Introduction to Mixed Fermentation Beer Homebrewing

In this hands-on workshop you'll learn by brewing together one of the traditional mixed fermentation styles - Flemish Red, Lambic, Gose or Berliner Wiess. You can tell me if you have a preference which we make. The workshop is open to 6 participants, plus one assistant and me. Lunch, snacks, and sampling previous beers I made are included.

We'll gather at 11am and start the mashing about 12, because the whole process usually takes 4-6 hours to complete (you can leave earlier). I want you to end up feeling enabled to do it yourself, not just overwhelmed by the details, so I'll start with a quick presentation and print a handout to give you some structure to help to retain more of the information.

Primary fermentation usually takes 1-2 weeks, then I transfer to a clean vat under CO2 pressure leaving the yeast sediment behind, and secondary fermentation and cool conditioning to clarify in the temperature range 15-0°C takes another month or two.

When it's ready in 1-2 months, you can get an 4L* plastic keg of the beer we made. The beer is included in the workshop price but the kegging equipment deposit is +25€. If you're living in Amsterdam I can deliver it, or you can pay for postage. Please return the keg set when it's empty and get your deposit back or reuse it for another workshop.

This workshop may interest you if you (or the person you're gifting it to) is interested in homebrewing and the more complex mixed fermentation styles, and either you want to learn how or to try it without buying your own equipment and materials first (expensive!).

I don't stick to the traditions in a Romanticising way but pay attention closely to why they did things and sometimes modify and improve. For example, I add more antioxidants to reduce oxidative loss of aromas. I'll try to adapt the workshop to the individual participants, but I tend to talk in scientifically detailed biochem and microbiology terms.

I have a notes file with about 115 recipes planned (https://tinyurl.com/MixedFermBeerRecipes), but to start with I suggest you pick one of these types: (A) a Flemish Red-like variant; (B) a fruited Lambic or Gose; or (C) a fruited Saison (possibly with Kveik and LABs). In future workshops we can explore more hybrid and experimental styles, including mixed ferm and lagering (low temp, slow) techniques.

Please see the Group description for more general legal and safety info.

Please message me in advance if you have any special dietary requirements for the lunch and snacks included. I'll probably make a one pot stew (might contain meat unless you tell me otherwise), bread and salad for lunch, and malty knäckebröd and kefir as snacks.

The discount code 'OneofaCouple' applies if you want to come with a partner or friend and you're willing to share one 4L keg of the finished beer. This is because I currently have equipment limiting to 6 x 4L. The discount code has to be for less than the normal price, so this is *each*, meaning it's 120 for a couple rather than 150 as two individuals.

(*I changed the amount of beer per participant from 8 to 4L because: a 4L keg fits in a normal fridge easier (35cm); it more probably doesn't require a CO2 mini regulator and cartridges to top up; and with 4L I can host up to 6 participants which more nearly covers my upfront equipment and materials costs sooner. FYI, comparable quality mixed fermentation beer at retail usually costs 6-16€ per 35cl bottle, ≈18-45€/L, e.g. look in the 'Wild ales' aisle in Sterk on De Clercqstraat. I'll order more kegging equipment after the workshop - so I can show you the options and you tell me what you want to borrow on deposit, and as the beer takes 1-2 months to be ready the keg sets will be here then.)