A brewer between Belgium, California, Costa Rica and the Cévennes
In Saint‑Clément, in the Cévennes, Brasserie de l’Hupblon is a project unlike any other. Behind this singular name — a chimera blending houblon and the Eurasian hoopoe — stands Fabrice, a brewer with an extraordinary journey.
Belgian by birth, he grows up in a culture where Trappist beers are a given. He later settles in California, where he discovers a completely different side of brewing: the craft spirit, Pale Ales, IPAs, and the energy of the local scene shaped by Sierra Nevada. Two worlds, two traditions, two philosophies. They eventually meet in his beers.
His path then leads him to Costa Rica. There, he begins brewing with a simple 20‑L bucket gifted by his in‑laws. He also salvages equipment from a small local brewery that had shut down, Cervecería La Jungla, pushed out by an industrial giant that wiped out all competition.
Then comes France. Fabrice arrives in the Cévennes with a BrewMagic system under his arm, and the desire to keep brewing, exploring, and sharing.
Alongside brewing, Fabrice continues his career as a research director. It’s his main occupation and takes up most of his daily life. Brewing remains his space of freedom — a hobby he chose to professionalize.
A small, craft‑focused microbrewery rooted in its village
Brasserie de l’Hupblon moves forward with a simple philosophy: brewing at its own pace, exploring diverse styles, and sharing local beers. Fabrice isn’t chasing intensive production. What matters to him is creating connections, working cleanly, and offering recipes that reflect his journey.
Sales remain modest, but they grow steadily. He supplies beer to the butcher in Saint‑Clément (Angel and Nico), and prepares kegs for village celebrations and the community café. Little by little, locals discover his work and come back to taste his new creations.
His ambition is clear: collaborate with the village’s new wine shop and convince a few local restaurants to serve his kegs. A sustainable, human‑scale approach that allows him to keep experimenting freely.
You can find Brasserie de l’Hupblon in the series “Brassam à pro” available on the @Beer_Discover channel (Instagram, YouTube…).
A hybrid setup built around a BrewMagic
Fabrice’s journey is reflected in his brewing installation. It blends several eras, several countries, and several brewing philosophies.
At the center is his BrewMagic — the three‑vessel system (mash–sparge–boil) he brought back from Costa Rica. He still uses it for his 60‑L batches. This equipment isn’t sold by Rolling Beers, but it’s part of his story. And that’s an important point: Rolling Beers can adapt to an existing setup, even an unusual one, and build a coherent installation around equipment already in place.
That’s exactly what happened here.
BrewMagic 3‑vessel system + BrewBuilt.
BrewBuilt X3 Uni: scaling up capacity
To structure his production, Fabrice chose two BrewBuilt X3 Uni fermenters supplied by Rolling Beers:
one 144 L
one 53 L
These pressure‑capable Unitanks allow him to manage multiple styles, maintain a monthly rotation, and work with impeccable hygiene. They integrate naturally with his BrewMagic system, creating a hybrid yet highly functional setup.
Glycol chiller ICEMASTER G20: mastering temperature control
The ICEMASTER G20 glycol chiller ensures precise thermal regulation for the BrewBuilt fermenters. It enables consistent fermentations, effective cold crashes, and the aromatic stability essential for both Belgian styles and Pale Ales.
The manufacturer now offers the JoinTech G20 – 2 Pumps, an equivalent model that replaces the ICEMASTER.
Overpressure valve: mastering pressure and carbonation
The overpressure valve plays a central role in Fabrice’s brewing process. It allows him to manage pressure fermentations, control carbonation, and adjust CO₂ levels without any additional equipment. A small accessory, but a real gain in precision.
Intertap tap on Ball Lock: sampling without oxidation
The Intertap/NukaTap tap on Ball Lock lets him draw a sample directly under pressure. No need to open the fermenter, no contact with air, no complex handling. A simple, clean gesture — ideal for tracking a beer’s evolution with zero oxidation risk.
The 1.5″ Hop Bong has become essential for his cold‑side hop additions. It allows him to add hops under pressure, without ever exposing the beer to air. The result: a clean, aromatic dry hop, fully protected from oxidation.
NukaTap filler: easy counter‑pressure bottling
The NukaTap filler gives him clean, reproducible packaging. It connects directly to the tap — or not, depending on the setup — and allows him to fill bottles under counter‑pressure in just a few minutes. A perfect tool for his small local batches.
How this equipment structures production at Brasserie de l’Hupblon
The whole setup allows Fabrice to:
brew once a month,
work cleanly and under pressure,
secure his transfers,
package quickly,
limit oxidation,
and maintain real stylistic diversity.
His BrewMagic remains the historical core of his brewing. The BrewBuilt fermenters bring the precision and capacity he needed. The accessories — overpressure valve, Intertap tap, Hop Bong, NukaTap — complete the system and give him fine control at every stage.
Brasserie de l’Hupblon moves at its own pace, with rigor and curiosity. It’s a hybrid microbrewery, built around evolving equipment and a passion that spans countries and years.
Fabrice’s words
I come from Belgium, I grew up in California, I brewed in Costa Rica, and today I brew in the Cévennes. Brasserie de l’Hupblon is a blend of all these worlds. Rolling Beers helped me structure my setup around the BrewMagic. The BrewBuilt fermenters, the glycol chiller, and the pressure‑handling accessories gave me the precision I needed, while letting me keep my pace and my way of brewing. I want to keep brewing once a month (three 60‑liter batches in a single day), explore different styles, and work with the people in the village. Brewing is a hobby I chose to professionalize, without losing the pleasure of experimenting.
The Brasserie de l’Hupblon Pack
To support brewers who want to build an evolving setup, we’ve gathered the equipment used by Fabrice into a coherent package:
BrewBuilt X3 Uni 144 L
BrewBuilt X3 Uni 53 L
Insulation jackets
JoinTech G20 glycol chiller – 2 Pumps
NOVAX 20B pump
NukaTap filler
Hop Bong 1.5″
Intertap tap on Ball Lock
Overpressure valve
Double EVA python
1.5″ Tri‑Clamp hose holder
Majorplus CO₂ regulator
John Guest 3/8″ tubing
A complete set designed for hybrid microbreweries, evolving installations, and brewers who want to adapt to existing equipment.xistant.
Brasserie de l’Hupblon is a singular project — a crossroads between Belgian tradition, Californian craft spirit, memories of Costa Rica, and Cévennes roots. A local, artisanal microbrewery built around hybrid equipment and a passion that has travelled across countries and years.
Fabrice brews at his own pace, explores varied styles, and shares his beers with his village. His setup reflects his journey: evolving, precise, and adapted to his daily life as a research director.
