Cantillon

From Cantillon's Website

Lambic and the spontaneous fermentation

Cantillon Brewery

I am Mimi, the little mouse. The brewery doesn't have any secrets for me, so follow me and I'll tell you about the beers which are made here.

I am fond of wheat and barley grains, so I am probably the best guide to introduce you to these great beers : Gueuze, Kriek, Faro, etc.

Traditional Lambic is made according to the following rules:

Ingredients:

• raw wheat 35%
• malted barley 65%
• dried hops (three years old) : 5 g per liter of beer

Process:

• brewing (from 45°c up to 72°c)
• collecting the wort by filtering
• boiling and hopping in the boilers
• cooling down in the cooling tun, in contact with the open air
• natural infection of the wort by wild ferments (bacteria and yeasts)
• pumping the wort at a temperature of 18°c into oakwood or chestnutwood barrels
• spontaneous fermentation, visible in the beginning, slow afterwards
• transformation of all the sugars within three years

Looks of Lambic:

Still beer, cereals wine. During the fermentation, the carbon dioxide escapes through the wood and as a result does not saturate the beer.