“Get inspired by the stories and recipes of the Swaen”
Brewing with cereals
There are many reasons why brewers use various flaked grains. Some intensify a certain characteristic, add a unique aroma to the beer, while others affect the color and clarity or boost the volume of fermentable sugars. Depending on the beer style and purpose you can commonly choose among flaked maize, barley, oat and wheat. Their […]
How to keep malt and store it correctly
At the end of the germination time the green malt has to be dried in order to keep it. It is generally accepted that malt should be kept below then 6% moisture. All base malts however will be kilned and cured between 4 and 4,5%. After transfer to storage and/or bagging, a maximum of 5% […]
Recipe – Altbier
Altbier is a top-fermented, amber, lagered beer, that is traditionally brewed in the historical region of Westphalia, mainly in Düsseldorf. “Alt” (old) in its name refers to the older style of brewing when ale yeast has been widely used. The appellation became necessary when bottom-fermenting yeasts spread about the brewing scene in the 1800’s. Nevertheless, […]
National IPA Day
Today is the first Thursday of August, which means it’s the National IPA Day. In the past decades this beer style, beyond question, turned into the most exciting and popular one of all. So, let’s see some interesting facts, you may not have known yet. We all know the story of British settlers, that couldn’t […]
Recipe of the Month – American Amber Ale
American Amber Ale While the whole world is increasingly keen on APA’s and IPA’s we easily forget about this style that has been also developed in the American craft beer revolution as a variation from American Pale Ales. According to BJCP it is an amber, hoppy, moderate-strength American craft beer with a caramel malty flavor. […]
Top grower talks about growing barley
Company name: Verdurmen V.O.F. Place company: Kloosterzande Livestock: 180 Belgian Blues, 80 calving cows per year Land use: 90 ha pasture in nature reserve ‘The Putting’, 20 ha table potatoes, 7 ha sugar beets, 10 ha chicory, 8 ha silage maize, 22 ha wheat, 3 ha barley and 14 ha onion sets. As a close […]