Please note that most lectures will include drinks,
and most tasting sessions will include tutoring.
Workshops go for a balanced both.
Garrett Oliver – Brewing the Truth.
An overview of the arc of food and drink history, from ‘The Real’, into ‘The Matrix’of heavily engineered foods, and the modern ‘rebellion’ of which craft brewers and wild fermentationists are a part.
A both technical and philosophical/spiritual (What is ‘real’?). Navigating the flow between the spiritual side and the technical side of the work is really the life’s work of most of us.
Templars Choice – Tasting
A British couple making keeved cider and Calvados in Normandy. Local apple in local coopered barrels.
Rody Misseyer – Shrubs: the flavorful backbone of low-&no
Enter the world of flavorful and complex non-alcoholic beverages. Shrubs are the thirst quenching backbone that’s packed with flavour. Crafted with fresh fruit, sugar and raw vinegar to deliver a bright acidity punch with wild aromatics. Shrubs are a structural element that balances sweet richness with a crisp bite.
Dive into the non-alcoholic world, follow the vinegar funk and taste the depth to create non-alcoholic masterpieces.
Richard Preiss – The Spice Must Flow: Tasting and Origin of Phenolic “Off” Flavours
Volatile phenols contribute spicy, smoky, or solventy aromas to beer. While phenolic aromas are prized in certain beer styles like hefeweizen or Belgian beers, they are often considered defects in others, to the point that the industry commonly refers to phenolics as “POF” (Phenolic Off Flavour). Yet, the discussion around phenolics is often reduced to a simple binary concept of yeasts and beers being POF-negative or POF-positive.
This talk will cover how phenolic aromas are formed from flavourless precusors. We share data showing that phenolic aromas are produced across a spectrum of intensity, within both Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces yeasts. Practical advice on how to control phenolic aromas in beer will be provided. Attendees will also taste beer spiked with common phenolic aroma compounds to gain first-person experience in clearly identifying these flavours.
Pierre Tilquin – Tasting: Family Tree Project
In homage to Pierre Tilquin’s ancestors, a series of special gueuze blends has been launched for each member of the family tree, with the idea to increase the portion of older lambic as bottlings delve deeper into the past (with Gueuze Tilquin à l’Ancienne serving as the base). In March 2021, the project began with a distinct blend in honor of Pierre Tilquin’s father, Jean-Paul Tilquin. Currently there are 12 beers on the market, and we’ll go trough them all in a 2-hour session.
Brasserie Levain – Tasting
An exclusive Levain tasting experience where the nuanced worlds of fine wine and craft beer beautifully intertwine! We will be showcasing a carefully curated selection of expressive regional wines poured alongside specially macerated and barrel-aged beers inspired by those very same grape varieties. To perfectly elevate these exceptional beverages, we’ve prepared a mouthwatering menu of hearty, traditional pairings featuring rich, artisanal cured meats and deeply flavourful aged cheeses. Secure your spot now for an unforgettable evening celebrating complex flavours, shared craftsmanship, and regional culinary delight.
A look at the British brewing tradition and resistance to pure yeast cultures. – Ed Wray
One yeast good, two yeasts better!
Lager swept around the world but Britain maintained an ale brewing tradition, and mixed culture and multi-strain fermentation played a part in this.
When single strain pure yeast cultures were developed at the Carlsberg brewery they were rapidly adopted by breweries in many countries. But they found few fans in Britain. From the 1890s to the present day we will look at why pure cultures didn’t work for British ales and how the use of multi-strain yeasts has continued in the best of British beers.
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
A wild entanglement of fungus and plant, connection and exchange. Neither singular nor isolated, mycorrhizae form the extensions and belowground networks connecting plants, roots and the living soil. Often described as mutualistic symbioses, these relationships may however rest on dependence—arrangements never entirely without tension. A talk exploring physiology, ecology and nutrient economics.
Makgeolli Tasting – Brouwerij Gevel
Brewery Gevel returns to Carnivale with a guided tasting of Korea’s iconic rice wine. Expect a selection of different makgeollis and snacks, paired with stories about Korean brewing traditions and spontaneous rice fermentation.
Sake: Diving into the ‘wild’ of sake fermentation – Duitse Jan (Sake Sip)
Last years talk introduction as reference. Update soon!
“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 da 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 – Vintage Valuables
A handpicked tasting with 10 of the finest Lambic/Geuze/Flemish red up to 40yrs old!
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.