Beer Basics #3: Belgian-Style Ales

Omitting the ancient art of Lambic production, and speaking in extremely general terms, there are two main brewing traditions in Belgium. The first is a monastic one responsible for beers we know as “Abbey-Style” “Dubbel” “Tripel” “Quadrupel” or “Strong Dark.” The second is a secular “Farmhouse” brewing tradition we associate with “provision” beer styles like “saison” and “bieres de garde.”

In broad terms, the styles of monastic origin or reference have largely come to be defined by two things; a pronounced, high-temperature fermentation character and the liberal use of candi sugar or caramel syrups. In some examples, simple sugar can make up as much as 20% of a beer’s grist. “Grist” is a term used to refer to all of the potentially fermentable material a brewer starts with. Malt, rice, corn, roasted barley, dextrose, etc.

The effect of adding simple sugar to a beer’s grist can be counter-intuitive at first. Yeast convert simple sugars into alcohol and CO2 much more efficiently than they do malt. Many adjunct sugars ferment off entirely, contributing only to the alcohol content of the beer, and, since ethanol is thinner than water, the secondary effect of that alcohol-level increase is a thinning of the beer’s body. That means, brewers add sugar prior to fermentation to make the beer drier, not sweeter.

Meanwhile the warmer fermentation temperatures and expressive yeast strains associated with Belgian-style ales contribute lots of playful fruity aromas. On the palate, these brews tend toward sweet flavors like fruit, caramel, and chocolate, and display a snappy, champagne-like, lushness of mouthfeel. This high carbonation along with a lower finishing gravity makes many high ABV Belgian-style ales surprisingly refreshing. Think: “sweet but dry”

Saisons
The “Farmhouse” tradition of so-called “provision” beers is characterized by brighter, more rustic brews that also revel in the tart fruit and spicy tang produced by unbridled fermentation. These brews are often a bit more bitter than those rooted in the Monastic tradition with hops playing a much more prominent role. Farmhouse brewing is characteristically experimental, utilizing a variety of grains, sugars, and spices and occasionally producing beers that can be quite funky or earthy in their aroma.