For those homebrewers still hesitating whether they should invest in
some refrigeration capacity or not read here (Dutch - I'll translate
after):
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[url]http://www.cs.kuleuven.ac.be/cwis/education/multimedia/97-98/bier/frames/geschiedenis.htm[/url]
(kuleuven = Catholic University of Louvain)

"De periode van 1900 tot 1945

Rond de eeuwwisseling telde België ongeveer 3200 brouwerijen. In de
steden, maar ook in de dorpen, behoorden de brouwers door hun status,
maar vooral ook door hun rijkdom, samen met de dokter, de pastoor en
de notaris tot de notabelen Gebrouwen werd er in de winter;
koelinstallaties waren er nog niet en daarom bracht 's zomers brouwen
een te groot bederfrisico met zich mee."

Translation:
"From 1900 till 1945

Round about the turn of the century Belgium had roughly 3200
breweries. In the cities, but also in the villages, brewers were, not
just by their social status but in particular by their wealth, among
the leading residents together with the family doctor, the priest and
the notary. Brewing was done in wintertime; there were no
refrigerating-plants that time and brewing in summer involved a high
risk for infections."
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This is all so fundamental, gentlemen. Years ago I bought a secondhand
refrigerator for 25 euros. It's still working. I assure you that it
was no wrong investment.

Kind regards,

Norbert (from Flanders, Belgium)