Lambic

History

Origin

The appearance of the Houblon in the area is proven at the 14th century.

In 1559, a decree of the town of Hal stipulates that “the Bière must be composed of 16 parts of Blé: namely 6 parts of wheat and 10 of oats and Orge (according to the ancestral habit)” (either 62,5 % of Barley or oats for 37,5 % of wheat), while in Bavaria only the Céréale authorized by the law of purity of 1516 (Reinheitsgebot) is the Orge.

Etymology

The origin of the name lambic is dubious. Some evoke an origin Latin E or Spanish E but the two principal assumptions is:

Of the word Still . Locally, one produces Genièvre by Distillation of the grain in the Alambic S. Because of the resemblance between the Alambic S and the tanks of Brassage one spoke about beer of still .
Of the name of the commune of Lembeek (Hall).

Protection of name

Since 1997, the beers of lambic profit from mention STG (Traditional Spécialité Guarantee). However this mention does not guarantee the geographical source and the definitions Faro , Geuze and Kriek are too vague to constitute a serious guarantee of quality. The mentions Old Gueuze and Vieille Kriek are on the other hand more reliable.

At the same time, the European Union made compulsory the labelling and the mention of a deadline of advised consumption. Previously the bottles of gueuze and kriek were simply marked of a feature to the lime white or red.

Mixing

The lambics are brewed starting from approximately 50-70 % of Malt of Barley and 30-50 % of wheat.

During cooking, one adds out of date Houblon (old from 2 to 3 years).

Must is then versed in a very broad and not very deep cooling vat, in general installed under the roof. There, it cools with the free air during one night, where it is sown by wild bacteria and yeasts of which Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus , characteristic of the valley of the Senne and Pajottenland. There is no yeast addition contrary to the ales or the Pils. One speaks about spontaneous fermentation. The process is used only October with May according to the proverb: “In winter, brews which wants; in summer, brews which can. ” The remainder of the year it makes too hot, the beer does not cool rather quickly and the air is too rich in harmful bacteria.

Sown must is then transferred in Barrique S from Chêne or Châtaignier where it ferments and becomes lambic. These Barrique S is generally bought of occasion to producers of Vin or Oporto because of the high price of the new Barrique S. It are maintained and preserved more the possible for a long time. The maturation of the lambic can last more than three years. The process is complex; certain yeasts and bacteria are quickly very active, others appear later. This is the process for the traditional method. For the industrial method one employs metal containeurs|date=date

Different lambics

the lambic ( lambiek or lambik in Dutch)

It is about an old beer from six to twelve months (lambic young person) or even up to three years (old lambic) approximately, disorder, with little semi-sparkling. It is not conditioned out of bottle and one finds any only in certain coffees.

the gueuze ( geuze in Dutch)

The gueuze is produced by an assembly of lambics young people and old man which causes a secondary refermentation out of bottle producing sparkling it. It titrates from 5 to 8 % vol. It is often described as “champagne of beer”. Its common points with the Wine from champagne are the use of bottles of champagne and the fact that it is about an assembly of various years. On the other hand one does not add a drawn-off liquid. The gueuze is thus not produced by a Champagne method .

the faro

The faro is a lambic softened by the brown candy sugar addition which confers a Goût to him caramelized. It is in this form that the lambic was formerly mainly consumed. The success of the Pils and the development of the gueuze and the kriek, permitted by the improvement of the solidity of the bottles and the use of bottles of champagne, almost made it disappear. The faro must be consumed rather quickly because the candy sugar revival fermentation. However, curiously, some brewers propose faro out of bottle today.

the kriek and others lambics with the fruits

The fruity lambics , in particular with the cherry ( kriek ) or with raspberry, are produced by the young mixture of lambic with whole fruits. The skin, the core as well as yeasts present on the fruit take part in the development of the taste. The cherries used for the kriek have a taste suret and the sugar which they bring transforms into alcohol. True the krieks has a taste very little sweetened. For reasons as much practical than economic (the season of the fruits is short and the fruits are often imported from abroad), one uses sometimes fruits frozen with a suitable result. On the other hand, the use of juice or syrup for the industrial productions of certain brewers produces more related beers extremely sweetened with lemonade than with beer-lambic.

Brewers and cutters

The brewers and the cutters market all at least gueuze and kriek. At the majority one finds also raspberry. Some sell lambic or faro as well as lambics aromatized with other fruits. In Belgium they are marketed under the marks and sub-brands:

BEV, group InBev, Breweries BEV with Zuun and Molenbeek

Of Firn to Schepdaal, brewery repurchased in 1990 and closed in 1992

Boon with Lembeek

Moriau, cutter of lambic whose Boon repurchased the name
Vander Linden, brewery closed in 1998 whose Boon repurchased the name

Cantillon with Anderlecht
Of Camwood to Gooik of site web
Girardin with Sint-Ulriks-Kapelle of site web
Hansens with Dworp of site web
Jacobins, brewery Bockor with Bellegem
Saint-Louis, Brewery Van Honsebrouck with Ingelmunster
Timmermans with Itterbeek, group John Martin
Oud Beersel with Beersel.

The production of beer containing lambic was into 2004 of approximately: 500,000 hl, is approximately 0,035% of the worldwide production of beer. The production is ensured 29% by the brewers and cutters of the HORAL, 29% by the 2 breweries located out of the traditional area of the lambic, 42% by the Belle-Vue brewery, and the remainder by the Cantillon brewery: ImageSize = width: 800 height: 300 PlotArea = left: 30 bottom: 20 signal: 20 right: 20 TimeAxis = orientation: horizontal format: yyyy AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from: 0 till: 200000.0 TimeAxis = orientation: horizontal AlignBars = early Colors = id: Gray been worth: rgb (0.97, 0.97, 0.97) id: been worth orange: rgb (0.94, 0.59,0.13) id: yellow been worth: rgb (1, 0.84314,0) id: red been worth: rgb (0.80, 0.33, 0.02) id: jaune2 been worth: rgb (1, 1,0.7) id: NA been worth: rgb (0,0.6667, 0.6667) id: darkgray been worth: rgb (0.27, 0.27, 0.27) id: midgray been worth: rgb (0.57, 0.57, 0.57) ScaleMajor = gridcolor: midgray increment: 50000 start: 0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor: Gray increment: 10000 start: 0

BarData= barset: Candidates

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Events

Since 1997, the odd years, HORAL organizes the Tour of gueuze ( Toer of geuze in Dutch) which makes it possible to visit the breweries members and to taste their beers.

Since 2004, even years, In Verzekering tegen of grote dorst , a " geuzecafé" typical with Eizeringen (Lennik) organizes the night of the great thirst which is an international festival of the gueuze and kriek.

Since 1992, the Opstalse Bierpallieters mainly organize the Week-end of Spontaneous Fermentation which gives the opportunity to taste approximately sixty-five different beers, containing lambic.

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