Brewing beer is a fascinating process that has been practiced by people all over the world for thousands of years and time and again we discover small breweries that produce excellent beer. The Westerwolde brewery is certainly one of the insider tips among brewers.
It’s amazing what can develop from a gift. Someone has a passion for beer and receives a “do-it-yourself beer brewing kit” as a gift and a brewery is born. Like so many breweries, the Westerwolde brewery also started brewing beer in a small kitchen at home. Today, there are gleaming brewing kettles and storage tanks in the converted pigsty. Brewing is still a family business. Father and son Verweij stand at the kettles, mashing, lautering and bottling the finished beer.
How do you brew beer?
Although there are many different types of beer, the basic process of brewing beer is based on four main ingredients: Water, malt, hops and yeast. The basic principle of the brewing process is always the same and can be simplified as follows:
Mashing
The first step in brewing beer is mashing. This involves mixing ground malt (usually barley) with warm water. The aim is to convert the starch in the malt into sugar, which is later fermented into alcohol by the yeast. The mixture is kept at a certain temperature for about an hour to promote the conversion.
Lautering
After mashing, the brewer must separate the liquid, which is now called “wort”, from the solid grain. This process is called lautering. The wort is passed through a filter, which holds back the solid components and allows the clear liquid to pass through.
Boiling
The wort obtained is then usually boiled for around 60 to 90 minutes. Hops are added during the boiling process. Hops give the beer its characteristic bitter taste and contribute to its shelf life. Depending on the type of beer, different types of hops can be added at different times during the boil. This is where the brewer’s creativity begins and this step is decisive for the taste.
Fermenting
Once the wort has been boiled and cooled, the yeast comes into play. The brewer pours the cooled wort into a fermentation tank and adds the yeast. The yeast consumes the sugar in the wort and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide in the process. This process usually takes one to two weeks. Every brewer uses a very specific yeast culture for their beer. In some large breweries, this step is a well-kept secret and the yeast strain has always been the same for decades. This is because the yeast also contributes to the subsequent flavor development.
Maturing
After fermentation, the beer is stored. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the type of beer. During this time, the taste matures and unwanted aromas evaporate. The maturation step is always emphasized when you visit a small brewery.
Large “beer factories” produce for the global market and have often shortened their production process in the storage area. This is not the case in small microbreweries.
Bottling
The final step is filling the beer into bottles, kegs or cans. Often a small amount of sugar is added to the beer before bottling to create a second, light fermentation in the bottle, which carbonates the beer and gives it its effervescence.
The beer from the Westerwolde brewery
The Westerwolde brewery from Vlagtwedde offers a variety of beers with different flavors and alcohol contents. We have tried some of the beers and we already have a favorite!
Westerwolder Frisse Pils
The Pils is a delicious, hoppy beer with 5% alcohol content.
Westerwolder Rijke Pils
A typical pilsner, but with a slightly higher alcohol content (5.5%) than Frisse Pils. During the brewing process, the brewers add a little roasted wheat, which gives the beer a slightly malty taste.
Our favorite beer: Westerwolde Summer of ’69 Summer ’69 was the first beer we tried from the Westerwolde Brewery range. Sitting in the beer garden at Vesting Bourtange, we were served the light and refreshing IPA. With its 3.5% alcohol content, it is not too heavy and perfect for the summer.
I think the beer tastes slightly fruity, which is certainly enhanced by the use of American citrus hops.
Westerwolder Sterke Blonde
At 7.8%, the beer is one of the brewery’s stronger beers. It tastes very intense, but is pleasantly soft in the mouth and is easy to drink!
Westerwolder Smokkelbier The smugglers’ beer has an alcohol content of 6%. It is a Guiness with a smoky note. The mild hop flavor, a light spiciness and the full coffee taste make the beer something very special.
Westerwolder Gerstewijn
Gerstenwijn translates as barley wine. It is a beer brewed from three different types of hops and different malts. The caramel malt gives the beer a slightly sweet taste reminiscent of wine.
Westerwolder Tripel Zwarte Bes
The Tripel beer is very strong and has been refined with blackcurrants from the region. It didn’t quite suit my taste. It was too bitter for me.
Westerwolder Weizen
A rather atypical wheat beer. It lacks the banana flavor. The beer is very carbonated, unfortunately the foam collapses quickly. I liked it very much. A great beer for the summer, drinkable and pleasantly soft in the mouth.
Westerwolder Blonde Blauwe Bes
A seasonal beer that the brewers refine with blueberries from the region.
Westerwolder Kloosterbier De Prior
The spicy Tripel is brewed according to a recipe from the Ter Apel monastery. Those who like coriander will love this strong beer with its 8% alcohol content.
Bourtange Vesting beer from the Westerwolde brewery
Westerwolde Brewery has brewed a special beer for the historic Bourtange Fortress. Bourtange Fortress once had its own brewery, which belonged to the ‘s Lands Huys inn. This brewery disappeared in the 19th century when the fortress was demolished. This beer, known as Bourtanger Vesting Bier, is a Vienna Lager, a beer style from Austria. It has a moderate alcohol content of 6.0% and is known for its less intense flavor compared to other lagers. The Viennamalz gives the beer its characteristic color.
Points of sale for Westerwolde Brewery beers
Westerwolde Brewery beers are available at various locations.
We have seen the beers for example in the Vesting Bourtange, in a brewery store in Veendam and in Landwinkel Ol Diek in Nieuwolda. Several restaurants also stock the beer.
The brewery also offers direct sales on its farm once a week.
If you would like to take part in a beer tasting, you can make an appointment via the brewery’s website.
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