Brouwerij Kestemont: Difference between revisions
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== Overview == | == Overview == | ||
Brouwerij Kestemont is an artisanal, family-owned and run brewery, based in the former Goossens building | Brouwerij Kestemont is an artisanal, family-owned and run brewery co-founded by brewer Lias Kestemont, his father Francis Kestemont, and his brother-in-law Wim Krieckemans who handle the business side of things. It is based in the former Goossens building in Sint-Gertrudis-Pede (a hamlet in Dilbeek) that they purchased in 2016. | ||
== History | They started as a blendery (using Den Herbeg lambic in 2019 and 2020) and in early 2021, equipment was installed and brewing operations began in march with a first release of on-site brewed beers in september 2022. All ingredients used (including fruits) are certified organic. | ||
== History == | |||
Brewery Goossens was until 1968 one of the many breweries in Dilbeek and the surrounding area, situated at walking distance from several former breweries like De Neve, Eylenbosch and the Spanuit. The first sources known for the Goossens building dates back to 1767, with the date appearing on a keystone at the entry of the building added during a renovation, attesting that the place is even older than that. Many of the current buildings are visible on the Ferraris maps of the low countries, made while under Austrian rule. | |||
After almost 25 years of abandonment, the buildings and the land were bought from the Goossens heirs by Frans Appelmans and Yvette Mary, who ran a construction business there while renovating intensely. | |||
The place was then purchased by Francis Kestemont in 2016 (the Kestemont family is born and bred in the Pajot region, and Francis has been an organic farmer in the area for over 40 years), with the wish to preserve this historical site. It is now protected as historical heritage since 2017. | |||
After three years, the first batch of lambic (brewed at Den Herberg) is put into wooden casks to start aging. A new brewing hall was installed early 2021 to start brewing again after almost half a century of absence, under the guidance of brewing master Lias Kestemont, who was a homebrewer for 10 years before that. | |||
== Side Notes == | |||
Kestemont boils the wort 3 to 4 hours before placing it in their coolship, and many of the barrels they use are ex-cognac barrels, with a capacity from 450 Liter to 600 Liter, but they also have former french wine barrels (225 Liter) as well as former italian wine barrels (500 Liter). In 2024, the barrel room stocked about 360 barrels, totalling at about 700 hectoliters of lambic. | |||
Many of the fruits used in the beers are actually farmed by the family (who grows mainly vegetables, but also a small portion of fruits as well as their own wheat). The list includes sour cherries, including the Schaarbeek variety, as well as raspberries, blackberries, red, green and yellow gooseberries, rhubarb, red currant and black currant. They are added on lambic at least one year old, but are often a blend of one, two, and sometimes three years old, depending on the beer. | |||
The tanks used at the brewery to macerate fruits since 2023 have an unusual shape due to the fact that as an historical site, laws in Belgium prevent them to alter the buildings to open wider openings to fit bigger tanks through. | |||
The brewery itself was bought second hand from Brouwerij De Sater in Nazareth, and has a capacity of 16 hectoliters (about 13.6 U.S. beer barrels) and was originally built for dairy production, which is quite common as a setup in Belgian breweries . | |||
== Beers == | == Beers == | ||
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* [[Kestemont Bloedappelsien|Bloedappelsien]] | * [[Kestemont Bloedappelsien|Bloedappelsien]] | ||
* [[Kestemont Braambes|Braambes]] | * [[Kestemont Braambes|Braambes]] | ||
* [[Kestemont Coulis Speciale|Coulis Speciale]] | |||
* [[Kestemont Framboise| Framboise]] | * [[Kestemont Framboise| Framboise]] | ||
* [[Kestemont Groene Druif|Groene Druif]] | * [[Kestemont Groene Druif|Groene Druif]] | ||
Latest revision as of 05:41, 22 April 2025
Website (French, Dutch, English): https://www.brouwerijkestemont.be
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078893080265
Instagram: @realbrouwerijkestemont
Email:info@brouwerijkestemont.be
Phone: +32 2 532 25 52
Address: Isabellastraat 16, 1703 Dilbeek, Belgium
Open: Friday & Saturday 1pm - 8pm
Overview
Brouwerij Kestemont is an artisanal, family-owned and run brewery co-founded by brewer Lias Kestemont, his father Francis Kestemont, and his brother-in-law Wim Krieckemans who handle the business side of things. It is based in the former Goossens building in Sint-Gertrudis-Pede (a hamlet in Dilbeek) that they purchased in 2016.
They started as a blendery (using Den Herbeg lambic in 2019 and 2020) and in early 2021, equipment was installed and brewing operations began in march with a first release of on-site brewed beers in september 2022. All ingredients used (including fruits) are certified organic.
History
Brewery Goossens was until 1968 one of the many breweries in Dilbeek and the surrounding area, situated at walking distance from several former breweries like De Neve, Eylenbosch and the Spanuit. The first sources known for the Goossens building dates back to 1767, with the date appearing on a keystone at the entry of the building added during a renovation, attesting that the place is even older than that. Many of the current buildings are visible on the Ferraris maps of the low countries, made while under Austrian rule.
After almost 25 years of abandonment, the buildings and the land were bought from the Goossens heirs by Frans Appelmans and Yvette Mary, who ran a construction business there while renovating intensely.
The place was then purchased by Francis Kestemont in 2016 (the Kestemont family is born and bred in the Pajot region, and Francis has been an organic farmer in the area for over 40 years), with the wish to preserve this historical site. It is now protected as historical heritage since 2017.
After three years, the first batch of lambic (brewed at Den Herberg) is put into wooden casks to start aging. A new brewing hall was installed early 2021 to start brewing again after almost half a century of absence, under the guidance of brewing master Lias Kestemont, who was a homebrewer for 10 years before that.
Side Notes
Kestemont boils the wort 3 to 4 hours before placing it in their coolship, and many of the barrels they use are ex-cognac barrels, with a capacity from 450 Liter to 600 Liter, but they also have former french wine barrels (225 Liter) as well as former italian wine barrels (500 Liter). In 2024, the barrel room stocked about 360 barrels, totalling at about 700 hectoliters of lambic.
Many of the fruits used in the beers are actually farmed by the family (who grows mainly vegetables, but also a small portion of fruits as well as their own wheat). The list includes sour cherries, including the Schaarbeek variety, as well as raspberries, blackberries, red, green and yellow gooseberries, rhubarb, red currant and black currant. They are added on lambic at least one year old, but are often a blend of one, two, and sometimes three years old, depending on the beer.
The tanks used at the brewery to macerate fruits since 2023 have an unusual shape due to the fact that as an historical site, laws in Belgium prevent them to alter the buildings to open wider openings to fit bigger tanks through.
The brewery itself was bought second hand from Brouwerij De Sater in Nazareth, and has a capacity of 16 hectoliters (about 13.6 U.S. beer barrels) and was originally built for dairy production, which is quite common as a setup in Belgian breweries .
Beers
Fruit
- Abrikozen
- Bergamot
- Blauwe Bes
- Bloedappelsien
- Braambes
- Coulis Speciale
- Framboise
- Groene Druif
- Kruisbes
- Oude Kriek
- Oude Kriek Schaarbeekse
- Rabarber
- Zwarte Bes