Sour Beers
It is only in the mid-19th century that techniques of refrigeration and sanitation were sufficient to control the brewing process and keep the wild yeasts and bacteria in check. This means that prior to that, all beers were to some extend contaminated and sour.
Traditional Sour beers
The industrial pils slowly took the market over and led to the disappearance of many breweries who brewed more traditional styles. Some traditional styles persisted.
Oud Bruin
Oud Bruin has its tradition in the early 17th century. It literally means “old brown”, as it is a beer that matures for long time in a barrel where it gets infected by wild yeasts. After which it matures again in the bottle.
Lambic – spontaneous fermented beers
Spontaneously fermented beers are cooled down in a coolship, this is a metal container looking similar to a small pool. Here the beer has a lot of contact with the air of the brewery. The air inoculates the wort with various wild yeast and bacteria. The beer is than aged in wooden barrels. This process results in a Lambic.
Geuze
Geuze is a blend of lambics of 1, 2 and 3 years of age. The beer is then bottled, where it continues to ferment. the young lambic has still a lot of fermentable sugars left allowing for bottle conditioning. This creates a highly carbonated beer.
Kriek
Kriek is a lambic of 6months age, where sour cherries have been added.
Berliner Weisse
This style originated in Berlin, but the traditional version had almost completely disappeared. The sourness is mainly due through the addition of Lactobaccilus.
Gose
Similar to the Berliner Weisse the sourness is derived form the use of Lactobaccilus. This beer differs from the berliner weisse by relying on a small amount of salt and coriander seeds.
Sour Beers Nowadays
The craft beer movement has been key in reviving these old styles and putting sour beers again on the map. The experimentation of today’s brewers let to the creatioin of the Florida Weisse which is a berliner weisse which is heavily fruited. Sour beers are ideal thirst quenchers, and are perfect in hot summer days.
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