From The Inside, What makes it Belgian Bert Van Hecke BOMBrewery Belgium
Before we get started, what is Belgium? As a country • Belgium have been occupied by all kind countries (and sometimes twice) • Belgium is small with 5 surrounding countries • We are NOT travellers but we speak more as one language • The UK and Germany are both close • We love simplicity, except for the country
Before we get started, what is Belgium? As brewers • Old brewers are all family • We drink and we pay taxes if needed • There are Catholics & Liberals and mayors • Beer is cheap and to keep you away of being sick, its a labor drink • Brewers = Old Farmers
Before we get started, what is Belgium? Home brewers • Home brewing until the year 1995: hippies and old men • Craft brewing? We are Craft brewing in Belgium since > 100 year • New wave of homebrewers give a “new” wave to more crafty beers • 60’s: Hoegaarden Witbier • 80’s: De Dolle brouwers / Brewery Achouffe • 90’s - 2016: Start of a new vibe due to “ craft ” contract breweries
What makes it Belgian beer? • The 4 elements : Water, Earth, Wind, Fire • Brew Gods • Or just something else, a kind of magic
Element Water Water • No real global special Belgian water • Its water = we can brew a beer = natural Selection • Special waters in Belgium: from near Seawater to the perfect pilsner water
The water God Charles Darwin (Natural Selection)
Conclusion: Element Water • Water is not really the Belgian factor, but we use salts because we are “free - brewers ” • no Reinheitsgebot • Homebrewers for Belgians: • Use some salt, seasalt for the dubbels and the quads • Learn from the online water compositions, but do it yourself
Element Earth Malt • Belgian Malt is in between of UK and German malt, but far away from US malt (Belgian factor I) • Not anymore a real Barley type, the history repeat itself • Not anymore malted for each brewery individual (except for Trappist and others?) • Slow brewing, step infusion is needed (see Element Fire) (Belgian factor II) • Specialty malts is not only a Belgian thing (except for Special B?)
The malt God the malt truck driver, or the malt whisperer
Element Earth Sugar • Not enough Malt or too high taxes = use sugar • Taxes was during a period based on the mash tun size • Advantage: we got sugar (was cheap), it makes the beer drinkable, 8% beers as session beers • Specials: Cassonade, Candy sugars ,… • Sugar is a very important Belgian factor (Belgian factor III)
The Sugar Devil Willem II (Germany, WWI)
Element Earth Hop • Belgian Hop is European / classic (other aroma due to cupper) • Hop farming was nearly lost as a good Farmers Job • Revival is happening, but always sold out • Aroma hops, a waste of money, use them 10 minutes before the end of boiling … • Hop got a Terroir • Not really a Belgian factor, except for the moment of use?
The Hop God Jean De Clerck (a general Belgian brew god )
Element Earth Herbs • A background of Gruut beers, but not anymore the reason • Thanks to the Witbeer revival? • Depending from the part of the country • Cheaper as hops to get aroma (origine) • Brew ad Coriander and wait 6 months and you have a good beer • Coriander & Orange peel (Belgian Factor IV)
The Herb God Pierre Celis (the homebrewer, the inventor of the Wit)
Conclusion Element Earth • I: Belgian malt is not equal as malt from other regions • II: Belgian malt gives us slow brewing and step Infusion • III: Sugar is a key to create drinkability and complexity • IV: Coriander and Orange Peel rules • Homebrewers for Belgian: use step infusion, white (candy) sugar for drinkability, dark cassonade sugar for the dark beers, you can do nothing wrong with C&O unless you hate the flavour, make mistakes and you can still can make it, use your hops until 10 minutes of the end of brewing, keep it simple with max 2 special malts.
Element Wind Yeast WHERE IS BELGIAN YEAST COMING FROM?
Element Wind Yeast Scotland!!!
Element Wind Yeast • There is no such thing as Belgian Yeast, but it is at the same time (Belgian factor V, but I hate it) • Leffe – Hoegaarden – Achouffe – Lefebvre – Others? • Duvel – Westmalle – Others? • Orval – Brasserie de Bastogne – La Rulles - .Others? • First beer was bubblegum, banana, sour ,… • Its not Belgian because … • Brewers re-use > 1000 times until it is what it is
The (infamous) God of the Wind Raymond Moureau (Martens Romania)
Element Fire Brewing • Decided by the malt • Germans: Decoction • UK: One step infusion • Belgium: Multi step mashing, boiling water additions (Belgian factor VI) Slijm methode for small mash tuns (Belgian factor VII) • Direct fire: not real Belgium • Simple brewing = Belgian?
The God of Fire The carpenter and copper smit of the Tomsin Brewery
The God of Fire The carpenter and copper smit of the Tomsin Brewery
Conclusion Element Fire • There are two brewing methods who are really very Belgian • Step Infusion by hot water = every temperature step is made by just adding boiling water. • Slijm methode = at 62°C a part of the wort is filtered to the kettle, hot boiling water is added, at 72°C a part of the wort is filtered to the kettle, hot boiling water is added … ( can be found in Geuze breweries)
Short case: Orval • First brewer was a Belgian Brewer = add hot boiling water for temperature steps • Second brewer was a German brewer = don’t clean the tanks, keep the beerstone and have Bretts (on purpose?) • Third brewer was guided by Jean De Clerk = clean the tanks, lose the beerstone and Bretts, curse and start over again to have the brett back. Use hops afterwards if you want to have aroma • Have a very simple recept with an own malt • Have a magic Ingredient (Belgian factor VIII)
I misted an other element or a secret ingredient? • Such as Bottle referementation • Its certainly more a yeast strain X, Y and Z • Or its a real hidden ingrediënt nobody wants to talk about? • Just think about this when you brewed your first Belgian but failed, think about the ancient brewer (chance the words from Noodle to beer…) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4J2ceDp-7w
THANKS! And keep brewing
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