Learn the ancient history of monks brewing beer. The Rule of Saint Benedict led to the creation of iconic Trappist ales, brewed within the walls of an abbey.

 

By: Living a Stout Life

 

Why did monks start brewing beer?

Monks brewing beer isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s a pretty ancient idea. Monks have always been encouraged to work with their hands, so it’s really no surprise that one idea of manual labor was to brew beer, resulting in Trappist ales.

 

Albeit, the more important reason for them brewing beer was probably the fact that in the earliest of times beer was much safer than drinking water. Another brilliant reasoning for brewing beer was that monks were reportedly only supposed to eat in the morning and the evening, so the idea of having a substantial and filling drink for an afternoon pick-me-up was probably quite an alluring one.

 

 

What really defines a Trappist ale?

Defining a specific type of beer isn’t easy, and defining a Trappist ale follows suit. In the 9th century, the Rule of Saint Benedict, a set of guidelines used to oversee religious communities, permitted beer to be made within or near the walls of a Benedictine abbey. And while monks have been brewing beer for centuries, it wasn’t until the 1860s that it became a commercial task.

 

Today it can only be called a Trappist ale using that same delineation from the Rule of Benedict, but there is also the requirement that profits must go back into the abbey or to a local charity. And this is all decided by the International Trappist Association, where they have currently bestowed this high honor to only 11 abbeys across the world. 

 

 

What are the actual styles of Trappist ales?

If we are insisting upon defining the actual styles, they are all ales and they are all bottle-conditioned. Beyond that, the simplicity fails. Most can be recognized as either a single, a dubbel, or a tripel, but the dubbel is by far the most recognized style of all the Trappist ales. Complex in its color and flavor profile, malts play a huge part in giving this well-crafted beer its dark fruit character and bold brown colors.

 

 

What malts are used in Trappist ales?

Single, dubbel, or a tripel, it’s the malts the likes of our Vienna, Munich, and more that count. And while we cannot christen you an official abbey that brews Trappist ales, we can get you the malts you need to brew a single, dubbel, or a tripel. 

 

And unlike the following story, we know everything there is to know about our malts, so your recipes will deliver exactly what’s promised, and nobody will be possessed by the Devil. At least not on your brew day.

 

The Great Malt Heist: the origins of Vienna and Munich malts

 

The priests’ beer vs the nuns’ beer

In the 21st century, we have styles, names, labels, and guidelines for almost everything. But centuries prior, records of all of these were fragmented, if any existed at all. So when beers were made, many brewers guessed at recipes, and often didn’t guess properly. 

 

And as the story goes, “The whole convent was walking sideways for 24 hours. The monks believed themselves possessed by the Devil.” (morebeer.com) You see, there were two batches of beer made that day, one quite strong for the Priests, the other for the Nuns. One can only bet that the priests may have finally learned how to keep better records.

 

 

Cheers to the Trappist ales!

Here at Malteurop we pride ourselves on our high quality and diverse malts. Malts that are exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to your Trappist style ales. Click here to learn more!

 

Premium grains from field to flavor.  

 

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About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)

Malteurop Malting Company (MMC) is based in North America—specializing in growing and producing quality malts for the beer, whiskey, and food processing industries. With local farms and Malthouses spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Malteurop’s commitment to excellence is fully ingrained into every batch it produces, ensuring businesses of any size can create the finest beverages and food products on the planet.

 

Visit www.malteuropmaltingco.com to learn how we can support your malting needs. 

 

Contact us at customersuccess@malteurop.com or (844) 546-MALT (6258) for questions or to place your order.

 

Malting is our passion. Quality is our promise.

 

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https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Belgian_Trappists_Abbey

https://www.beermerchants.com/features/what-is-trappist-beer

https://www.trappist.be/en/products/beers/chimay/