The Trappist beers brewed at the Saint Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren (West Flanders) are world famous. Westvleteren 12 has even been elected as the world’s best beer. But getting hold of the brew can be quite a challenge though online sales are now available. Still VRT’s mystery-hunter Sam De Meulder wanted to find out whether you can make your own Westvleteren beer and he is probably not alone.
In 2005 Westvleteren 12 was selected as the world’s best beer and its reputation certainly hasn’t faded since. The special yeast used is probably the main secret for the beer’s success. The beer enjoys a fermentation process that includes secondary fermentation in the bottle. Sam De Meulder now faces the challenge of recreating this unique brew but first needs to get hold of Westvleteren yeast.
In beer circles Westvleteren enjoys cult status. More than once the Flemish brew has been chosen as the world’s best beer by drinkers on the leading international beer forum Ratebeer.com. The beer is often sold out. Wine steward and beer connoisseur Sofie Vanrafelghem explains the numerous reasons for its success: “It’s a magnificent Belgian Trappist. It’s full of flavours that hit you in several levels. Of course, the exclusive nature of this beverage makes it a holy grail for some. It’s only for sale from the monks of Westvleteren, though they have new stepped into the 21st century and are accepting online orders. You can of course order the beer for immediate consumption in the café next to the abbey and it’s on the drinks list at some other venues, but always in small numbers”.
For the monks at the Saint Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren it was a conscious decision to keep production numbers low. “The abbey’s slogan is ‘brew to live, not live to brew’” says Sofie. “Some people say this is a clever marketing ploy intended to retain the brew’s exclusive character, but that is a misconception. The monks don’t wish to produce a commercial product, but rather a craft brew that finances their lives.
Sofie says production wasn’t increased even after Westvleteren was selected as the world’s best beer, but the beer’s exclusivity has led to extortionate prices. At one instance a bottle was sold for 300 euros in Dubai”.
To make his own Westvleteren Sam will require Westvleteren yeast. The Westvleteren 12 enjoys secondary fermentation in the bottle. Often a different yeast is employed for secondary fermentation in the bottle, but it’s understood that the monks use the same yeast for the initial brewing process as well as for secondary fermentation. To ensure the yeast is separated from the beer in a professional fashion Sam heads for Leuven University equipped with a genuine bottle of Westvleteren. This being Belgium, the university also boasts a campus in Ghent that is kitted out with a beer laboratory used by students during industrial sciences courses.
Here Gert De Rouck is in charge and is keen to explain what yeast exactly does: “Yeast is an organism, just like humans, but of course a lot smaller. Yeast turns sugars into carbon dioxide. When you stop oxygen supplies to yeast it starts to produce alcohol. In addition the yeast also produces esters and higher alcohols that give beers their typical taste and odour.
At the lab the bottle of Westvleteren 12 is carefully poured to separate yeast from the beer. A nutrient medium is added to the yeast to help increase its amount and ensure there is sufficient to brew 20 litres of our own Westvleteren. The yeast will be allowed to grow for three days in the hope there will then be enough yeast cells to produce a tasty brew that equals the original.
Mystery-hunter Sam De Meulder hopes he is now equipped with sufficient quantities of yeast to commence the brewing process. In our next episode we will discover whose help he has enlisted to help him brew his own Westvleteren.