Video above: Brewer Carl Theuns, president of Polderse Bier Vrienden, describes how the club made two powerful beers in honour of Jeroen Gabriëls (Jerre), a member who passed away in August 2018.
I met Jeroen Gabriëls (Jerre) once, in July 2018 at Gist, Brussels after a train strike had prevented him and Dieter Proost, the other Beer Idiot running this site, from attending a beer festival in Germany. Their aborted trip, was my gain as we shared some good beer, conversation and linked up on Untappd where he went by the name JerreBeer.
Jerre, 36, passed away at the end of August 2018. So while I do not claim to know him, what is clear from the statements of his friends are the strong friendships he made during his life. He was an architect and among his other interests was an active member of Polderse Bier Vrienden, a beer club in Zandvliet, where he grew up.
Polderse Bier Vrienden on 18 January held a tasting of two beers brewed in his honour. They are extravagant rich beers with lengthy names to go with their multiple ingredients. They are Jerre & The Paradox of Life Russian Imperial Rye Maple Stout, and Life & The Paradox of Jerre Kefir soured Black Rye Imperial Farmhouse Cherry Milkshake New Polder IPA.
Brewer Carl Theuns, president of Polderse Bier Vrienden, says the club based the recipe on Brewdog’s Paradox line of beers, including the Paradox Jura, an imperial stout. Both were brewed at his microbrewery, CyDraLe. He used Four Roses bourbon to soak the chips in, as it was Jerre’s favourite.
Life & The Paradox of Jerre is a wash beer made from the left over grain from the Jerre imperial stout.
He first brewed two batches of the Jerre & The Paradox of Life, which he describes as a “very massive thick stout”. After two days of fermentation they added six litres of maple syrup and lots of fresh yeast and let it sit.
To the Life & The Paradox of Jerre they added some fresh kefir yoghurt, boiled it overnight and in stages added 12 jars of cherries, lactose, and oatmeal and more hops and yeast.
“It’s massive and overdone,” Theuns says, adding that in the end they knew both were going to be good.
“In a year we will have a New Year’s reception – this will celebrate the life of Jerre again and the beer is going to be better,” Theuns said. “We will have eight years or something of fun celebrating the life of Jerre. I think it is quite a salute to a friend we miss. He should have been here. This beer should not exist. But it is here and we are going to enjoy it.”
Audio: Brewer Carl Theuns, president of Polderse Bier Vrienden, describes the making of the two beers.
Polderse Bier Vrienden was founded in 2010. It has about 50 members. From the 2019 calendar members have a very active year ahead. The next event is 16 March with a stout and porter tasting.
If you or your club wants to add your events to the Beer Idiots calendar just register here.
Link: Brewdog DIY Dog (PDF) book of recipes.
Video above: Microbrewer Carl Theuns, president of the Polderse Bier Vrienden, talks of the club, beer, food and Zandvliet, Belgium.
Photos of the event on 18 January
Polderse Bier Vrienden
