Expertise

Explore the secrets of the Brewery Castelain : from beer-brewing to packaging

Expertise: a respect for the spirit of tradition

Since 1926, the Brasserie Castelain has offered a chance to taste delicious beers, imbued with the greatest respect for brewing traditions in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

An ancient and rare method of brewing by infusion, which the creators of the brewery are seeking to keep from disappearing, by handing down their knowledge from one generation to the next.

Raw materials

Picking : Water Yeast Malt Hops

Carefully selected raw materials

The real secret of making beer is selecting quality raw materials.

To make a genuine, regional product, such as CH’TI beer, our raw materials are chiefly produced in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region.

The real wealth of Brasserie Castelain is its wide choice of typical beers from the local area, bearing the Saveurs en OR label (a quality label in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region, indicating local origins).
A pride in our regional heritage.

Water

The most important raw material in terms of quantity is water and the rare characteristics of the water we use, drawn directly from the soil under the brewery, ensure high-quality beer.

Yeast

Everyone knows the nutritional and cosmetic virtues of brewer’s yeast.

Crucial during the beer fermentation process, more than three years of research were needed to the Brasserie Castelain to develop the current formula.

Malt

Made from barley almost exclusively grown in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, the malt selected by the Brasserie Castelain must satisfy some very strict criteria. Several varieties of malts are selected by our Master Brewer who combine them to produce a high-quality, full and rich beer.

The barley is transformed during malting, which determines both the colour and taste of the beer, depending on the temperature used to heat the barley grain. Lager, brown ale, wheat beer or amber ale… There is a multitude of beers for you to discover. Not an easy choice, right?

Hops

Essential for making beer, hops are a climbing plant, whose flowers contain essential oils.

Hop flowers are harvested in late August and early September, dried, then packed in hermetic sacks to preserve all their properties.

The different varieties of hops are what give the beer its aroma and bitterness: The Expertise of Master Brewer lies in the combination of aromatic and bittering hops.

Beer Making

Brewing

The ground malt is mixed with water: this is mashing. The beer is brewed by infusion at very precise temperatures. The brewer adds hot water to a vat made from filtering material: this is what makes Brasserie Castelain unique. The starch contained in the malt is transformed into fermentable sugars. This mix is filtered to obtain a sugary juice known as wort, which is then brought to the boil. The brewer adds the different varieties of hops, which give the beer its aroma and slight bitterness. Boiling takes 2 hours. The wort is cooled, then transported to the fermentation vats.

Fermentation

This initial stage lasts 8 days. It is at this point during the beer-making process that we add the yeast, which will multiply by consuming the sugar from the wort.

This generates alcohol and carbon dioxide, which will form the little bubbles in your beer.

Conditioning

The beer is chilled (0°C) for 6 long weeks in huge conditioning tanks, to ensure a balanced, delicate beer, with exceptional brilliance. The beer can now mature, age, perfect its aroma and develop its natural and characteristic sparkle.

Packaging

Once the beer-making process has been completed, packaging can begin. Whether in bottles, drums or boxes, with a cap or cork, our craft beers will always taste the same. Now the beer tasting can start.

Fans of Castelain beers can find them in every quality pub, restaurant and bar across France, but also in the supermarkets. And if you can’t find them, don’t hesitate to ask!