After our visit to the Goudale brewery, we learned everything you need to know about the manufacture of the beers they make. Beers, because it does not only produce the Goudale beer but also the Triple Secret des Moines, the Belzebuth as well as alcohol-free beer.
The king of beer
The Goudale brewery is one of the three beer production sites in the region that are managed by the same CEO: André Pecqueur. Over 70 years old, this tireless "King of Beer", a native of the region, has only one motto: "As long as the customers and the work are there, we go". The work here never seems to stop. It starts in these two huge vats that we discover on our arrival. In each one, a different preparation: one for grain and water, the other for malt and water.
Behind the tanks, from the window we can see an area in construction. An extension to the brewery is under way, it will be finished in October 2018 and will enable the brewery to produce 2 million hectolitres of additional beer. To achieve this, André Pecqueur didn't hesitate to invest 45 million euros, in addition to the 80 million euros that were needed to build the Goudale brewery, that now employs 100 people.
What happens in our tanks? And the beer mixed inside? Well no! At this stage, we are not yet talking about beer, but of a 'solution'. This chemical term is particularly appropriate since our "beer to be" will go through many stages of preparation, but also hygiene stages, in order to "become what it is": a quality beer (the Triple Secret des Moines, Blonde and Brune, received the gold medals at the World Beer Awards in 2017).
Our solution is filtered to get rid of all the cereal husk. The result of this is a sweet juice: the wort. This one then passes into a third tank: the boiling vessel. This is where we will add the hops that give a bitterness to the beer. The fourth tank is the settling tank. We remove any residue that is left. The passage of the solution in these 4 tanks is called brewing. Brewing lasts 2h, and at the Goudale Brewery, we make 4 brews a day. We brew 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
1 million hectolitres of beer are produced here every year. Then comes the yeast or aromatization steps, but the best way to to discover this is to take a visit for yourself. You can indeed come and visit the Goudale Brewery and finish off the tour with a tasting of their beers. Choices : the mythic Goudale, the Triple Secret des Moines, the Belzebuth as well as alcohol-free beer.
Further information: Brasserie Goudale
To go there:
Brasserie Goudale
Newton Avenue 62510 Arques
Enjoy your visit and a good tasting!
Aphélie from Comme des Français
Other subjects related to the French brewing tradition :
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Consume in moderation.
