Will Belgian Beer Bear The Brunt Of Climatic Changes?

Belgian beer is known world over by beer lovers for its distinct taste. The beer owes its notes that set it apart from others to the yeast that it is brewed from. But recent climatic changes have been pouring water over efforts at brewing this delicious spirit in Belgium.

How Is It Done?

The hot brew is left to cool in open vessels so that the yeast can mingle with the wild yeast in the air to yield the naturally occurring bitter taste of the beer.

For traditional brewing, that is without using refrigerators or artificial cooling, the weather is very important. Cantillon produces about 400,000 bottles of beer annually using the traditional method.

Bad Beer

The ideal temperature for the brewing process is 3-8 degrees Celsius that is far less than what Belgium has been experiencing in the prolonged warm autumn.

With the average global temperature rising by almost 0.8% and the night temperatures in Belgium touching 15 degrees Celsius, , this is not possible. “It is totally abnormal. We have those night temperatures in the summer and with such a temperature it is totally impossible to brew,” Cantillon brewery owner Jean Van Roy told CBC News.

This uncalled for warm weather has caused a decline in the beer brewing. “We only have five months to brew and our production is very limited. If we lose a week we can survive but three weeks or more would be more complicated,” The Guardian quoted Van Roy saying.