Belgian beer, Belgium, Belgian beer glasses, Beer Travel, Global Beer Network

The yeast, through the natural process of fermentation, converts the malt sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The primary fermentation takes about a week. This is a most important period - it is the time during which the wort becomes beer.
The fermentation process defines the three major families of beers. The largest number of world's beers are made by a process known as BOTTOM fermentation. Most ales and stouts, most Belgian speciality beers (Abbey Ales, Wits, Doubles, Triples, Old browns and other ales), and several German beers are made by TOP fermentation. Belgium also has its own unique special family, the Lambic beers (Mort Subite), made by spontaneous fermentation. "Bottom", "top", and "spontaneous" refer to the behavior of the yeast.

The yeast precipitates in the "bottom" method of fermentation, which takes place at the relatively low temperatures of 35° F - 40° F and for little more than a week, usually about ten days. Bottom-fermentation is only a 200 years old fermentation process, but it must be said that it has captured the beer-market in a fast pace all over the world. This type includes all the most common plain US, Mexican and other imported beers (Germany, Holland, Japan ...). They are also known as Pilsners, Lagers, Munich and Dortmund Export styles, Märzen and Bock beers. Pilsner comes from the name of the city in Tjechie, where this style of beer is said to be invented. Lager comes from the German word for layer, "Lager". This type of beer is the least expensive, and is losing market-share in a fast pace to the other types of fermentation. In Belgium, this type of beer thumbed down to about 70 % of the marketshare. In the USA, this type still holds 98% of the market, but the other styles, the specialty beer market, is growing with a 50% increase of their marketshare per year! Finally, the US-population begins to recognize good beers.

The yeast rised to the surface (whence it is skimmed off) in the "TOP" method of fermentation, which takes place at higher temperatures of 60° F - 70° F, for just under a week. The identification "ale" is the real identification for a top fermenting beer. In California you still have a strange law, saying the alcohol contents defines the style of the beer. Ridiculous and a proof of the ignorance of the law-makers.

The Global Beer Network only sells Top-fermenting beers and Lambics, the spontaneous fermented beers. In the first category we offer Abbey ales like Augustijn, Bornem and St.Hermes, the triples like Piraat and Gulden Draak, specialities like Double Enghien and Sara, Wits like Vlaskop and Joseph, spiced ales like Houten Kop, and Old Brown ales like Ichtegems. Our Mort Subite Lambic, coming in Kriek (cherry), Peche (Peach) and Framboise (Raspberry), Cassis (Black Current) and Gueuze (no fruit) is the best known Lambic of Belgium.

Part V