AAB 024: Spontaneous Fermentation in Beer

Spontaneous fermentation may be the most unique brewing technique in the world and the beers they produce are just as interesting, with many flavors not seen outside these styles. But “spontaneous” doesn't really tell you anything about what goes into making lambic, gueuze and American made versions from insane boiling hours to months and years waiting to see if the beer is actually any good to sell. Today we talk to two producers: one a classic lambic house from the Senne River Valley and the brewery that defined American sour brewing. Werner Van Obberghen is one of the owners of Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen. In 2013, Armand Debelder and Michaël Blancquaert called upon Werner to help shaping the future

of 3 Fonteinen. With his experience in strategy and with masters in finance and business economics,

he is now responsible with Michaël for managing 3 Fonteinen and its team of twenty. Michaël takes

care of the creative & operational side (brewing, blending, bottling, labelling) while Werner manages

the business side (administration, sales, marketing, tasting room). Michaël and Werner continue the life-long craftmanship of Armand and – inspired by his values and

wishes – took 3 Fonteinen a step further. Longer barrel ageing, a local cereal and hop collective with

farmers, a network of families with Schaarbeekse sour cherries, a direct relation with some of the

most progressive biodynamic wine makers are just a few examples.

Jeffrey Stuffings grew up on the gulf coast of Florida. He studied government at Notre Dame and law at Boston College. While in law school, he discovered homebrewing and craft beer. He and his wife Amber moved to Texas 2007. Shortly thereafter, Jeff began working on starting Jester King with Amber (co-founder) and brother Michael Steffing (co-founder).  Today, Jeffrey focuses on beer making and Jester King’s operations. He and Amber live in the Dripping Springs, Texas area and have two children Laura and George. 

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Estrella Galicia

Estrella Galicia is an independent, family-owned brewery  in northwest Spain, founded in 1906. Estrella Galicia Cerveza Especial is a world class lager, brewed using the finest Spanish malts, locally  cultivated Galician hops and the best brewing practices, in a state-of-the-art facility in A Coruna. Recognized around the world for quality and exceptional character. Estrella Galicia is “A beer like no other.”

Yakima Valley Hops

Looking for an easy hop sourcing experience? Yakima Valley Hops offers the finest quality hops from right here in our Valley and premium growing regions around the world. Get the hops you need when you need them, with ultra-fast shipping and awesome customer service. With a full line of liquid hop products and all your favorite varieties, no contracts are needed to brew with the best. Shop now at YakimaValleyHops.com.Hosts: Em Sauter and Don TseGuests: Werner Van Obberghen, Jeffrey StuffingsSponsors: Estrella Galicia, Yakima Valley Hops, All About BeerTags: Brewing, Spontaneous, Fermentation, History, Wood, Environment, Belgium, Texas

The following music was used for this media project:

Music: Awesome Call by Kevin MacLeod

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3399-awesome-call

License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Artist website: https://incompetech.com

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