Goossens Farm with Malting Brewery
Lambic Brewery Heritage
Lambic beer is a typical wild yeast beer, brewed in the southwest region of Brussels (Pajottenland). It forms the basis for geuze (a blend of lambic of 3 different ages) and for kriek lambic, a cherry beer.
This farm with malting brewery was one of the many lambic breweries in the municipality and the region of Pajottenland. Most of these small- to medium-sized companies were created as a secondary activity of a farm. It was a winter industry of processing their own grain.
However, Goosens is one of the few breweries where the original building configuration still exists and where farm and brewery activities from the 1700s are still recognizable. It is a unique opportunity to see the evolution from a small brewery with malting to a medium-sized lambic brewery.
Next to the 18th-century farmhouse is the warehouse with the characteristic loading windows in which the oak barrels of lambic were waiting to be mixed into ‘geuze’ beer or to produce ‘kriek-lambic’.
Virtually intact brewery building
This makes the Goosens site of great industrial archaeological importance. From the 18th century malt preparation (with the unique malt ash, malt flooring, soaking tub still present) to the virtually intact 19th century brewery building (with brick construction around the brewing kettles, the metal slat openings, mill, and walkway), and malt supply hoppers, we can more readily appreciate the growth of technical and architectural innovation, which are still relevant to brewing today.
The whole area was protected in 2017 and will be further developed as an open heritage site. The old stables of the farm are currently being converted into a small brasserie. It will have the appropriate name ‘The Sixth Season’ (a reference to the lost painting of Breugel). In the coming years, the rest of the buildings will gradually be restored to their original state and function.
The characteristic Lambic will once again be brewed in the brewery and the warehouse will be used as a storage facility for the barrels and for blending. The idea is to set up a small museum in the old malt house. With the nearby Pede water mill, the farm brewery forms a unique historical setting in the Pajottenland.
Goossens Farm with Malting Brewery
Isabellastraat 16, 1703 Dilbeek,
Sint Gertrudis Pede
Belgium