Belgium is the country of beer, but the Cantillon family brewery in Brussels is one of the last remnants to use the natural fermentation technique, namely the Lambic. Cantillon was founded in 1900, when there were already about 100 breweries operating in the Belgian capital. The visit to the brewery is self-guided and you receive a book that allows you to read how the production process works and accompanies the numbered halls. The entry-fee costs seven euros and you still get two vouchers for tasting at the end of the tour.
The first room is the brewing area, where 1300 pounds of crushed cereal is mixed with hot water. After two hours of mixing, the decantation process begins. At the end of this process the sugars are extracted with the addition of hot water. The liquid obtained is pumped to the second floor.
The second room, on the second floor is where the boilers and the grinder stand. In this room the grinding of the cereals occurs and the hop (which is responsible for the bitterness of the beer) is mixed with the must.
The third room is the barn, which is used to store wheat, barley and malt between the middle of October and early April, the beer season.
The fourth room is the cooling room, one of the key stages of the fermentation process. In this room the mixture is brought to a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees in the evening and only during the season. In this room the wild yeasts (from the air itself) allow the natural fermentation process to take place.
The fifth room is divided in two and contains the barrel warehouse, where the beer is matured and the second part contains the production of fruit-based beers.
The sixth room is where the barrel cleaning process occurs and the seventh is the bottling.
In the last and the eighth room the labeling of the bottles occurs and then they are boxed for final consumption.
At the end of the tour you arrive at the starting room and have the right to taste two beers and then you can still buy some sourvenirs.
Really worth to visit! Loved it.