Belgian Beer Gushing

The fact that I have had so many gushers indicates that it hasn't done much to dissuade me either.

 

I think the following is obvious but just in case it needs to be stated: a gusher does not necessarily mean the beer is infected. A beer that is highly carbonated (overcarbonated?) can indeed gush in some cases.

Cheers!

 

Just drank several Rocheforts and had no troubles at all.

 

http://www.ambiance.be/worden-belgische-bieren-bedreigd-door-eigen-succes/

Can't find the full article, but here's another one. Apparently it was brewery Huyghe (Delirium Tremens etc) who was complaining about quality loss due to transport.

In a nutshell, it comes down to beer getting exposed to high temperatures in containers (up to 60°C), because cooled containers are too expensive. The beer loses quality and gets a different taste... Conclusion is, Belgian beer is going to be the victim of it's own success since there are so many decent Belgian-style beers being brewed all over the world, people are going to prefer to pay less for those cheaper beers than highly priced Belgian beers which are not the tasty beers they expect due to quality loss etc.

Now that I'm thinking about this, earlier this week there was a reality-show on Belgian TV about airport problems. At one point there was an interview with a staff member behind the scenes. In the background I saw a man tossing a bag on the band like 2 meters high. Wouldn't have wanted my beer to be in there..

 

Good point. I would be surprised if ANY Belgian beer heading stateside is being shipped in temperature-controlled conditions. I'm not sure I've ever seen a refrigerated beer truck hereabouts. In fact, Green Flash has its Belgian-made WCIPA bottle-conditioned to account for that. But it's not just a question of transport because I have had plllllenty of gushers and heavy-foamers here in Brussels, too. Lots of CO2-packed beauties with funky yeasts -- it's all part of the charm.