Want to know more about... Keller and Zwickel Biers?

Kellerbire "Ungespundetes" at Braurei Spezial
in Bamberg, Germany.

"What did you just call me!? I do believe this guy insulted me in German!!"

No, no, no. Or should I say, "nein, nein, nein." Kellerbier and Zwickelbier are two German beer styles. The short description is both Kellerbier and Zwickelbier are unfiltered beers from Germany each having an ale and lager variation.

Keller (cellar in German) and Zwickelbier are frailly old styles as they have been around since the middle ages. These beers are rarely found outside of Germany, apart from the craft breweries creating their own interpretations of them. Samuel Adams Alpine Spring, for example, is a readily available (during the spring season) variation.

An authentic Kellerbier has very little effervescence due to the way it is matured (see links below), lots of hop and complex yeasty flavors, and a smooth finish that balances malt and hops nicely. Zwickelbiers are similar in many characteristics to Kellerbier but differ in a few qualities. Zwickelbiers are highly effervescent with a nice, thick head of foam, less bitterness and hop character (therefore, less of a shelf-life), and is overall less aggressive than Kellerbire.

According to the Brewers Association Style Guidelines, Kellerbier and Zwickelbier have both an Ale and Lager version. This basically depends on what is the base-beer that is unfiltered and will usually depend on what area of Germany you are in. For example in Köln, the unfiltered Kölsch Bier (an Ale) will be offered as a Keller or Zwickel, while in Munich an unfiltered Helles Bier (a Lager) will take the stage as either one of the two. These are just two examples as just about any beer can be served in the Keller or Zwickel style, depending on the pub you happen to be at.

For more information, visit the provided links below that can further explain some of the points mentioned above.

These beers are quite interesting and were one of my many pleasant beer-drinking surprises for the duration of my recent stay in Germany. I highly recommend you keep an eye open for and give these a try in the rare occasions they are available in the U.S.

Cheers!

Gilbert “Charlie” Perez, Certified Cicerone®

Helpful and resource links from German Beer Institute (Click on the style)

Kellerbier
Zwickel
Zoiglbier (A Keller sub-style)

Is My Beer Too Cold?? Don’t Blame the Draught System!

Whether bottled or on draught, the ideal serving temperature of beer is not as concrete as most might think. The temperature varies depending on the style of the particular beer and sometimes the recommendations from the brewer indicated on the bottle. Draught beers are my big cause for concern since we, the consumers, have little to no control as to how the beer is kept and served. Although beers “on tap” are a bit more predictable in terms of temperature, this is not always a good thing. Throw in the mass-produced lagers and (immensely successful) marketing depiction of "ice-cold" beer, and we have a resulting disaster pouring into your glass.

Draft systems are usually designed to a temperature of 38°F. Like any mechanical system, fluid dynamics plays a vital role in the design of the system. On top of this, designers must take into account the carbonation on the fluid flowing though the tubing. In other-words, beer is alive and behaves differently than other fluids. Designers of a draught system should always have the same goal in mind: move the beer from source (the keg) to glass as the brewer intended the product to be presented to the customer. This means that "balance" is the most important aspect on the design of a draft system.

What is balance? In a nutshell, the short answer is: pressure is used to move beer from a keg using a gas (usually CO2 or a blend of CO2 and Nitrogen) to move the beer from the keg and replacing the outgoing fluid with gas while maintaining a flow of about 2 oz per second (or one gallon per minute) at any point in the draught system. Temperature affects the flow-rate of any liquid and beer is no different. This is why a standard of 38°F is established by The Brewer Association (see link below). There is a vast amount of engineering that goes into complex systems (such as those found at The Yard House, for example), but the end-goal is the same. Balance, balance, balance.

So why is this important, you ask? Well, failure to maintain proper balance will cause excessive foaming and ultimately loss of product that should end up in the customer’s glass. In other words, loss of beer! However, when proper balance is maintained, the beer arriving to the customer is around 40°F. This might be acceptable for some styles, but not ideal for the mass-produced Lager. So, most establishments that have a mass-produced lager as their main seller will have the cooler temperature ramped down to 32°F or below! Thus, the balance integrity of the system-design is compromised.

Have any of you ever gone to a sports bar and ordered a beer from their draught system? If you have, nine times out of ten the beer will arrive in a frosted mug and the beer itself will be borderline frozen. No head presence in you beer and an absolute lack of flavor.

Ice-cold beer (or any beverage, for that matter) will numb your tongue, rendering your taste-buds useless. A good example to use are the Hooters restaurants. Most of them proudly display the temperature of the beer cooler at 32°F or below!! Now, this is ideal for dousing the heat from their famous hot wings. However, this doesn't do any favors to the beers they serve. Especially now since most of the Hooters franchises are finally catching on to the thirst most Americans have for the Craft Beer Industry. Unfortunately, all beers are (for the most part) are kept in the same walk-in fridge. End result? Over foaming pour into a frosted mug leading to flat, way-too-cold, flavor-altered craft beer. Why? Draught system is not in balance.

Author's Note: I have nothing against Hooters (in fact, I love their wings!). I am simply using them as recognizable example to prove my point.

Now for most ales, the ideal serving temperature is between 45°F and 55°F. Lager beers are ideally served at slightly cooler temperatures, depending on region and type of lager beer. Personal preference comes into play, naturally. There are various exceptions and deciding factors for serving temperature, but this is a basic catch-all temperature range. Just like with most foods, you want to eat them warm because they do not taste the same when cold. The same is with beer: the warmer it gets, the more flavor that is released. The obvious exceptions are the mass-produced, light tasting lagers. Have you ever had a mass-produced lager after it has warmed up? The vast majority of them taste like crap outside of 38°F (+/-). Now you know why they are advertised to be served as cold as possible. Throw in the numbing of taste-buds and heat dousing purpose of having a cold beverage and you know why "the colder the better" method is used for some establishment.

My recommendations are few and simple:

1) Ask your server for a chilled glass, not a "frosted" glass. A glass kept in a cooler is less likely to have frost deposits than a frozen glass; all that "frost" ends up in your beer, altering the flavor. Plus, this makes it difficult to assess the temperature of the beer in the glass. You want the glass to be as cold as the beer, not frozen.

2) Most of us don't carry a drop-in thermometer (hell, I don't). Knowing a draught system is typically at 38°F (sometimes even colder and it might be displayed), the temperature will be too cold for the beer style you ordered. Let it sit for a few minutes before you begin enjoying your brew.

Of course, these are mere recommendations and every person has his or her own preferences. Hell, I have been known to have an American Adjunct Lager while having some hot-wings. Why not? It’s a great combo when I’m focused on watching a game and having some bar-food. However, in other appropriate settings, temperature is important. Maintenance and stability of a draught system will ensure quality in your glass before it even reaches your lips. The bottom-line and profit margin of some establishments may cause for alternate decisions to be made, affecting the draught system. If so, just remember 45°F to 55°F is ideal and will capture most styles nicely, and slightly colder for most lagers. Let the beer sit for a bit, and then enjoy!

Cheers!

-Gilbert “Charlie” Perez, Certified Cicerone® 

(For more information about draught systems, their maintenance, and the affects they have on beer, please visit DraughtQuility.org, a website by the Brewers Association)

Fürst Wallerstein Beers - Prost!

Greetings!

For this review, I will be talking about some beers that I recently had the honor to drink. They come from Germany and they are, in my opinion, a great representation of what the German brewing culture is all about.

Introducing, for the first time in the United States, The Fürst Wallerstien collection!

All five of the Fürst Wallerstein beers on parade!

According to an TotalWine, these beers have never been available in the States until recently. I will admit that I have never seen these beers before until I got my hands on them. The brewery's website has more beers listed than just these five, but these seem to be the only ones available here, at least in my area. It was exciting to have all these beers and write-up a review for them. Enjoy!

-First up, we will take a look at the Zwickel. What is a Zwickel? Well, according to the 2012 Beer Style Guidlelines from the Brewers Association, a Kellerbier or Zwicklebier are unfiltered versions of Alt or Kölsch for ales or unfiltered Pilseners, Helles, Dortmunders, or Dunkels. Below, you will find my tasting notes and a photo of the product:

Appearance: Hazy orange with a rich, creamy white head.

Smell: Just a bit of sulfur and German style lager yeast, grains, minerals from hard water.

Taste: Mineral flavors with a soft, tasty-bread malt core. Finish of noble hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light-body, silky (most likely from the yeast minerals in suspension).

Overall: Drinkable and refreshing. The unfiltered quality adds a layer of complexity to a normally clean beer.





-Next, here we have the Classic Pils. This beer was rather nice. Although there are other German-Pilseners that have fuller flavor, this beer had some rather nice qualities. Here are my notes:


Appearance: It's a soft straw-yellow, bright with the slightest of veils, white head that dissipates with time.

Smell: Pilsener malt with bready undertones.

Taste: Same as aroma with bready notes. A snappy hop bite in the finish along with a bit I minerals. Quite nice!

Mouthfeel: Soft, light body with a refreshing feeling all around.

Overall: German Pilsener at its best. Soft and refreshing. Sure, there might be better ones available, but this one is nice in its own way. And that's fine by me!





-Now here we have one of my favorite styles: the German Dunkel. Dunkel means "dark" in German and the Landsknecht-Bier Dunkeles lives up to the name. This rendition of the style had a unique twist in it that I found rather surprising and welcoming. I found this Dunkel to to have profound hop-grassy character to it, along with the usual sweetness, almost chocolate-like, bread notes. Take a look:


Appearance: Dark brown with a sight copper hue in the light, off-white creamy head that fades quickly.

Smell: I had a strong aroma if grassy hops and minerals up front, but it was quickly over taken by the sweet caramel-like malts that gave off and an almost chocolate nose with some dried dark fruits.

Taste: Much like the nose, there is a grassiness up front but rounds out with toasty, sweet, caramel-like maltiness. A pleasant bready flavor lingers.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and medium-light bodied.

Overall: Although the almost grassy bite upfront might be grounds for docking points if you were grading the beer, I found it rather pleasant. Once you let the hop character balance out, it's just what you would expect from a Dunkel.


-For the next beer, I uncapped the Weißbierpils. This one was unexpected. Actually, I had no idea what to expected. A lager-brewed wheat beer? A Hefe with more Pils? Well, the best way to describe this beer would be to answer both of those questions with a "yes." Check it out:


Appearance: Hazy orange with a soft, white-ish veil that seems to glow when stuck by light.

Smell: lots of malt, bready, some bubble gum aromas. Think Hefeweizen.

Taste: A clean Hefeweizen, pils style cleanses year complex.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a rich texture.

Overall: It's an odd complexity having some wheat beer flavors in a Pilsener beer (?). Although it is nice, its leaking the luster of a traditional Hefe.





-Finally, I popped open (literally) my last beer in the collection. It was time to enjoy the Hefe-Weizen. In my mind, this beer did not standout as one of the best Hefeweizen beers I've had, this one has some pleasant characteristics that I rather enjoyed. Here you go:



Appearance: Hazy orange. Thick, fluffy white head.

Smell: Clove, strong banana, slight tartness from the wheat malt. Really nice and pleasant.

Taste: Banana and clove as expected along with an almost citrus tang in the middle. Some bright carbonation brings it all together in a refreshing finish.

Mouthfeel: Smooth yet thin with the high carbonation.

Overall: Yes. It is undoubtedly a Hefeweizen. Although I felt that the bannana/clove flavors were overtaken by the wheat a bit. Hefe's have a refreshing quality that few other beer styles can match.




So there you have it. These beers were all great in there own way. Of all five, I believe the Dunkel was the biggest surprise. It could be that I might be a bit bias and lean towards the Dunkel, but it was the only beer in the collection that made me take a second look at the label after I took a sip. So, what's your verdict? Are you going to try some for yourself? Perhaps you already have. If so, what did you think? Leave your comments below and let me know what you think. I will see you all in the next review!


Prost!

Gilbert C. Perez