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History can be a heavy weight to bear. Being caretakers for a legacy and advocates for a tradition can win you credibility in small circles, but such victories seem inconsequential in the face of an industry and consumer tide that rolls toward simpler tastes. Cantillon, founded in 1900, survived the industry consolidation and shifting consumer tastes of the 20th century, when the number of Brussels lambic breweries dwindled from dozens to just one. While a cadre of diehards appreciated their adherence to tradition, it was the Jean-Pierre Van Roy’s decision to open as a tourist-focused museum that actually kept the business afloat.
When interest in craft brewing began to rise toward the end of the century, Cantillon saw ripples that broke into serious waves over the past couple of decades. Today, they stand at the pinnacle—not just as one of Belgium’s most respected lambic breweries, but also as one of the finest examples of artful brewing anywhere in the world.
In this episode, recorded in Cantillon’s second-floor tasting room, fourth-generation brewer Jean Van Roy recounts that storied past while discussing how the brewery has adapted to the current environment, embracing an energetic, winery-like approach to making beer. He discusses:
- the necessity of keeping an active hand in the production of every beer
- brewing in a living building that actively impacts the beer
- following the vision of his family while discovering his own natural way to work
- the turbid mash process using two boil kettles in the vintage 1800s brewhouse
- picking up blending skills without learning them
- utilizing long boils to decrease the cheesy flavors in aged hops
- hop varieties used in Cantillon lambic
- embracing the natural microflora
- allowing Pediococcus to work by not pre-acidifying the wort
- the ideal temperature range for lambic brewing and impacts of climate change
- sustainability measures at the historic brewery
- fruit philosophy and techniques
- mixing wine lees and lambic in barrel-aged beers such as La Vie Est Belge
- their sensory approach to fruit maceration
And more.
This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers
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Support for this episode comes from BSG and Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation. SafBrew LD-20 is a new all-in-one Saccharomyces Pastorianus yeast and enzyme blend designed to produce lower-carb, dry lager beers. SafBrew LD-20 is capable of high attenuation at low temperatures, making it the perfect choice for clean lagers with very low residual sugars. To harness the power of SafBrew LD-20, or to learn more about Fermentis’s range of fermentation solutions, get in touch with BSG at go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us
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From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
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