Malt & Grain

Lower Bavaria is considered the Free State's breadbasket. In the Gäuboden and the valleys along the Isar and Danube, wheat and barley grow on fertile loess soil. That's a real advantage for Landshut beer, since Helles needs barley malt and Weissbier needs wheat malt.

Malt is made by moistening grain and letting it germinate. The sprouting kernel is then halted in a kiln using warm air. The higher the kiln temperature, the darker and sweeter the malt becomes. Pale pilsner malt stays light, while Munich malt brings notes of bread crust and light roast.

In Landshut's Helles, pale barley malt takes center stage. It gives the beer a soft, slightly sweet body that tastes of fresh bread. The original gravity, meaning the dissolved sugar in the wort before fermentation, sits around 11 degrees Plato for a Helles under the style guidelines.

Wheat malt joins the mix for Weissbier. Landshuter Brauhaus lists four different malts for its Bio Hochzeits Weisse, with an original gravity of 13.6 percent. That's notably stronger than an ordinary Weissbier, making it more of a festive beer, fitting for its name.

For reference: a standard Helles usually comes from pure barley malt with a touch of caramel malt for body. Wheat malt adds protein, which helps stabilize the head. Bavarian law expressly permits wheat malt for Weissbier, unlike the strict barley-only rule of 1516.

How breweries source their malt, and whether they malt it themselves, varies by operation. Most breweries of this size buy malt from Bavarian maltsters and blend the varieties to their own recipe.