— Please note that most lectures will include drinks, and most (?) tasting sessions will include tutoring. Workshops go for a balanced both. —
–More programming will be added on the fly.–

 

 

The cultivation of British brewing yeast  –  Ed Wray

English and British yeast history is marked by the use of top-fermenting strains, the transition from un-hopped ales to hopped beers, and the cultural and industrial significance of yeast in defining British brewing traditions. The development and management of yeast strains were crucial to the British brewing industry, especially with the rise of porter and other strong beers. The use of specific yeast strains was often tied to regional identities and the strength of the beer.
The history of some of the worlds most respected and used strains.

 

On other wild yeasts besides Brett – Kester Ratcliff

Kester found a quest in working with the unknown. This is all about brewing with Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans, Lactobacillus sakei.
From cell to Corny keg, brewing with actual wild yeasts!

 

Modern Gruit – A deep dive into the world of Amaro inspired beer and cider –  Benedikt Koch

Elixirs and potions for healing developed alongside gruit. While those elixirs where transformed into a more enjoyable version called Amaro, Gruit suffered the fate of being lost in history. Looking at this transformation I set out to create a modern approach to Gruit inspired by the world of Amaro, Aperitivo and Tonic.

Explore with me the categories of Amaro like Fernet, Aperetivo, Rabarbaro or Carciofo. Taste different bittering agents like wormwood, cascarilla or gentian and learn how to use it. Analyse different amaro recipes and filter out key aromatic ingredients for different types.

Benedikt prepared different beers and ciders which showcase different amaros which will be sampled alongside this wonderful bitter journey.

 

The unknown possibilities of bottom fermenting yeast  –  Steven van den Berg

“My argument is that bottom fermenting yeasts are undervalued for brewing beer other than pilsner/lager beers. I wish to present this argument based on practical experience at the former Christoffel brewery in Roermond and my decade of experience at Gulpener Brewery. Bottom fermented yeasts are extremely interesting because they can actively ferment within a temperature range of 2 to 30 degrees Celsius. Due to this temperature range, the brewer can exert significant influence on the formation of fermentation aromas. Relatively speaking, bottom yeasts also produce much more aroma than their top fermenting sisters at a given temperature. Thanks to “natural” selection for the production of pilsner beers, we have strains at our disposal that handle hop aromas very mildly and do not consume them as food. And last but not least, these yeasts are extremely suitable for classic active lagering of the beer. Naturally, there are some practical challenges involved in using bottom yeasts for primary fermentation and active lagering. Points for discussion include wort aeration, cultivation, and yeast extraction. ”

 

Mycorrhizae in the rhizosphere  –  Hugo Glashier

 

Makgeolli Workshop – Brouwerij Gevel
During this workshop, Brouwerij Gevel will lead you through the history of Korean makgeolli and its siblings. Participants will be brewing their own batch of Makgeolli (approximately 1L) using the provided ingredients and tools. This ricey session also includes a tasting, of course.

 

Sake: Parameters for another fermentation – Duitse Jan (Sake Sip)
Sake is often introduced with polite reverence, but this talk skips the polite and goes straight for the ferment. From fermentation mechanics to big-picture intent, this is a detailed step-by-step dive into the techical aspects of brewing (Japanese) sake —not just how it’s made, but why it’s made that way, and how every step, from rice polishing and washing, koji inoculation, semi-solid mash parallel (ambient) fermentation and pressing, is a decision (and lever) shaping the final flavour.

We’ll talk koji, kobo, namazake and kimoto; we’ll unpack multiple parallel fermentation and ask why they’re so different from what beer and wine folks are used to. And we’ll taste: from unpressed Doburoku of Nondo or Ine to Agave to the juicy aroma of Nabeshima, the wild funk of Terada Honke, the artistry of Fukucho, elegance of Gozenshu and the amino acid-heavy boldness of eg. Tamagawa and Kenbishi. Expect a few surprises! Categories like junmai or ginjo will be questioned (or gently dismantled), alcohol and water additions discussed, and new ways of thinking about sake will be offered—based on intent, texture, flavours and fermentation philosophies.

 

Possibilities Beyond the Capitalist and Romanticist Duopoly  –  Kester Ratcliff

 

Heirloom grains in a modern brewery  –  Gijs Troost

Gijs Troost, head brewer at de Gooische bierbrouwerij has a fascination for the use of heirloom grains (and alikes) in his brewery. In this talk he will explain the need for these choices, and give tips and tricks when using these varieties.

 

Fermented coffee  –  Kilian Seger

 

Belgian style table beer in the 20th century  –  Ithar de Costa

Table beer, the low ABV beers as seen in Belgian can be considered a historic beer style. They’ve had many transformations during the last decades, both in recipes as in cultural value.
While non-alcoholic beers are becoming a huge success, classic table beers became the about least sexy beer one can be seen with, even in Belgium.
What is the (modern) history of this style? What is, was, its cultural function, and can we revive this nourishing beer?

 

Beer and Revolution – Ed Wray.

As requested! When a couple of years ago, Carnivale did its enigmatic camping edition, we had Ed Wray over talking about Beer and revolution. Workers controlling breweries during the Spanish revolution, German anarchist immigrants with their breweries and bars in New york around the fin de siècle, and no, this is not about that recently closed brewery in Aberdeen.

 

Dennis Vansant – Saison celebration

Dennis guiding us through no less than 13 saisons from Blaugies and Dupont, going back as far as 1985.

 

Dennis Vansant – Vintage Valuables

A handpicked tasting with 10 of the finest Geuze/Kriek/Framboise blends of the last 40 years

Dennis Vansant   –  Liefmans plus Chocolats.

A tasting that has it all in the name.

Workshop lambic blending – John Versyck (‘t Pomphuizeke)
Due to great success in previous years, John Versyck from ‘t Pomphuizeke will do a workshop lambic blending. Going through the components of several years of aged lambic and resulting in a bottle to take home for the much needed refermentation.