With a 350 year tradition, Hofbräu Kaltenhausen is probably the oldest Weizenbier brewery in Austria with more Weizenbier history than most of the Bavarian Weißbier breweries. (It may be time for you to check your geography and history, - the Austro-Hungarian empire vs. the Free State of Bavaria.) According to information found in the archives in Salzburg, Hofbräu Kaltenhausen was noted for itsWeizenbier as early as 1646, and as late as 1785 the brewery was still producing Weizenbier, by then with a significantly increased output of 50,000 Eimers (1 Eimer = ca. 56 Liters).
In 1986, Weißbier was "reborn" in Kaltenhausen, under the name of Edelweiss Weizenbier. At present, Kaltenhausen has eight fermenting tanks with a total capacity of 2,840 hectoliters, and nineteen storage tanks for the lagering with a total of 8,700 hectoliters. (the capacity for their many varieties of Kaiser beers is much greater, but should you consume all of the Edelweiss, the logistics are already in order for increasing the production of Edelweiss;
With the exception of Hofbräu Kaltenhausen, few breweries combine the brewing of both a top-fermented Weizenbier and a bottom-fermented lager. However, with the resurrection of Weizenbiere over the past decades, and its tradition in Kaltenhausen, this has coincidentally materialized.
According to the brewmaster, top-fermented beer has the longest tradition, with a temperature for fermentation of between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius (53 - 57 degrees Fahrenheit).* As opposed to a British ale, the very special, almost unique, yeast strain for a Weizenbier is the secret to its quality, and hence to Edelweiss, and the character of this particular yeast-strain is a carefully guarded.
Bottom-fermented beers use a cold fermentation process, between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius (41 - 50 degrees Fahrenheit), with the yeast added to the bottom of the vessel. From the discovery of this lager process by Anton Dreher in Vienna, Schwechat, in the middle of the last century, Hofbräu Kaltenhausen has followed this tradition for all of their brand-name lager beers, Kaiser, such as Kaiser Märzen, Kaiser Gold, Kaiser Pils, etc.
And, of course, top or bottom fermented beers, no brewery delivered its beers without a livery, and here we see Kaltenhausen's tradition, although to-day used for parades, and festivals such as Octoberfest, a Maifest, or any other of their many fests.
*To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, use the following table: 9/5 x Celsius = Fahrenheit + 32 degrees; ex: 9/5 x 12 = 21.6 + 32 = 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
For more detailed information on the Brau A.G., now the Brau Union Österreich A.G., click on the following: bier.oesterreich .