Yeast & Fermentation

Both yeast types are used for brewing in the Allgäu. The Helles is bottom-fermented: the yeast works at cool temperatures of roughly 8 to 12°C (46–54°F) and settles to the bottom at the end of fermentation. The wheat beer is top-fermented, fermenting noticeably warmer at around 18 to 24°C (64–75°F), with the yeast gathering at the top of the vessel.

The wheat beer yeast's warm fermentation produces the aromas the style is famous for. Esters form that smell of banana, along with phenols reminiscent of clove. For a Helles, the goal is the opposite: a clean taste, free of fruit and yeasty spice.

Lagering follows primary fermentation. A Helles rests for several weeks in a cold tank, during which it clarifies and the sulfur notes from fermentation mellow out. The term "lager" comes directly from this resting, or "lagern." A wheat beer, by contrast, matures for a shorter time, and many breweries let it referment in the bottle, adding a little yeast back in before filling.

Unfiltered beers are a specialty here. The Kloster-Urtrunk from Irsee is just such a naturally cloudy cellar beer (Kellerbier). It isn't filtered clear, remains yeast-hazy, and tastes fuller, with a mild yeast aroma. The tradeoff is a shorter shelf life.

These beers taste freshest right where they're made. Stop at an inn along the Allgäu Beer Route, and you're drinking beers that have traveled only a short distance. Short supply chains matter most for wheat beer and unfiltered beer, which are more sensitive than a clear-filtered Helles. For beer lovers, that's reason enough to make the trip to Zötler or Irsee Abbey.