Wheat – it’s good in bread, but even better in beer! Here’s an overview of a variety of wheat beer recipe kits. Take a look, and see which one you want to try…
Wheat beers offer a refreshing alternative to some of the all-barley ales and lagers out there. Wheat beers often deliver a tasty counterpoint between malty sweetness and tart acidity from style-specific yeast strains, making wheat beers excellent thirst quenchers. Though brewing with wheat can sometimes be tricky for all-grain brewers, extract and partial mash wheat beer recipe kits eliminate those challenges.
Consider the options below to easily brew your own wheat beer at home! (Bonus – some of these kits ship for free!)
German Wheat Beer Recipe Kits
- Brewer’s Best Weizenbier – Weizenbier is a style of wheat beer from southern Germany, characterized by a high proportion of wheat and a banana/clove flavor derived from the yeast. A hefeweizen is a weizenbier served with yeast; a single-stage fermentation should keep some haze in the bottle.
- Steam Freak High-Flyin’ Derwitzer Wheat – The Steam Freak line also offers a Bavarian-style wheat beer recipe kit. It’s a beginner level kit with 6.6 lbs. of wheat liquid malt extract, 8 oz. of steeping grains, 2 oz. of German hops, and an authentic weizen ale yeast. Expect a golden yellow brew at about 4% ABV with the classic banana/clove yeast profile.
- Brewer’s Best Kölsch – Though maybe not the first style that comes to mind when thinking of German wheat beers, Kölsch is often brewed with a portion of wheat, usually about 10-20% of the grain bill. This beer Ingredient kit uses Pilsner LME, wheat DME, and German hops to yield a pale, dry, refreshing beer with a moderate hoppy bitterness.
American Wheat Beer Recipe Kits
- Brewcraft American Wheat Ale
– American wheat ale offers the light, flavorful, refreshing qualities of wheat, but taste of American hops and yeast. This Brewcraft Premium wheat beer ingredient kit makes a beer reminiscent of Bell’s Oberon.
- Brewer’s Best American Pale Wheat – The Brewer’s Best American Pale Wheat beer recipe kit yields a stronger, more robust version of wheat ale. A partial mash of pale malt and flaked wheat gives additional flavor, mouthfeel, and gravity to the brew, bringing it up to about 6.5% ABV. Hop bitterness is also more assertive at about 31-35 IBUs.
- Brewcraft Apricot Wheat Ale – If you’re a fan of Magic Hat #9, this is for you! This wheat beer ingredient kit in the Brewcraft Ultimate series uses apricot puree and natural apricot flavor to bring a refreshing apricot flavor to the beer. A great introduction to brewing fruit beers.
- Steam Freak Amber Waves American Wheat – A popular, easy to brew partial mash kit with moderate gravity and bitterness. 5.5% ABV and about 24 IBUs.
Belgian Witbier Beer Recipe Kit
- Brewcraft Premium Belgian Witbier – The Belgian’s take on wheat beer is called witbier, or white beer, and is commonly flavored with spices like orange peel and coriander. The Brewcraft Belgian Wit kit uses a partial mash of two-row malt, unmalted wheat, flaked oats, and a touch of acidulated malt for an authentic body, flavor, and mouthfeel with just a touch of acidity. Orange peel, coriander, and grains of paradise complete the spicy, fruity complexity in this delicious brew.
- Brewer’s Best Witbier –
Brewer’s Best Witbier ingredient kit uses a partial mash of wheat and oats along with a classic witbier spice pack to craft a flavorful witbier of moderate gravity, about 4.5% ABV. Feel free to serve with a lemon or orange wedge!
- Steam Freak Blue Noon Belgian White – Just like you would suspect, this is an American version of a Belgian wheat. It has a beautiful balance of zest and hops that is set off by just the right amount of orange peel. Its calm demeanor make it a great session beer for this category.
Have you already tried some of the wheat beer recipe kits? Do you have a wheat beer recipe you’d like to share? Go right ahead in the comments section below…
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David Ackley is a beer writer, brewer, and self-described “craft beer crusader.” He holds a General Certificate in Brewing from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and is founder and editor of the Local Beer Blog.