WHEAT DREAMS
STORY BY CHRIS KELLER
Counting yeast cells under a microscope was one of the more interesting responsibilities I had as a brewer. We needed to know a cell count on a yeast slurry to know the proper amount to pitch into a fresh batch. We also needed a cell count on a new fermenting beer to make sure that we have a healthy and active fermentation. Each variety of yeast cells look pretty similar. They’ re round and rather translucent. The cells sampled from the slurry are inactive and are basically sleeping. We’ re looking for these cells to be numerous and viable. Cells sampled from an active fermentation should be scattered and actively budding. Budding is how a yeast cell reproduces. They grow copies of themselves on themselves. You will see differences in their behavior as well. English ale yeast and lager yeast are easy to count as they evenly disperse throughout the beer. California ale yeast, known in the business as“ chico,” rarely makes a good showing in an active sample since they congregate at the top of the vessel. German wheat beer yeast, or hefeweizen yeast, were the most unique. Hefeweizen means“ yeasty wheat” in German, and, because of the fluffy white foam on top, is also known as“ weisse” which is German for white. The other varieties of yeast would operate solitarily, but active hefeweizen yeast like to connect to each other while fermenting. Fermenting beer is a hard job for yeast, and this variety likes to make buddies with the other cells around them. Most of the time it’ s two or three of them stuck together but they
sometimes connect into a snowflake pattern. Not only does this yeast behave differently, It’ s very flavorful as well. The signature flavors of the hefeweizen, clove, banana, and bubblegum, come from the yeast.
While the yeast shines so brightly in a hefeweizen, it’ s the wheat that’ s responsible for its backbone. Wheat adds a light tartness to beer and its extra proteins give it a hazy look, creamy texture, and provide a white, fluffy head. As tasty as it is, it’ s difficult to brew with. Since it has no husk, it is notorious for causing what is called a“ stuck mash” where the liquid cannot separate due to it becoming porridgelike: think Cream-of-Wheat. Malted wheat also has minimal enzymes which makes it hard to convert its starches into the sugars needed for fermentation. Only very skilled brewers can make beer with all wheat and even those brewers would consider it a waste of time and money. That is why wheat tends to get the help of at least 30 % added barley malt. This improves production costs, efficiency, and saves the brewers pain, both literal and figurative.
While wheat makes a great refreshing and tasty beer, it is also a staple food crop. Wheat beer was not allowed to be brewed in Germany because of the fear that there wouldn’ t be enough wheat to make bread. Hefeweizen as well as other weizen beers were developed to be exclusive to the German royalty. The German beer purity law forbade wheat as an ingredient
26 HOLIDAY EDITION 2025