Revisiting the Wheat

The kegs of Wheat Beer are dead and gone so now it is time to look back on the three batches.  The biggest thing I learned was that I need to print out score sheets or something like that when I have any sort of side-by-side tasting.  That was the plan, but that was the day I had some plumbing issues and by the time that was resolved I spaced the feedback sheet.  Regardless of any written comments, I was able to get great feedback from a variety of beer drinkers, from beer savy guys to drinkers who given the choice might have ordered a PBR.  Here is a brief run-down of the beers: (links to brewday posts)

#1: Majority favorite, drank like an American Wheat with little (if any) bubblegum/clove/banana characteristics of a Bavarian Wheat.  It had a much higher hopping rate than the other two, but was not overly bitter.  It seemed to combine the light refreshing aspect you like in a summer beer with an evident hop characteristic that is a little different than the majority of wheat beers in the market.

#2: Unanimous least favorite, which was good to hear for two reasons.  One, people had no problem telling me that they weren't a fan of a beer and two, give the option, people like a more flavorful beer.  I was a bit surprised about this result, mostly because I figured that some people would like it because it was the "easiest" to drink.  I don't know if bland is the right word, but that is what it was.  Not to overly justify the result, but it makes sense based on my recipe and some of the techniques used in brewing.  It lacked any esters and phenols from fermentation and the low hopping rate resulted in muted bitterness and hop flavor.  I liked hearing that the beer with the least amount of complexity was the least liked, bodes well for all of the beers I am working on.

#3: More of a traditional Bavarian Wheat than the other two, with the bubblegum/clove/banana esters and phenols taking a front seat to the hops.  It seemed like it is more of a seasoned craft beer drinker's wheat, not a wheat beer for the masses.

So where do I go from here?  As the American Wheat received the most positive feedback, that is the direction I will go for now, but a more Bavarian-Style Wheat could become a tasting room release to keep honing in that style.  The next few batches will probably play with a few different hop varieties because Citra is still not easily obtained and I need to compare how some different American hops are received by drinkers.

Thanks for everyone that tried the beers and gave me their opinions.  More tastings will be on the way

Gotta Hop!