Sour Beers, An Introduction

For those of you that follow my instagram page, you would have noticed that I've started to brew a few sour beers recently, which is a leap from my normal Hazy IPAs, Porters and Stouts. I started with a Key Lime Pie sour, which even included digestive biscuits in the mash and more recently a blueberry sour.

Sour beers are super refreshing and great for hot summer days and especially at BBQs.

In the main part I'll be brewing this beer in a very similar way to the 'normal' beers that I make, however there are subtile differences including the temperature and types of yeast used which introduces different challenges.

So, let's take a little look in to sour beers

The Tangy and Tart World of Sour Beers

The Taste: Sour Beers are known for their sharp, tangy, and often fruity flavours. The sourness can range from a mild tartness to an intense sourness, a lot like Haribo Tangfastics, but a are often complemented by a secondary flavour of citrus, berries, depending on the specific type of sour beer.

Brewing Process: The main characteristic of sour beers is in their fermentation process, which involves wild yeast strains and bacteria. Unlike more traditional beers that rely on controlled yeast strains (think SafAle s-04), sour beers are often fermented with wild yeasts like Brettanomyces and bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. These microorganisms contribute to the beer's sourness and complexity. Or in my case, as a home brewer, I used Lallemand WildBrew Philly Sour Yeast which introduces refreshing acidity and notes of stone fruit. There are a few methods for souring beer:

1. Spontaneous Fermentation: This traditional method, used in styles like Belgian Lambics, involves exposing the wort (unfermented beer) to the open air, allowing wild yeast and bacteria to naturally inoculate the brew. I used this method when I produced a Guinness clone a few months ago.

2. Kettle Souring: A more controlled method where Lactobacillus bacteria are added to the wort before boiling. This process is quicker and allows brewers to achieve a desired level of sourness with more predictability.

3. Mixed Fermentation: A combination of traditional and controlled methods, where both wild and conventional yeast strains are used. This method is common in American Wild Ales and other experimental sour styles.
   

The Sour Beer History: Sour beers surprisingly have a long history, particularly in Belgium, where styles like Lambics, Gueuze, and Flanders Red Ales have been brewed for centuries. These beers were historically made using open fermentation methods, which naturally introduced wild yeasts and bacteria from the environment. The result was a wide range of sour and funky flavours that have since become a hallmark of these traditional brews.

---

In summary, sour beers have a really long history and is a step away, and makes a nice difference, from the more traditional beers that you'll see stocking the shelves in supermarkets or behind the counters at your local pub.

So please, the next time you see a Sour beer on offer, give it a try, It will definitely surprise you and you may even discover other flavours that you have never tried in a beer before!

References

American Homebrewers Association. (n.d.). Sour Beer

Bon Appétit. (2018). Everything You Need to Know About Sour Beer

CraftBeer.com. (n.d.). What are Sour Beers?