Typology of Belgian Beers by analytical criteria

By Morgane Dupont, Hendrick Hanssen, Simon Lardinois, Zina Raymaekers and Pieter Timmermans

Project supervisors: Ingrid Geirnaert and Olivier JanssensProject manager: Evelyne Wirix

Belgium is for beer what France is for wine ±1000 different kinds of Belgian Beers The five largest companies have a

combined area of more than 500 hectares And employed about 35000 employees

In America Belgian special beers are popular

Introduction

Introduction History of (Belgian) beer The Main ingredients of beer The manufacturing process Lager beer Trappist Geuze & Lambic ‘Oude’ Geuze Conclusion

Contents

Beer was already brewed 8000 B.C. in Palestine

17th century, many beers in Belgian appear. Typology by specific ingredients Typology by used water

Beer conserving problem. Each village own brewery

History of (Belgian) beer

18th century, the French Revolution Put an end to the brewers guilds Destruction of many monasteries and abbeys

Arrival of Napoleon brewing took off again Start of large scale (Industrialized) production

Better preservation Improved quality of beer by

selective yeast.

At the end of the 19th century completely turn of brewing by Louis Pasteur

Four main ingredients Water Barley Hop Yeast

Importance of water composition High concentration of Iron Water with a lot of calcium

The Mainingredients of beer

Malted Barley

Some brewers will useoat, corn or wheat instead

Hop (only female hop) Kinds with very bitter taste Others give an aromatic taste Since the 18th century all

types of beer contain hop

It begins with malting (A) Barley immersed in water, Germination is

initiated (B) 5 days of controlled germination (C) Interruption by heating

(will push the malt into malt sugar)

Difference in drying time and temperature will produce different kinds of beer.

The manufacturing proces

Brewing process Production process of ‘wort’ begins• Water of 35 °C to 50 °C is added to malt• And heated to about 75 °C

Enzymes formed by the germ process convert:• starch into sugar• Proteins in to amino acids

Filtering the soup (‘must’)• All insoluble components are removed• Filtering (several times)• Remaining liquid is called ‘wort’• ‘Hopdraf ‘ are the insoluble components.• Boiling the ‘wort’, al the enzymes

are destroyed and the solution is sterilized.• In the meantime Hop is added

Fermentation

after coiling down the ‘wort’• The yeast is added• Sugar in the ‘wort’ are now converted to alcohol and

CO2

The conversion will determine the taste of beer Belgian beers now 3 kinds of fermentation:

Low fermentation

High or traditional fermentation

Spontaneous fermentation (without yeast)

Maturation

Duration depends on the type of beer:• Beer will clear up;• Yeast will lower to the bottom;• Carbon dioxide is developed; • Fragrance is improved.

The basic process to produce beer is finished. The brewer can still add different substances.

Typology: Low fermentation Therefore mostly a low alcohol percentage ≈5% Two kind of yeast are used:• Hallertau (is a little bit bitter)• Saaz (pretty bitter)

Yeast: Saccharomyces carlsbergensis Aromate is also added Imported to include pH between 5 and 5,5. Serving rules (specific glass+temperature)

Lager beer

Typology: High fermentation beer + fermentation on the bottle A very heavy bitter kind of beer; Minerals in water determine the quality; Taste and colour depends on the kind of malt• Light Trappist bleach malt• For amber colour darker malt• If brewer wants a dark colour

roasted malt Trappist is hard to digest ; Alcohol: from 3,5% to 11,3% Only 6 beers officially

recognized as Trappist Old cheese to complement

the complex taste

Trappist

Typology: Made by spontaneous fermentation. ‘Oude’ Geuze is only made in Pajottenland; ‘Oude’ Geuze is related to ‘Oude’ Lambic; Taste of Lambic changes with time; Overall Lambic is a sour fruity beer with no gas; Alcohol percentage around 5 degrees; Specific ingredients are:• Water;• Barley malt• Unmalted wheat (30 to 50 %)• Perennial hop (long matured hop)

Addition of wheat and longercooking time characterizes ‘wort’

Geuze & Lambic

Typology: A very fresh and fruity taste; Alcohol percentage around 6 % You can keep it conserved for well over 40 years;• In Time the taste will become stronger.

Made of ‘oude’ Lambic of different ages and brewage

‘oude’ Geuze isn’t brewed;• ‘Steken’ mixing ‘oude’ Lambic of different ages• The blend will be botteld• Refermentation will go on in the bottle for over a year

• Important to control:• Good fermentable sugar %• CO2 balance

• Low pH

‘Oude’ Geuze

Little analytical changes in brewing:◦ creates a wide variety of Belgian Beers;◦ Each beer has its own typology.

Complexity and variation with less ingredients We can say that Belgium has a rich beer culture Belgium Deserves his international eminence

for:◦ Quality◦ And quantity of beer

Conclusion

Thanks for listening

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