. Weizen yeast, cool fermentation temperatures.

Vital Statistics:
OG: 1.044 –1.053
IBUs: 8 – 15
FG: 1.008 – 1.014
SRM: 2 – 6
ABV: 4.3 – 5.6%

WITBIER

Overall Impression: A pale, hazy Belgian wheat beer with spices accentuating the yeast character. A delicate, lightly spiced, moderate-strength ale that is a refreshing summer drink with its high carbonation, dry finish, and light hopping.

Appearance: Very pale straw to deep yellow in color. The beer will be very cloudy from starch haze or yeast, which gives it a milky, whitish-yellow shine. Dense, white, moussy head. Head retention should be quite good.

Aroma: Moderate bready maltiness, often with light notes of honey or vanilla. Light grainy, spicy wheat aromatics. Moderate perfumy-lemony coriander, often with a complex herbal, spicy, or peppery note in the background. Moderate zesty, citrusy-orangey fruitiness. A low spicy-herbal hop aroma is optional, but typically absent. Spices should blend in with fruity, floral, and sweet aromas and should not be overly strong.

Flavor: Pleasant bready, grainy malt flavor, often with a honey or vanilla character. Moderate zesty, orange-citrusy fruitiness. Herbal-spicy flavors, which may include lemony coriander and other spices, are common should be subtle and balanced, not overpowering. A spicy-earthy hop flavor can be low to none, and never overshadows the spices. Hop bitterness is low to medium-low, and supports the refreshing flavors of fruit and spice. Refreshingly crisp with a dry finish, and no bitter or harsh aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body, often having a smoothness and light creaminess. Effervescent character from high carbonation. Refreshing, from carbonation, dryness, and lack of bitterness in finish. No harshness or astringency. Should not be overly dry and thin, nor should it be thick and heavy.

Comments: Historical versions may have had some lactic sourness but this is absent in fresh modern versions. Spicing has some variety, but should not be overdone. Coriander of certain origin or age might give an inappropriate ham or celery character. The beer tends to be perishable, so younger, fresher, properly-handled examples are most desirable. An impression of sweetness is often due to low bitterness, not residual sugar. Most examples seem to be approximately 5% ABV.

Characteristic Ingredients: Unmalted wheat (30-60%), the remainder low color barley malt. Some versions use up to 5-10% raw oats or other unmalted cereal grains. Traditionally uses coriander seed and dried Curaçao orange peel. Other secret spices are rumored to be used in some versions, as are sweet orange peels. Mild fruity-spicy Belgian ale yeast.

Vital Statistics:
OG: 1.044 –1.052
IBUs: 8 – 20
FG: 1.008 – 1.012
SRM: 2 – 4
ABV: 4.5 – 5.5%