The ingredients that make our beers unique

The magic of a great craft beer lies in the quality and harmony of its ingredients. Each brew we make at La Nébuleuse is a taste adventure, an exploration of the possibilities offered by carefully selected raw materials.

Since 2014, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of craft beer. Our creative approach is reflected not only in our bold recipes, but also in our meticulous ingredient selection. We choose each malt, hop and yeast for its potential to contribute unique and memorable flavor profiles.

Like all beers, our creations are based on four fundamental pillars: water, malt, hops and yeast. For us, these ingredients are much more than just components - they are the colors of our taste palette, the notes of our brewing symphony.

The ingredients at the heart of our creations

Water: the essential basis of any beer

Water is the main component of beer, representing more than 90% of its composition. We therefore naturally pay particular attention to the quality of the water we use. The water from the Renens region, where our brewery is located, has unique characteristics that subtly influence the profile of our beers.

The mineral composition of water plays a crucial role in the brewing process. It affects the extraction of sugars from malt, the bitterness of hops, and even the activity of yeast. We sometimes adjust the water profile depending on the style of beer we are brewing, in order to achieve the best possible result.

For example, for our hoppier beers like IPAs, we can adjust the water hardness to bring out the hop aromas. For our maltier beers, we make sure the water has the right mineral balance to effectively extract the sugars and flavors from the malt.

Our commitment to water quality extends beyond brewing. We recognize the importance of preserving this precious resource and strive to minimize our water consumption throughout our production process.

Malt: source of flavors and colors

Malt is the heart and soul of our beers. It provides the fermentable sugars needed to produce alcohol, but also much of the color and complex flavors that characterize our creations.

We use a variety of carefully selected malts for each of our recipes. Our choice of malts is guided by our constant quest for unique flavors and balanced taste profiles.

Base malts, such as Pilsner or Pale malt, form the foundation of our beers. They provide the majority of fermentable sugars and a subtle malty flavour base. To add complexity and character, we incorporate special malts:

• Caramel malts add sweet, caramelized notes.
• Roasted malts bring flavors of coffee, chocolate or toast.
• Smoked malts, used sparingly, can add an extra dimension to some of our more experimental beers.

The choice and balance of these malts influence not only the taste, but also the color of our beers, ranging from the light golden hues of our lagers to the dark shades of our stouts.

Our commitment to quality drives us to work as much as possible with local producers. This allows us not only to support the local economy, but also to have better control over the quality and traceability of our ingredients.

Hops: the spice that gives character to our beers

Hops are a crucial ingredient that bring bitterness, aroma and balance to our beers. They are the element that counterbalances the sweetness of the malt and provides an incredibly diverse aromatic palette.

We select our hops with the greatest care, based on the specific characteristics we are looking for in each beer. Some varieties are chosen for their frank bitterness, others for their floral, fruity or herbaceous aromas.

In our more traditional beers, we often use noble European hops such as Saaz or Hallertau, known for their subtlety and elegance. For our more modern creations, including our IPAs and other hoppy beers, we do not hesitate to explore more exotic varieties from the United States, New Zealand or Australia.

Our hopping technique varies depending on the style of beer we are brewing:

• Hopping during bittering, at the start of boiling, mainly provides bitterness.
• Aromatic hopping, at the end of boiling, helps preserve the essential oils of the hops and therefore their aromas.
• Dry-hopping, or cold hopping, is a technique we use frequently for our most aromatic beers. It consists of adding hops during or after fermentation to maximize the aromatic contribution without adding bitterness.

The art of hopping is constantly evolving, and we remain on the lookout for new varieties and techniques to continue to surprise your taste buds with ever more interesting and complex flavors.

Yeast: the invisible artisan of fermentation

Yeast, although invisible to the naked eye, plays a crucial role in the creation of our beers. It is the yeast that transforms the sugars in malt into alcohol and carbon dioxide, while producing a myriad of aromatic compounds that contribute to the final profile of the beer.

We use different strains of yeast, each selected for its unique characteristics and ability to express the best of our ingredients:

1. Ale yeasts: Fermenting at higher temperatures, they generally produce beers with fruity and complex aromas. We use them for our pale ales, IPAs, and other top-fermented styles.
2. Lager yeasts : Working at low temperatures, they give clearer and cleaner beers on the palate. They are essential for our pilsners and other lagers.

Fermentation management is an art in itself. We carefully control temperature, pressure and other parameters to create the ideal conditions for our yeasts to express their full potential.

Each yeast strain has its own unique requirements and characteristics. Some produce pronounced fruity esters, others spicy phenols, while still others are distinguished by their ability to ferment complex sugars. Our job is to understand these nuances and harness them to create unique and memorable beer profiles.

Yeast selection and management are crucial aspects of our brewing process, exemplifying our commitment to quality and passion for brewing innovation.

The alchemy of ingredients, signature of La Nébuleuse

Our passion for craft beer is reflected in every ingredient choice we make. From Renens water to carefully selected malts, from aromatic hops to unique yeasts, each component plays a crucial role in creating our distinctive beers. This relentless pursuit of quality and innovation has been at the heart of our approach since 2014. We don’t just brew beer – we create unique taste experiences, one sip at a time. Our commitment to ingredient excellence will continue to be the driving force behind our brewing creativity, promising ever more bold and memorable flavours for beer lovers.