Grimbergen Abbey, famous for the beer of the same name, has announced a nationwide contest for home brewers. The competition invites anyone living in Belgium with a home brewing kit to produce a beer for professional judgement.
Contestants must sign up by 15 March. The specialised beer equipment store, Brouwland, will provide a brewing pack containing six 33cl bottles. Participants can use their chosen ingredients at their own cost.
"We didn’t want to restrict the brewer’s creativity by imposing a specific malt or hop," says a spokesperson from Alken-Maes, owners of the Grimbergen brand. However, participants are required to adhere to a specific beer type: a "high fermentation blonde, subtly spiced, 6-8.5% alc."
The abbey developed a name for its home-brewed beer and good cheer in the Middle Ages. But the merry-making and brewing came to an end in the 18th century when French invaders closed the monastery. It was two centuries before Grimbergen resurrected their on-site brewing tradition.
Today the facility is capable of producing 10,000 hectolitres (2 million 50cl "pints") of beer annually. The classics of the range are brewed in Alken (Limbourg) or elsewhere in Europe, while the Grimbergen site is leaning towards less conventional styles.
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"We want to revive a tradition nearly 900 years old," explains Father Karel Stautemas, the Abbey's deputy provost. "From the beginning in 1128, the Premonstratensians of Grimbergen Abbey worked with external brewers. The practice of home brewing is now firmly established in neighbouring countries, with several contests. We aim to highlight this by opening the Abbey and its brewery."
The number of Belgians turning to home brewing has surged in recent years, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Brouwland reports around 30,000 amateur brewers in Belgium based on its sales – three times more than a decade ago.
Participants can submit their six samples to the Abbey until the end of March. The top three finalists will be announced during the week of 15 April. They will be given the opportunity to brew their beer at the Abbey’s brewery.
On the evening of 4 June, the jury will live-select the best brew – to be named Grimbergen Cuvée 2024. The winner will receive 45 litres of their own beer filled in 75cl bottles. Their bottle will be commercially available by the end of August in large stores and 150 hospitality establishments.
