Het Anker Koelschip
A beautiful and well preserved koelschip ("coolship") on the roof of the Het Anker brewery in Mechelen.
This koelschip was in use until 1991, when the EU banned its use for sanitary reasons (only lambic brewers were allowed to continue using open koelschips). As the name implies, it was used to cool the hot wort, which was pumped up from the brewing kettle and then allowed to cool in this wide and shallow vessel - from 100 to 72 degrees Centigrade. 72 C is the pasteurization limit, above which no wild yeast infections can survice in the wort.
At 72 C, the wort was allowed to run down into the brewery again to be cooled further, before it was transferred to fermentation tanks.
Het Anker Koelschip
A beautiful and well preserved koelschip ("coolship") on the roof of the Het Anker brewery in Mechelen.
This koelschip was in use until 1991, when the EU banned its use for sanitary reasons (only lambic brewers were allowed to continue using open koelschips). As the name implies, it was used to cool the hot wort, which was pumped up from the brewing kettle and then allowed to cool in this wide and shallow vessel - from 100 to 72 degrees Centigrade. 72 C is the pasteurization limit, above which no wild yeast infections can survice in the wort.
At 72 C, the wort was allowed to run down into the brewery again to be cooled further, before it was transferred to fermentation tanks.