The 118-year-old
malthouse housing Mich. Weyermann & Co. KG Malzfabrik is a protected historic
site. But behind the red-brick turn-of-the-century exterior lies the modernized
heart of the world's leading manufacturer of specialty brewing malts.
Presided over by Sabine Weyermann, a fourth-generation member of the founding
family, and her husband, Thomas Kraus-Weyermann, the company benefits
as much from its roots in the past as it does from its recent expansion
and modern overhaul.
For over a century, Mich. Weyermann has been pursuing
a policy of providing customizable, brandname specialty malts to breweries
large and small, first in Bamberg and nearby regions, and currently
to customers in virtually every continent of the world. Aided by new
facilities and equipment, the company is better able than ever to serve
its more than 900 customers worldwide, including future prospects in
Asia and the United States. Tradition and up-to-date training are personified
by the husband/wife team, both of whom graduated from the Weihenstephan
school in nearby Munich, where Weyermann products are sampled by masterbrewers-to-be
from all over the world.
About one-third of the company's regular rotation
consists of specialty malts; the remainder is geared toward keeping
Germany stocked with Pilsener. All malting is done to individual order
in amounts ranging from 25-kg sacks to export-size containers.
The Mich. Weyermann line of Bavarian-grown malts and brewing adjuncts
is derived mostly from two-row Alexis, Steffi, and Krona barley or from
quality wheat or rye. Mich. Weyermann uses Saladin box germination.
Acidulated malt (Sauermalz): Lowers the pH
level of the wort, resulting in intensified fermentation and lightened
Pils-like beer color for improved flavor stability and rounded flavor
in Pilsener-style light beers, ales, and pale ales. Processed to yield
an acid rate of 50-55%.
Melanoidin malt: Improves flavor stability,
fullness, and imparts a reddish color to dark, amber, and red-colored
beers. Kilned.
Pilsener malt: A sound base malt capable
of producing superb Pilseners, lagers, ales, and all other beer types.
Roasted rye malt: Intensifies the color and
typical aroma of dark, top-fermented beers. Produced from Humbold German
rye modified by kilning and roasting.
Rye malt: Derived from healthy, German-grown
rye kilned to produce a typical smoked aroma. The malt is primarily
used to create rye beers, smoked beers, Lagerbiers, and Kellerbiers.
Smoked malt (Rauchmalz): Best used to create
smoked beers, Lagerbier, and Kellerbier. Derived from Alexis, Steffi,
and Krona varieties.
Vienna malt: Used to create full-bodied,
golden-colored, smooth-tasting beers such as Märzenbier, Maibock, festival
beer, and various homebrews.
The following malts are modified to varying degrees by kilning
and/or roasting. They are used to intensify the typical aroma and color
of dark beers, particularly German Altbiers, stouts, Bocks, and porters.
Carafa® 1, 11, and 111: Use in up to 5%
of the grist.
Carafa® Special 1, 11, and 111: Produced
from dehusked barley.
Munich Type 1, 11, and 11: Enhances the body
and aroma of dark beers, Bocks, festival beers, and stouts.
The following malts comprise a blend of Alexis, Steffi, Krona,
and Sissi barleys modified using roasting drums and kilning. Their chief
contributions are improved foam, increased fullness, and intensified
malt aroma.
Carafoam®: Best used to create Pilseners,
lagers, and low- or nonalcoholic beers.
Carahell®: Imparts a fuller, rounder
flavor and a deep, saturated color to pale ale, festival beer, Maibock,
Hefeweizen, Schankbier, light and reduced-alcohol beers.
Caramünich® 1, 11, and I I I: Each malt
imparts varying degrees of flavor and color. Best used to create Bocks,
dark beers, festival beers, malt beers, nourishing beers, and Oktoberfest
beers.
Wheat Malts
Weyermann also produces a range of wheat malts derived from Atlantis,
Toronto, Kanzler, and Borenos varieties and subjected to varying degrees
of kilning and roasting. Intended for top-fermented beers.
Roasted wheat malt I and 11: Intensifies
the typical aroma and color of dark top fermented beers such as Altbier,
Weizen, and Weizenbock.
Wheat caramel malt: Promotes fullness, emphasizes
typical wheat malt aroma, and enhances the color of top-fermented beers,
particularly Dunkelweizen and Hefeweizen.
Wheat malt dark and wheat malt pale: Typical
top-fermented aroma produces superb slimmer, more sprightly wheat beers
with aromas appropriate for the style. The dark wheat version is best
used for Weizen, Kölsch, Altbier, Bockbier, and stouts. Use the pale
wheat to create Kölsch, Altbier, wheat beers, Hefeweizen, and low- or
nonalcohol beers.
Sinamar: Used to color different kinds of
food, such as bread, drinks (beer, nonalcoholic drinks, tea), and pharmaceutical
products. Sinamar is brewed according to the German purity law.
