Changes

Old barrels

*[[Vat_79_Monoblend|Boon Vat 79 Monoblend]] (from a foeder built in 1883), along with many of the other monoblend series

Barrel cleaning is important for lambic production; however, the exact methods used vary among individual brewers and blenders. Some basic steps are fairly universal. First, any sediment is removed from the barrels by spraying with hot water and, in some cases, scrubbing. Some brewers (such as Cantillon) scrape barrels clean by putting sharpened chains in the barrels and spinning them. The barrels are then washed extensively with with very hot water and/or steamed to sanitize and prepare them for use. If they are to be stored empty rather than being reused promptly, the barrels are allowed to dry and sulfur is burned in them to preserve their sanitation. Even with this extensive cleaning, the barrels still carry microbes and contribute to the fermentation of subsequent batches of lambic<ref name='Spitaels et al 2014'>F. Spitaels, A.D. Wieme, M. Janssens, M. Aerts, H.M. Daniel, A. Van Landschoot, L. De Vuyst, P. Vandamme (2014). [[The_Microbial_Diversity_of_Traditional_Spontaneously_Fermented_Lambic_Beer.|The Microbial Diversity of Traditional Spontaneously Fermented Lambic Beer.]] PLOS One, 9(4), e95384.</ref> and only superficial cleaning of barrels can alter the progression of lambic fermentation.<ref name='Spitaels et al 2015'>F. Spitaels, A.D. Wieme, M. Janssens, M. Aerts, H.M. Daniel, A. Van Landschoot, L. De Vuyst, P. Vandamme (2015). The microbial diversity of an industrially produced lambic beer shares members of a traditionally produced one and reveals a core microbiota for lambic beer fermentation. Food Microbiology, 49, 23-32.</ref>