Brewing Wild/Sour

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® BREWING WILD/SOUR

Please note all file contents are Copyright © 2021 Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This file is for the buyer’s personal use only. It’s unlawful to share or distribute this file to others in any way including e-mailing it, posting it online, or sharing printed copies with others. WILD FERMENTATIONS BY MICHAEL TONSMEIRE & AT HOME MATT HUMBARD

remember several years ago Jean Van Roy at Cantillon telling me, ‘You can spontaneously ferment “I in the United States, but, keep in mind that it probably won’t be the same way we do it here. You might have to come up with your own program.’ In the case of Allagash they’ve pretty much been able to copy how it is done in Belgium and they are getting amazing/similar results as our friends in Belgium. For us, we’ve had to come up with a couple of hybrid methods to make it happen.” – Vinnie Cilurzo, Brewmaster and Co-Owner of Russian River Brewing Co.

Out of all of the ways to sour a beer, the most romantic is to let the fresh wort ensnare wild yeast and bacteria from the air as it slowly cools. People often refer to Brettanomyces as “wild yeast,” but the truth is that the strains most brewers pitch have been selected, isolated, and The coolship at Cantillon, where hot wort is pumped to cool and pick up ambient yeast and microbial flora in the air of Brussels, Belgium. propagated and are no longer truly wild. While using untamed microbes Over the last decade, a small to produce these beers. may not be as easy as pitching a number of American brewers have Using the right recipe and wort mixed culture from a Wyeast or not only started to experiment production techniques will increase White Labs, the flavors created can but have also succeeded with their the probability of a success. Produce be far more exciting. own spontaneous fermentations. a wort rich in chains of sugar A mixed culture of wild yeast Despite the risks, more than a dozen molecules too long to be fermented and bacteria was the only option for craft brewers scattered across the by Saccharomyces, dextrins and fermenting beer until Louis Pasteur country (including New Hampshire, starches. For lambics, this result is identified and isolated brewer’s yeast California, Texas, Alaska and traditionally accomplished with a (Saccharomyces) 150 years ago. While Michigan) are fermenting with their turbid mash. No complex regimen brewers in Germany and England own local microflora. Although I is required, but I suggest using a continue to produce beers with have not yet tasted a spontaneously conversion rest at least in the high microbes in addition to Saccharomyces fermented American beer to equal a 150 °F (around 70 °C) range. Wild (like Berliner weisse and a few gueuze from 3 Fonteinen, Girardin or Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and traditional old ales), the only place Cantillon, it may only be a matter of Pediococcus produce the enzymes where spontaneous fermentation time and commitment. necessary to ferment these complex survived on a commercial scale was carbohydrates. (If you don’t do a in Belgium. However, as public tastes WORT PRODUCTION turbid mash or accidentally end up gravitated more towards sweetness, When planning to spontaneous with mash temperatures near the most large Belgian producers ferment any beer, you need to lower end of the usual range, don’t began blending pasteurized lambic, start with suitable wort. Standard worry that your wort won’t sour at fermented in stainless steel, with pale ale wort, for example, is not all; even the driest beers achieve only fruit syrup. With dry, sour beers a good candidate for spontaneous about 75% real attenuation.) regaining popularity, the handful of fermentation. Aside from the fact While any grain bill suitable for a traditional Belgian lambic brewers that sour and bitter flavors don’t pitched sour beer could be used, every and gueuze blenders who remain generally work well together, this American brewer experimenting are lauded for producing beers with type of wort is a poor choice in that with spontaneous fermentation that a balance of acidity and complexity even moderate hop levels inhibit I have spoken with has stayed close unrivaled by any other fermentation. some of the bacteria that are needed to the lambic template: between 30

1 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved and 40 percent unmalted wheat, with Publications) suggests 4 ounces of TIMING YOUR BREW the remainder being Pilsner malt. aged hops per 5-gallon batch (120 g Outside temperature is the key Extract brewers can substitute wheat in 20 L) as the traditional rate used indicator for determining the best malt extract supplemented with 10% by Belgian lambic brewers. However, time to capture wild microbes. Wild maltodextrin to boost the percentage the American brewers I talked to have Brews reports that during the hot of dextrins in the wort. all settled on lower hopping rates. summer months lactic acid bacteria Spontaneous fermentation is the The range spanned from 2.6 to 3.3 are too prevalent for successful single sour beer brewing method that ounces per five gallons (80-100 g per spontaneous fermentation. Several absolutely requires aged hops. Their 20 L). The brewers of Allagash tasted brewers suggested to me that antimicrobial contribution prevents a metallic off-flavor in early batches vinegar-producing Acetobacter is wild Lactobacillus from reducing of their spontaneously fermented the graver concern. Hot summer the pH of the wort too far before beers and traced the cause to the temperatures also slow natural Saccharomyces has sufficient time to traditional lambic hopping rate. cooling, allowing thermophilic complete its fermentation. bacteria more time to flourish before Aging hops at a warm temperature SAFETY the wort cools below 105 °F (41 °C) and exposing them to air causes their An oft-repeated reassurance to where yeast can thrive. alpha acids to oxidize, thus reducing beginning brewers is that no matter Before undertaking their their bitterness contribution. While how bad a beer tastes, it will not spontaneous fermentation project, isomerized alpha acids are partly make you sick. Although true with the brewers at Allagash compared responsible for the antimicrobial standard fermentation, it is not their weather pattern in Portland, properties of hops, enough other necessarily the case when it comes Maine to the epicenter of lambic compounds survive, or are created to spontaneous fermentation. brewing, Brussels, Belgium. During by oxidation, to maintain the When I spoke with Jason Perkins, most of the year, temperatures are desired effect. Many of these other Brewmaster of Allagash, about his similar, but since Maine is much compounds have low solubility coolship, he was audibly nervous colder in the winter and lambic characteristics in wort, which is part at the thought of homebrewers brewers do not brew in the heat of the of the reason that aged hops should attempting something similar. He summer, Allagash decided to avoid be boiled in the wort for an extended warned me that “the things that starting spontaneous fermentations period of time (three to four hours). usually keep you safe aren’t there. in both winter and summer. Jason If, on the other hand, you were to use You are making a big yummy nutrient considers an outside temperature of a sufficient amount of un-aged hops soup that all the things you worry 40 °F (4.5 °C) to be ideal. to inhibit Lactobacillus, the bitterness about can grow in.” they contributed would clash with For the first few weeks of INOCULATION the sourness in the resulting beer. fermentation, there is a chance One way to think about the process You can usually buy hops that that pathogenic enteric bacteria, for producing lambic/gueuze is that have already been aged or debittered like Escherichia coli and Salmonella, the wort is being fermenting by a for a reasonable price. Homebrewers might take up residence in your beer. carefully selected and propagated might also consider aging their Luckily, as soon as the desired yeast mixed house culture. Microbes own hops if planning on frequent and bacteria lower the pH and pro- floating on the breeze land in the spontaneous fermentations. The duce sufficient alcohol, the danger wort and initiate fermentation in standard approach is to place is gone. Evaluate spontaneous the “horny tank,” but at this point whole, low alpha acid hops in a fermentations only by sight and the beer is pumped into microbe rich container large enough to allow smell for the first month. Do not barrels that held previous batches of air circulation. Keep the container taste samples early in fermentation. fermenting lambic. out of direct sunlight, and in low If growing a big vat of E. coli For decades lambic brewers and humidity to prevent mold growth. seems like a bad idea, then artifi- blenders have been reusing the After three years properly (poorly) cially lower the pH of the wort below barrels that have yielded good beer, stored hops will smell similar to 4.4 to prevent these bacteria from and getting rid of the ones that have dried hay. Adequately aged hops will reproducing. Acidification could be produced less pleasing brews. The not smell excessively cheesy or off, accomplished with a sour mash, first time a barrel is filled with wort although their aroma may be slightly sour worting or acid malt, but adding it is usually inoculated with microbe unappealing. The extended boil also food grade lactic acid is the easiest laden beer from an established helps to volatilize any off-aromas. method. The off flavors some enteric barrel to increase the chances that In the absence of aged hops, bacteria produce during the early it will produce high-quality beer. a method for accelerating the stage of a spontaneous fermentation Obviously, for your first batch, you debittering process is to bake the hops can be used by Brettanomyces to will not have this option. at your oven’s lowest temperature produce complex fruity esters, but Cool the hot wort in a wide setting, stirring occasionally, for many brewers the risk is not vessel to speed the dissipation of until tan and crisp. Jeff Sparrow’s worth the reward. heat and provide more surface area book, Wild Brews (2005, Brewers for potential microbe landing sites.

2 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved While a copper or stainless steel coolship is traditional for lambic brewers, American breweries without this specialized vessel have used mash tuns, open fermenters, and oak barrels. Rapid cooling is less of a concern for homebrewers because of the smaller volume of wort. As such, your boil kettle is a fine option.

LOCATION There are ongoing debates over the best location to expose your cooling wort for inoculation. Lore holds that areas near orchards or vineyards are ideal because the sugar-loving yeasts that ferment the fallen fruit are well adapted to sugary wort. Interestingly, Brasserie Cantillon is located in an urban part of Brussels where only a few cherry trees remain, not the bucolic landscape depicted on their labels. If for any reason you have a Photo by Shutterstock.com by Photo pessimistic outlook on the microbes Lore holds that areas near orchards or vineyards are ideal because the sugar-loving yeasts that ferment in your neighborhood, you can the fallen fruit are well adapted to sugary wort, although commercial breweries often are nowhere near these romantic scenes and have great success. move your wort to a more favorable location for inoculation. Gabe Fletcher inoculated his first batch wort is cool it is moved to a stainless wood rather than those that land in of spontaneous fermented beer at steel tank to ensure that the microbes the cooling wort from the air. Those Anchorage Brewing by driving the that landed on its surface are evenly same wild microbes also serve to wort filled barrels several hours distributed among the barrels. sour all of the other beers that Jolly outside of Anchorage into the Three days is the fastest Pumpkin releases, although they are wilderness of Slana, Alaska. In Slana, Allagash coolship wort has started also pitched with cultured brewer’s Gabe opened small lids which he had fermenting, and some barrels take as yeast. cut into the top of each barrel, thus long as a week. Fermentation, once Cambridge Brewing Company in exposing the wort for two days to the it has started, is often so vigorous Massachusetts (CBC) spontaneously air next to wild blueberry bushes. that the kräusen overflows out of the inoculates the base beer for their It seems as if there are as many barrels. Saccharomyces fermentation potent “imperial” lambics using a inoculation techniques as there lasts 10 to 11 days, at which point 80% unique method. The five oak barrels are breweries attempting it, some of apparent fermentables have been holding the current batch were first prominent examples are highlighted consumed. filled with boiling water to kill the below. At Jolly Pumpkin in Michigan, the microbes living in the wood. The For their Coolship series, boiled wort for Lambicus Dexterius water was emptied and each barrel Allagash installed a shallow stainless is sprayed into one of their shallow was filled 20 percent full with boiling steel basin in a small room attached open-fermenters to kick-start wort directly from the kettle. The to the side of the brewery. When cooling. The wort temperature drops bunghole of each barrel was covered each three-and-a-half hour boil slowly overnight as the brewery’s with cheesecloth. The goal was to is complete, the brewers pump the HVAC (heating, ventilation and draw air from the barrel cellar into wort into the coolship through a air conditioning) system draws in each barrel via the vacuum created screen that catches any stray hops. microbe laden air from the outside. as the wort and air cooled. The The wort is then allowed to sit The next day, the now cool wort is remaining 80 percent of the batch undisturbed with the windows open ready to be pumped into well-used was pumped into CBC’s clean mash and an exhaust fan running until barrels. Fermentation usually starts tun. The manway was left open, the it cools to 60–65 °F (16–18 °C). The within 24 hours in oak, 48 hours at doors and windows of the brewpub exact amount of time to cool depends the most. Owner and Brewmaster were opened, and fans were run to on outside temperatures, but 12 to 18 Ron Jeffries credits the quick onset introduce wild microbes. One day hours is the expected range. Once the of activity to the microbes in the later, the cool wort in the mash

3 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved tun was used to fill the barrels. The a more reliable method. To reduce fermentation slowed, I attached batch took three days to show signs the risk of catastrophic off-flavors, airlocks to limit oxygen exposure of fermentation, at which point the I captured and propagated multiple thus preventing the mold from barrels began erupting with kräusen. wild cultures in advance of brew day. reappearing. At this point I finally The original process for Russian On a chilly March night, I tasted the starter beers, and to my River’s Sonambic (it is transformed concocted a half gallon (1.9 L) of low relief discovered that they had each into Beatification when it is blended gravity, 1.030 (7.5 °P), wort from light developed a fruity yeast flavor and and packaged) started with a dried malt extract, half an ounce (14 g) light lemony tartness. complex step mash. After mash-out of three-year-old Willamette hops, I force chilled 5 gallons (19 L) of an overnight sour mash prepared the and a pinch of yeast nutrient. For this traditional lambic style wort to 65 °F mash tun for its role as makeshift method, the hops do not need to be (18 °C) using my wort chiller. I shook coolship. The following day, while aged because the bitterness imparted both starters and pitched 1 quart the wort boiled, the empty mash by un-aged hops would be diluted (0.95 L) from each into the cooled tun was rinsed with cold water. This when the starter is pitched into the wort in a 6-gallon (23-L) fermenter. water ensured that most of the spent wort. (However, keep in mind that Visible fermentation took less than grain was removed, but the lactic acid hops have anti-bacterial properties, 24 hours to appear. bacteria that multiplied during the so keep the hopping rate low.) Making wild starters is no sour mash were still present. Once After the 15 minute boil, I divided guarantee of success, since you will the boil was complete the wort was the still hot starter wort into three not be able to tell how the character pumped through the heat exchanger sanitized metal pots. To prevent of the wild yeast and bacteria will and into the mash tun. Vinnie insects from getting into the wort as change with additional aging, but it eventually settled on 60 °F (16 °C) for it cooled, I covered each with a single will reduce the chance of producing the target wort temperature going layer of cheesecloth secured with a an undrinkable beer. If you get a into the mash tun. This temperature rubber-band. I placed starters in my particularly wonderful culture, then delayed the peak of fermentation for backyard (at 42 °F/6 °C), living room follow the lead of lambic brewers by a couple of weeks and led to lower (at 62 °F/17 °C) and basement barrel repitching your microbes into future final acidity compared to warmer room (at 57 °F/14 °C). The following batches rather than starting from knockout temperatures. After morning, with the wort cooled, I scratch each time. spending a night in the mash tun, the poured each into its own growler and wort was pumped into wine barrels left them at 62 °F (17 °C). I did not FERMENTATION which had previously aged Russian aerate the wort any more than what Whatever technique you choose, Rivers’ other sour beers. occurred as it was being funneled into once the wort is inoculated, your In late 2011, Russian River in- the growlers. I immediately attached work is complete for a year or two. stalled a 19 ft long by 4 ft wide (5.8 a stopper and airlock to each. Lambics are traditionally left in m by 1.2 m) coolship that they began The first signs of fermentation the primary fermenter so that the inoculating Sonambic in. As the took three days to appear in the Brettanomyces can benefit from the primary purpose of the sour mash starters, and even then the visual nutrients ejected by autolysing was to inoculate the mash tun with signs indicated only weak activity. I (dying) Saccharomyces cells. I find microbes, the sour mash procedure is left the three starters alone for three that this enhances the beer’s rustic, no longer part of the brewing process. weeks, thus providing adequate time funky character. If you want a for alcohol and acid production to cleaner character — think Flemish PERSONAL inhibit enteric bacteria (like E. coli). Red compared to a traditional gueuze EXPERIMENTATION Even after three weeks, I did not feel — rack the beer off of the trub into Despite the success that American safe tasting the starters. I dumped another fermenter after the initial craft brewers have had with out the “upstairs” starter because it vigorous fermentation subsides. Belgian inspired methods, most smelled foul and was covered in black While it lasted, the kräusen of homebrewers report poor results mold. The “outside” starter had a my batch was composed of large, from the combination of traditional few spots of white mold and smelled delicate bubbles. A light kräusen is inoculation methods and fermenta- spicy while the “barrel room” starter a sign that the yeast strains at work tion in a glass carboy or plastic bucket. had no mold and smelled like over- are less flocculant than brewer’s (Because some of the microorganisms ripe fruit. yeasts. For the first few months the at work in a sour fermentation are Using freshly brewed starter beer exhibited a strong tropical fruit microaerophiles, organisms that wort, I doubled the volume of the two aroma combined with moderate thrive on small amounts of oxygen, remaining starters. For this growth clove, but these faded as the beer buckets are a better choice than step, I crimped a piece of sanitized aged. Gabe Fletcher described tasting carboys since they let in tiny amounts aluminum foil over the opening of a similar flavor progression from of oxygen over time.) each growler, shaking a few times the spontaneously fermented beer For my first attempt at ferment- per day to oxygenate. Both starters he brewed while still Head Brewer ing with microbes native to resumed fermenting quickly and at Midnight Sun (thousands of miles Washington, DC, I decided to use smelled clean and pleasant. When from where I live). At one year old,

4 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved my beer has a light acidity and a earthy fruit flavor and deep purple keep insects out. The next morning, wonderful aroma with hints of pipe color. Local fruit will contribute wild transfer the wort to a bucket and tobacco, and spicy Brett funk. yeast of its own, and could be added add your wild microbe starter, if you earlier in the process to increase made one. From this point onward, BLENDING/FLAVORING the role these microbes play in the all you need to do is wait for the beer With the wide variations in character fermentation. to ferment and sour. that spontaneous fermentation This style of fermentation produces, all commercial breweries WHAT ARE YOU WAITING demands patience, blending and the blend batches and barrels to FOR? willingness to dump beer, but with produce their final beer. Allagash As with most aspects of brewing sour some skill and luck you can make Resurgam, the non-fruit version of beer, there is no single preeminent a beer that is more exciting and their Coolship series, is produced method for starting a spontaneous rewarding than anything fermented by blending several vintages (for fermentation. What works for one with the relative safety of cultured example 24-month, 18-month, and location or brewer will not work microbes from a tube. 6-month old). Russian River, and for all. It is important to focus on Jolly Pumpkin have similar blending the commonalities of the methods, programs to produce Beatification ensuring a quick start to fermentation DCambic and Lambicus Dexterius. while avoiding too much early activity (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) You have to be daring to from Lactobacillus. Once fermentation OG = 1.050 FG = 1.004 start several of these batches starts, make sure that you heed SRM = 4 ABV = 6.0% simultaneously, but blending is a the advice presented in “Sour Beer requirement of producing a beer Orientation” from the November INGREDIENTS with the balance of a great gueuze. 2011 issue of BYO to monitor the 6.25 lbs. (2.8 kg) German Pilsner Try to inoculate batches in different progress of the microbes. malt locations or at different times of A quick overview of a plan to 3.20 lbs. (1.5 kg) unmalted wheat the year, to create a wide variety of spontaneously ferment at home 3 oz. (85 g) three-year-old characters to blend with. Even the might look something like this: First, Willamette hops (195 min.) best lambic breweries have barrels decide how much beer you want to that are so acidic that their only use produce and in how many batches. STEP BY STEP is in shining the copper kettles. More batches will give you more Use a turbid mash or single infusion Spontaneously fermented beers potential different contributions mash (see below). Boil wort for 3 can be flavored just as you would to your sour beer blend, but also hours 45 minutes with 3 oz. (85 g) of any other sour beer. Allagash (obviously) are more work and each three-year-old Willamette added at produces three fruited versions Red has a non-trivial chance of failure. 195 minutes left in boil. (raspberries), Cerise (Montmorency Round up the requisite numbers of In the primary fermenter, add cherries), and Balaton (Balaton buckets, airlocks, etc., and be sure 0.75 oz. (21 g) oak cubes that have cherries). Before you ask, founder Rob you have a place to store them long been boiled for 10 minutes. Age in Tod has sworn off the idea of adding term. Fermentation takes many the primary fermenter until the the ubiquitous Maine blueberry. CBC months at a bare minimum. desired flavor is reached and the adds fruit to their imperial lambic to Second, find out when your gravity is stable. Carbonate to 3.0 create Kriek du Cambridge (cherry), overnight temperatures are likely to volumes. This can be accomplished and Rosé de Cambrinus, which takes be in the low 40s °F (around 5 °C) and with the addition of sugar. If using its name (and inspiration) from schedule your brew days. If you live the traditional method, blending Cantillon’s cherry and raspberry in a rural or semi-rural area, you may old and younger batches, target a infused Rosé de Gambrinus. also want to scout locations to let combined gravity of 0.003 higher Honey Badger is a similar concept your worts cool or to set out starter than the gravity of the driest to Hanssens Mead the Gueuze, worts to collect wild microbes to component (carbonation with this although rather than blending with pitch later. method can take a year of bottle mead, Brewmaster Will Meyers adds Although you could attempt to conditioning to achieve). honey to the base beer. Russian River inoculate your batches by simply made their first batch of Framboise exposing them to the air as they Mash Option: Substitute flaked for a Cure by aging Sonambic on cool, you will greatly increase your wheat for the unmalted wheat raspberries. Rather than adding fruit, chances of success by gathering berries and use a single infusion Jolly Pumpkin blends a small amount many samples of wild microbes and mash rested at 158°F (70°C) for 45 of Lambicus Dexterius into its light determining which have the highest minutes. hoppy Bam Bière to create Bambic. potential. My plan is to add a few pounds of On brew day, make your wort in Extract Option: Substitute all mulberries, harvested from the tree the evening and let it cool overnight. of the grain for 5 lbs (2.25 kg) of growing in my backyard, to half of Using cheesecloth or something wheat DME and 9 oz (.25 kg) of the DCambic to impart their unique similar to screen your wort will maltodextrin.

hy does Brettanomyces get all of the attention when it isn’t even responsible for making W sour beers sour? Lactobacillus can do in a week what takes Pediococcus a year! Lactobacillus needs a publicist (or maybe a hype man). Traditional mixed-fermentation sour beers (i.e., those where a wide variety of bacteria and yeast work together) take between a few months and a couple years to reach the desired level of acidity and complexity. While sour beers are rapidly gaining popularity, many homebrewers don’t have enough interest (or fermenters) to age beer that long! Enter Lactobacillus. An active culture, pitched into minimally-hopped wort without competition and held warm can produce enough lactic acid to sour a beer in less than a day. A slow fermentation with many microbes may result in a more interesting flavor profile, but this characteristic is often obscured when brewers produce passion fruit Berliner Labs White of courtesy Photo weisses, Amarillo® dry hopped sour blondes, and tart pink peppercorn The high growth rate of Lactoba- In fact, when brewers (even lambic citrus zest session ales. cillus is one reason why sour mashes brewers) talk about the “protective” are possible. Given the right condi- power of hops, Lactobacillus is the BIOCHEMICAL NERDERY tions (i.e., warmth, low oxygen, chief microbe they are inhibiting. Lactobacillus is a genus of bacteria, pH below 4.5) a small amount of Isomerized alpha acids prevent specifically Gram-positive lactic- Lactobacillus present on the grain Lactobacillus from reproducing by acid-producing bacteria, often can dominate all the other wild damaging their cell membranes. lumped together with Pediococcus microbes living on malt. However, if While there are some moderately when it comes to souring beer. Under these conditions aren’t maintained hop-tolerant strains, we suggest the right conditions Lactobacillus can perfectly, other far less pleasant keeping the IBUs below 5 if you are produce lactic acid quicker than its microbes can announce their souring with Lactobacillus. At that hardier cousin, and generally does not presence by making your house smell sub-flavor-threshold amount there leave behind the diacetyl or exopoly- like a garbage-dump in the middle is hardly a reason to add any bittering saccharides (“sickness”) that require of a heat wave. Even under ideal hops! cleanup by Brettanomyces. Lactobacillus conditions, wild Lactobacillus does not The trick is that most Lactobacillus is able to reproduce quickly with some always produce as much acidity as the sold for brewing produce a variety species capable of doubling every 20– brewer wants. of compounds in addition to lactic 60 minutes (meaning that each cell Before you claim that sour mashes acid. Heterofermentative species at T=0 can result in offspring num- are a traditional part of the process, (e.g., L. brevis, L. buchneri) convert bering millions or billions in just stop. You’re wrong (unless you’re carbohydrates into lactic acid, 24 hours!). Sounds pretty ideal: No talking about Tennessee whiskey). ethanol, carbon dioxide, and a small unpleasant byproducts, grows quickly Sour mashing is not a common current amount of vinegary acetic acid. in a wide range of temperatures or historic technique in Germany for Homofermentative species (e.g., L. (depending on species), sours producing Gose or Berliner weisse. delbrueckii — although not White rapidly, and as an added benefit is a Most species of Lactobacillus are Labs’ WLP677 — according to Neva probiotic! quite sensitive to hop compounds. Parker, their Head of Laboratory

6 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved Operations) are capable of producing by the most common Lactobacillus neutral, and anything lower than approximately twice as many species available to homebrewers. that is acidic. A pH of 3.5 (typical molecules of lactic acid from a given The four species we selected were L. for a finished sour beer — Goose amount of carbohydrate because they buchneri (Wyeast 5335), L. brevis (White Island Juliet among others per http:// do not produce ethanol or carbon Labs WLP672), L. delbrueckii (White embracethefunk.com/ph-readings- dioxide. There are also facultative Labs WLP677), and L. plantarum (one of-commercial-beers/) is 10 times species (e.g., L. plantarum), which can isolate from Omega Labs OYL-605 more acidic than 4.5 (typical for a switch between the two depending on Lactobacillus Blend). We inoculated non-sour beer), and 100 times more the conditions. Lactobacillus species an equal amount of each species acidic than 5.5 (typical for the mash). are a diverse group, with some better into unhopped wort with an original suited to the production of sour beers gravity of 1.040 and placed at 86°, RESULTS than others. 99°, 102°, and 108° F (30°, 37°, 39°, and Each Lactobacillus species lowered 42° C). We measured the pH of each the pH of the wort, but there were EXPERIMENT sample six times over the course of significant differences with respect In order to better understand how five days. to how acidic the beer became and different Lactobacillus behave during As a brief chemistry refresher: pH how the species responded to the solo-fermentations, we decided to is a logarithmic scale that describes different temperatures. Having a measure the drop in pH produced how acidic or basic a solution is. 7 is species capable of lowering the pH quickly and over a wide range of temperatures is ideal for real-world homebrewing applications. (Refer to the results charts at the end of the story.) L. buchneri had the least visible growth during the experiment, but still lowered the pH more than L. delbrueckii. L. brevis and L. plantarum dropped the pH more than the other two species in a relatively short amount of time at every temperature tested. Despite the reputation for Lactobacillus benefitting from warmer temperatures, L. plantarum was able to lower the pH slightly more rapidly at cooler temperatures compared to higher temperatures (although even the coolest temperature was quite warm compared to most ale yeast fermentations). While all four species were able to drop the pH of the wort, L. plantarum and L. brevis were able to get the pH of the wort to 3.2–3.4 (an ideal range for many sour beers) at a variety of temperatures. L. buchneri was able to adequately sour the beer at 99 °F (37 °C), but struggled to do so at temperatures slightly above or below that. L. delbrueckii remained above pH 4 at all temperatures tested. For Lactobacillus buchneri comparison, the final pH of many Lactobacillus brevis non-sour beers is in the low 4s, Lactobacillus delbrueckii making L. delbrueckii unsuitable for Lactobacillus plantarum sour beers produced in this way. Figure 1 shows the final pH at 120 hours achieved by each species at all temperatures tested. Figure 2 compares the pH drop over time averaged across all experimental temperatures to provide a general

7 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved sense of how each species performed. activity of protein degrading enzymes drops off at lower pH but the growth PUT THE RESULTS TO WORK of Lactobacillus is not inhibited by While some Lactobacillus species acidity. If the target pH for a finished produce alpha-glucosidase, which beer is 3.5, reducing the pH from 5.5 allows them to ferment complex to 4.5 before fermentation accounts dextrins, many thrive only early for only 10% of the total acidity. in fermentation when simple Lactobacillus will take it the rest of the sugars are available. As a result, way. pitching Lactobacillus after primary fermentation can result in only #2 Unhealthy primary minimal souring. In the above fermentation by brewer’s yeast. experiment, the pH dropped the Monitor the pH drop and be ready to greatest amount in the first 24 hours pitch a starter of brewer’s yeast when for all four species we tested. the pH approaches 3.5. Best practice To quickly sour a beer your process also calls for dosing additional oxygen can be as simple as: chill the wort from and yeast nutrient into the beer along the boil to the target fermentation with the pitch, as both of these have temperature in your kettle, pitch been depleted. There are some acid- an active Lactobacillus culture, affix tolerant brewer’s yeast (Wyeast 3711 the lid, and hold the temperature as French Saison, anecdotally), but no steady as you can until the desired complete listing exists to quantify acidity is reached. At this point you this characteristic. Another option is can bring the soured wort up to 150 a 100% Brettanomyces fermentation, °F (66 °C) for 30 minutes to pasteurize which tend to be acid tolerant and will before chilling and pitching yeast. produce some of the fruity and funky The advantages of kettle souring complexity of a mixed-fermentation compared to sour mashing are speed, sours. reliability, and cleaner flavors. Paired with pasteurization, kettle souring CONCLUSION carries no risk of accidentally souring By analyzing the behavior of different other batches. If you do not want to Lactobacillus species, we were able pasteurize, after the wort is chilled to demonstrate unique growth to the desired souring temperature patterns as well as differential rates transfer it to a fermenter. Once of acidification during fermentation. the desired acidity is attained pitch A beer soured over only a few days brewer’s yeast. This does carry with Lactobacillus will not compete cross-contamination risks, so we with the complexity of a lambic recommend using a separate set of aged with dozens of microbes in oak post-boil equipment that will not barrels for a couple years. However, come in contact with non-sour beers. complexity may not be the goal for Now that we know how to produce a refreshing summer quencher or in a beer with loads of lactic acid quickly, the base of an aggressively fruited or time to address the issues that come spiced beer. Loading pounds of fresh with souring a beer before pitching sour cherries into a perfect lambic is the brewer’s yeast. like making brownies with a bottle of aged imperial stout (delicious, but #1 Destruction of proteins ultimately a waste). With the right beneficial to head formation and species of Lactobacillus providing the mouthfeel. acidity, you can devise a chameleon One strategy to minimize the sour beer ready to accept whatever negative effects of protease activity complementary flavors you send by Lactobacillus is to lower the at it! starting pH of the wort to around 4.5 (Sanz et al. 2001 Applied and Environmental Microbiology). This can be accomplished by the addition of a food grade lactic acid solution or through the inclusion of acidulated malt at the end of the mash. The

he image is startling: You’re sitting at your computer one evening and run a quick Google search. You think Tto yourself, “How hard can this be?” Filled with the exciting unknown, you slowly type in L-a-c-t-o-b-, and immediately, autofill jumps in . . . Lactobacillus plantarum? Lactobacillus brevis? Lactobacillus helveticus? Lactobacillus delbrueckii? Lactobacillus acidophilus? Oh no! The list seems to go on forever and you’re realizing there are so many options. Where do you begin? What do you choose? How sour will your beer be with one versus another? Well, lucky for you, you have this magazine (with this article and many others!), and by the end of this quick read I’m hoping you’ll feel more confident in your choice of Lacto strain. Hopefully you’ll be excited to jump on your next sour brew and confident you’re making the best of this bacteria!

Before we dive in to all the nitty- Humbard Matthew by Photo gritty research, let’s take a step back There are a plethora of strains and sub-strains of Lactobacillus for brewers to choose from. and start with the basics. Lactobacillus is one of the most common souring properly soured beer. to produce a more complex, flavorful organisms used in brewing today. There are various sources of beer. However, it takes much longer, It’s a Gram-positive bacteria that is Lactobacillus and different methods and some brewers don’t have that shaped like a rod. While these facts to produce a sour beer. You can get extra time or space to produce these. have little relevance to brewers since a supply of lactic acid bacteria from The other concern is consistency. it references the organism’s cell wall a laboratory, a bottle culture, from It’s not always going to be the same design, it does have strong correlation nature, yogurt, or it can even be found as brews before. This is where the to its performance. More important on unmashed grains (it’s found on popular “quick souring” methods to brewers, Lactobacillus can be malt husks). There are now even come into play. Typically, this is done separated into two separate groups yeast strains, naturally occurring and by a mash- or kettle-souring process. depending on how they metabolize bioengineered, available that produce Kettle-souring has become one of sugars: Homofermentative and alcohol and lactic acid at the same the more popular methods due to the heterofermentative. The difference time during fermentation. However, quick turnaround times and typically between these are homofermentative sour beer production can often be consistent fermentations. However, Lactobacillus predominantly produce broken down into two separate these methods have also been noted lactic acid as the end-product and categories: 1. Traditional methods to be a bit one-dimensional in aroma do so using a biological process and 2. Quick souring methods. The and taste in comparison to the flavor known as the Embden-Meyerhof- traditional methods are widely profiles of a co-fermented or barrel- Parnas pathway. Heterofermentative known to be co-fermentation from aged sour beer. Lactobacillus produce mainly a spontaneous or cultured sources Now, when we analyze sour beers, mixture of lactic acid and acetic often with barrel/foeder aging. we tend to measure acidity by pH. acid utilizing a process known as These methods typically have mixed However, pH does not give us the the phosphoketolase pathway.1 cultures of Saccharomyces, lactic acid whole story or true picture of a beer’s Lactobacillus is commonly seen as bacteria, and even Brettanomyces and acid profile. pH is roughly defined as a spoilage organism but is a major Pediococcus. A positive of this wide a measurement of the concentration component for the production of a spectrum of microflora is that it tends of positively charged free hydronium

9 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved ions. It is calculated as the negative bound to weak acids, which makes °F), 40 °C (104 °F), and 50 °C (122 °F). log of a solution’s hydronium ion it a better indicator of how “sour” a We trialed two different Lactobacillus + concentration: pH = -log10 [H3O ]. beer is. To find directions on how to plantarum strains, two L. delbrueckii In pure water, the concentration of test TA, please note the American strains, a L. helveticus, a L. brevis, and hydronium is 1x10-7 M, which if you Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) a L. acidophilus strain. Each strain was put that in the equation, you get a method “Total Acidity Beer-8” offers pitched at 10 g/hL. Look at the four pH of 7. Anything more qualifies as instructions for free, but note that graphs following. being acidic, and anything less would it does require specialty equipment By a quick glance, it is obvious be basic.2 Since pH is a logarithmic and solutions not typically found that the best temperatures for these scale, the difference between each in brewing.4 But if you have any Lactobacillus fermentations were 30 unit (let’s say shifting from a pH of 7 winemaking friends, they may have °C (86 °F) and 40 °C (104 °F). The two L. to 6) is actually a tenfold difference in the necessary tools in their wine labs. plantarum (A & B) strains were found change to a solution’s acidity. Focusing back on Lactobacillus to be more temperature-sensitive However, sour taste cannot be bacteria (what we’re all here for!), a than the other Lactobacillus strains. explained solely due to the measured study conducted by my colleagues, By looking at the 30 °C (86 °F) chart, free hydronium ions. For example, a research team at Lallemand Graph B, you can see that the two L. various acids (e.g., acetic vs. lactic) at Brewing, compared seven different plantarum strains fermented slightly the same pH will give different levels Lactobacillus strains held at four faster than they did at 40 °C (104 °F). of perceived acidity and flavors. different temperatures, and then ran However, 40 °C (104 °F) was still a Within beer, there are also weak a TA analysis on each. The goal was successful fermentation temperature acids in the system — which are an to find a bacteria strain that achieved for all the Lactobacillus strains. While undissociated portion of hydronium 3.5 pH or lower in less than 48 hours, temperatures higher than 40 °C (104 ions — that plays a role in perceived has high lactic acid vs. low acetic °F) resulted in very little change of sourness. acid concentration, and to find what pH for many of the strains, the two To fully explain acidity, we have temperature would be best to do a species that handled the higher titratable or total acidity (TA) as a tool kettle sour with each. We wanted temperatures slightly better than to provide a clearer understanding to avoid high acetic acid as it can be the others were L. acidophilus and L. of sourness. Unlike pH, there is a perceived as harsh or vinegar-like. helveticus. These are also the strains direct correlation between TA and However, note that in barrel-aged that produced the most acid out of perceived sourness in beers.3 TA, or mixed fermentations, low levels the bunch (Graph B/40 °C), resulting often provided in g/L, approximates of acetic acid can be found and can in pH close to 3.0. Lactobacillus the total amount of acid. It is the sum be seen as desirable. Fermentations delbrueckii (A & B) and Lactobacillus of free hydronium ions AND the ions were run at 20 °C (68 °F), 30 °C (86 brevis were the strains that produced

10 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved the least amount of acid, ending up route to maximize flavor impact” of and-ph/a/acids-bases-ph-and- with a pH around 3.4–3.6. This data sour beers. With this combination, bufffers provided a strong understanding they found that, on average, L. 3 Neta, E. et al. (2007). The Chemistry of what temperatures worked best delbrueckii was commonly associated and Physiology of Sour Taste – A for each strain, but in order to with floral and red fruit flavors and Review. Journal of Food Science. understand how sour they were and L. brevis was associated with acetic 72(2) R33-R38. https://fbns.ncsu. not rely on the pH to show us that flavors. There were also other strains edu//USDAARS/Acrobat information, we ran an acid analysis of L. rhamnosus and L. paracasei that pubs/P329-350/P346.pdf (Graphs E & F). were found to be associated with 4 Total Acidity Beer- 8. ASBC Graphs E and F show the levels fruity, banana characteristics. Methods. https://www.asbcnet. of lactic acid and acetic acid (g/100 You can see that there are many org/Methods/Methods/Beer-8.pdf mL) produced by each strain at Lacto strains available to brewers 5 Preiss, Richard. (2020). the different temperatures. A few nowadays, and there is much more Lactobacillus strain selection interesting things to note are: 1. room for experimentation and impacts sensory and analytical The lower temperatures commonly research. As noted in the video outcome in sour beer. World had the most acetic acid produced, presentation from the WBC, it would Brewing Congress [video]. 2. L. brevis had more acetic acid be interesting to see if other yeast https://www.asbcnet.org/events/ production at the 30–40 °C/ 86–104 °F strains provide other flavors or, LiveWBC/OnDemand/Pages/ range, which did not follow suit with turn the study around, and look at 16 TechnicalSessions.aspx the other strains, and 3. For most different yeast strains with a single strains, 40 °C (104 °F) was the sweet Lactobacillus strain.5 There is still lots spot where acetic acid was lower and to learn! lactic acid was high. Although these In summary, before you get were all Lactobacillus strains, they all overwhelmed by the options of produced different levels of lactic and Lactobacillus strains, know what acetic acid. Even the strains that were you want your final product to be. the same species (L. plantarum A & How sour do you want your final B, and L. delbrueckii A & B), behaved product? What temperatures can differently. your equipment/kettle hold and for We unfortunately do not have how long? What flavor profile are you explicit qualitative sensory data looking for? Answering these few for this study, but the conclusions questions with information provided from this were that the different should help make the decision of Lactobacillus strains also had distinct choosing the correct Lactobacillus and different flavors to them. As bacteria a bit easier. an alternative example, a study done by Escarpment Labs focused REFERENCES on co-fermentation of 16 different 1 Lewis, Michael. Young, Tom. (2002) Lactobacillus strains with a Voss Brewing: Second Addition. Kluwer Kveik yeast strain presented at the Academic/Plenum Publishers. 2020 World Brewing Congress (WBC 319-338. 2020).5 They found that “Lactobacillus 2 Acids, Bases, pH, and Buffers. strain selection impacted yeast ester Kahn Academy. https://www. production,” and that “these results khanacademy.org/science/ suggest that Lactobacillus-yeast biology/water- combination may be a productive acids-and-bases/acids-bases-

n 2012 Chad Yakobson of Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project in Denver, Colorado included me in I an email chain of 20 Brettanomy- ces-and-bacteria-focused brewers. Chad’s hope was to get the group to agree on a catch-all term (equivalent to “ale” or “lager”) for the third- kingdom of beer. “Sour” isn’t universally appealing and doesn’t cover beers fermented without lactic acid bacteria. “Funky” is the opposite: Missing on refreshingly clean kettle- soured gose and Berliner weisse. My favored term, “mixed-fermentation” doesn’t apply to 100% Brettanomyces fermentations. How about “wild?” While true for spontaneous fermentations, it is problematic for most Brettanomyces. Photo by Charles A. Parker/Images Plus Parker/Images A. Charles by Photo This arboreal yeast has been living in beer barrels since before Claussen with the brewing community! homebrewed test batch for Modern determined it was responsible for There are dozens of Brettanomyces Times’ Neverwhere fermented with the “stale” flavor of leather and isolates available from a dozen yeast WLP644 converted nicely into the fruit that was so desirable in vatted labs. Gone are the days when an slightly funkier commercial batch English ales. “Wild” doesn’t describe Orval clone was the only reason a with BSI Brett Drie (the brewers Brettanomyces purchased in pure- homebrewer needed Brettanomyces supplemented with Brettanomyces culture vials or pouches from your bruxellensis! Brewers are fermenting claussenii for the most recent batch, local homebrew store (or directly from wort with Brett as more than just resulting in an even juicier flavor). a yeast lab in Nashville or the San a novelty, blending its aromatics Brettanomyces covers a huge Francisco Bay Area). Brettanomyces with hops, spices, and assertive range of phenotypes, including a may not be the exactingly-groomed malt bills. With increased interest variety of attenuations, secondary partner that Saccharomyces is, ready to in Brettanomyces beers, research has metabolites, and tolerances making do your bidding and then go away, but tested anecdotal best practices. it hard to positively identify what is the range of fruity and funky flavors or isn’t Brettanomyces from brewing it produces can be wildly captivating! WHEN BRETT ISN’T BRETT and tasting alone. Maybe it shouldn’t In the end there was no consensus. One of the more recent happenings have been as shocking when Lance These beers are not a cohesive group in the storied history of Brettanomyces Shaner of Omega Yeast Labs shared (even compared to lagers which range occurred in late-2014. Three years genetic analysis that suggested all the way from Czech Pilsner to earlier, White Labs had released “Brettanomyces Trois” was actually eisbock), and as a result there isn’t a WLP644 Brettanomyces bruxellensis Saccharomyces! White Labs did their single term that manages to capture var. Trois (a not so subtle reference own test and confirmed that the the limitless combinations of process, to Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, and the ITS region of the strain’s ribosome flavor, and microbe! Brettanomyces bruxellensis var. Drie was consistent with Saccharomyces. The history of Brettanomyces runs isolated from their Geuze Cuvée J&J Thankfully, rather than discontinuing through lambic, porter, IPA, Claussen, Blauw by Brewing Science Institute). the great strain (as happened in a Orval, Bouckaert, Arthur, Cilurzo, I fermented a couple of beers with similar situation with Wyeast 5110 White, Logsdon, Yakobson, Goodwin WLP644, including pure-culture and Brettanomyces anomalus in 2007) et al. If you are interested read Jeff secondary fermentation, and had no they rebranded it Saccharomyces Sparrow’s Wild Brews, Mitch Steele’s reason to doubt that it was a mild “bruxellensis” Trois. At the same IPA, my American Sour Beers, and Milk Brett strain; it is fruitier than funkier, time, White Labs released WLP648 the Funk’s wiki. I’ll just say that I owe but creates a pellicle, and produces Brettanomyces bruxellensis var. Trois a debt to all those who have shared crushed pineapple aromatics when Vrai (“true”). This new strain has a their beers, research, and microbes interacting with American hops! My phenolic edge, but many of the same

12 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved qualities including strong primary enjoy the progression from fresh-to- apparent, before the Brett dominates. fermentation, and tropical hop funky! I pitch more cells for hoppy beers, interactions (more towards passion The pH of the beer is a crucial where I need the Brett character to fruit in my experience). factor in ester production. According arrive before the hop aromatics fade. I relate all this information for to Chad Yakobson’s master’s thesis, To experience the transition from two reasons: first, it illustrates that higher concentrations of lactic acid fresh-to-funky, follow the lead of there is plenty of “borrowing” going reduce production of some of the Orval, which despite rumors to the on between yeast labs (living things more interesting aromatics like ethyl contrary, pitches Brett at bottling. This are thankfully difficult to patent). caprylate (pineapple and cognac) and makes split batches and sanitation Second, there are other microbes, ethyl caproate (apple and anise). This relatively easy: use an eyedropper to especially from the smaller yeast labs, tendency is one reason to sour with dose 5-10 drops of dilute Brett culture that have not been tested to confirm slow Pediococcus rather than quick into each bottle before capping. the species on the label. Even many of Lactobacillus when Brett is included. The risk with this technique is that the names used by yeast labs (e.g., B. Many of the funkier flavor for every 0.001 of carbohydrates claussenii, B. lambicus) are no longer descriptors thrown around such as fermented after bottling, yeast recognized by science. Rather than smoky, Band-Aid®, horse blanket, (Saccharomyces or Brettanomyces) focus on taxonomy, I pay attention etc. are phenols. In clean beers, releases 0.5 volumes of carbon to the flavors produced and brewing the phenols usually encountered dioxide. If you add enough priming characteristics (e.g., attenuation, are imparted either by a POF+ yeast sugar to achieve 2.5 volumes and the alcohol/acid tolerance, influence of (“phenolic off-flavor” e.g., clove in Brett lowers the FG from 1.005 to 1.002 temperature). hefeweizen, black pepper in Belgian the beer would contain a potentially

ales), or malts dried over smoky dangerous 4 volumes of CO2. Luckily BRETT-OLOGY fire. Brettanomyces has the ability with a low pitching rate, thick bottles, I believe the idea that Brettanomyces to convert 4-vinylguiacol (clove) and cellar-temperature storage you requires dextrins to create its myriad into funkier 4-ethylguiacol (4- can open a bottle every few weeks flavors is the biggest myth to tackle EG). However, a phenolic brewer’s and refrigerate the remainder if the now that everyone understands yeast strain is not required, Brett carbonation reaches disconcerting that it is yeast not bacteria. Brett is will relatively quickly complete the levels. the omnivore of the worty plains. conversion itself from ferulic acid Kegs are wonderful for Brett Depending on the strain, it will (and other precursors) to 4-EG. If you conditioning because they allow you to metabolize glycosides from fruit, want to increase the funkiness of the vent excess pressure. The beers I put hops, and spices; the sugar trehalose finished beer, try starting your mash on my dedicated non-Saccharomyces released by autolysis; amino acids; with a 15 minute ferulic acid rest at 113 tap tend to be 100% Brett, fruited, cellobiose from wood; and lactose. °F (45 °C). dry hopped, or keg conditioned for a The flavors that Brett creates Lance Shaner conducted an month or two to get the flavor where are derived mostly from activity experiment that refuted the oft- I want and then chilled to prolong on phenols from the malt and repeated notion that lower pitching that moment. I bottle most 100% Brett esterification of acids and alcohols. rates result in a “more stressed” beers though because Brettanomyces The lactic acid bacteria, especially fermentation that produces a funkier continues to scavenge oxygen, Pediococcus, benefit from favoring beer. His results indicate that for meaning even a pale 5% ABV beer can alpha-amylase, which creates the secondary fermentation, ester be delicious at 10 years old! dextrins it eventually converts into production differs somewhat with Don’t be too concerned if you detect lactic acid. Anecdotally, fermentation pitching rate, but phenol production some strange notes early on in your of simpler carbohydrates by held relatively constant from 50,000 fermentation. Tetrahydropyridines Brettanomyces increases ester to 2.4 million cells/mL. (Cheerios®, mousy) and phenols production, which explains the (plastic, medicinal) come and go in fruitier flavors of 100% Brett compared BEST PRACTICE IS PRACTICE young Brett beers much like diacetyl or to mixed fermentations. For secondary fermentations, Brett acetaldehyde, intermediary products The result is that I mash my Brett- will eventually complete its task in a young Saccharomyces beer. no-bacteria beers towards the mid- whether you pitch 1,000,000 or 100 to-low end of the saccharification cells per mL. (This is the reason 100% BRETT range, 148–152 °F (64–67 °C). If you sanitation and separate equipment Pitching rate is essential for 100% are an extract brewer, there is little for clean beers are so vital). The Brettanomyces fermentations because reason to add maltodextrin to these higher pitching rate speeds up the it needs to be ready to protect the wort beers (although most Brett is capable fermentation, but not close to the from wild microbes. Brett grows more of fermenting dextrins up to nine- 10,000X difference in the number of slowly than Saccharomyces and many glucose-molecules long). A more cells! I prefer lower pitching rates in commercial packages contain fewer fermentable wort reduces the risk most situations to allow more time in cells than the lab’s brewer’s yeast of over-carbonation when bottling that fun in-between zone where the cultures. A stir-plate is the ideal place younger beer, which will allow you to character of the primary yeast is still for growth because Brettanomyces

13 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved benefits from access to oxygen (which Brett fermented beers is lack of body Commercial allows them to create considerably and mouthfeel. Most Brett strains are Brettanomyces Isolates more energy per gram of sugar, and highly attenuative and do not release and Blends healthier cell walls). The drawback of glycerol into the beer as Saccharo- free-access to oxygen is that oxygen myces does. Glycerol adds mouthfeel, These are some of the commercial allows Brettanomyces to produce acetic and is the reasons some saison cultures that contain Brettanomyces acid. Usually the concentration is low strains create heft despite ultra-low without brewer’s yeast (i.e., fully enough that the result is pleasantly final gravities. I try to compensate domesticated Saccharomyces) or tart once diluted by the wort; however, by adding ~125 PPM chloride to the lactic acid bacteria. if you are particularly sensitive, brewing water, and incorporating consider decanting the starter. Acetic grains high in protein: Wheat, oats, Fruitier Strains acid is also the key component of rye, spelt, quinoa, etc. East Coast Yeast ECY19 ethyl acetate, an ester that goes from Brettanomyces custersianus* pleasantly fruity at low levels to nail POST-MODERN BRETT Omega OYL-210 Where Da Funk?* polish at just slightly higher. I fermented my first beers with White Labs WLP645 For 100% Brett fermentations, the Brett in 2006, relying on learnings Brettanomyces claussenii* goal is to pitch at least an ale rate (1 from Jamil Zainasheff, Jeff Sparrow, Wyeast WY5151-PC Brettanomyces million cells/°P/mL). This can be tricky and the descriptions of a couple claussenii because pitching rate calculators beers Tomme Arthur brewed at a The Yeast Bay Lochristi designed for brewer’s yeast are not little brewpub called Pizza Port in Brettanomyces Blend* accurate for Brett. White Labs and Solana Beach, California. Back then, Yeast Bay vials contain 17.5 billion American brewers were just beginning Funky-Fruity Strains cells (up from 2.5 billion a couple to stray from the Belgian and English Bootleg Biology Funk Weapon #2 years ago). For a 5-gallon (19 L) batch templates. East Coast Yeast ECY24 I start growing them in 0.5 L of wort When I commented on the new Brettanomyces nanus before stepping to 2.5 L. Wyeast, East “American Wild Ale” category East Coast Yeast ECY30 Coast Yeast, GigaYeast, and Bootleg introduced in the 2015 Beer Judge Brettanomyces naardenensis Biology can be pitched directly if Certification Program Guidelines, East Coast Yeast ECY34 Dirty fresh, otherwise a single step to 2.5 L my goal was not to rank which Brett Dozen* ensures a healthy fermentation. Once flavors are the best, but to stress GigaYeast GB144 Sweet Flemish you are familiar with a strain, you can that balance and deliciousness are Brett adjust the pitching rate to suit your the primary goals! Neither pineapple Omega OYL-211 Bit O’ Funk* goals. Complete attenuation should nor horse blanket are preferred, White Labs WLP648 be reached in one to three weeks. but so too neither should rise to Brettanomyces bruxellensis Select a strain that is an attenuative overwhelming intensity or clash with Trois Vrai* and aggressive fermenter (see below). the other flavors of the beer. Describe Wyeast WY5526 Brettanomyces Isolates from wine or aged beer your beer’s fermentation or character lambicus* often struggle to ferment relatively without worrying too much about The Yeast Bay Beersel simple sugars, because they have broad classifications. Brettanomyces Blend* adapted to thrive in a bottle or barrel I’m glad that it is now common without maltose present. Pitching to walk into a brewpub, Homebrew Funkier Strains a blend is often a good compromise; Con, or a homebrew club meeting Bootleg Biology Funk Weapon #2 as the number of strains increases and sample a variety beers fermented Omega OYL-212 Bring On Da Funk so does the likelihood of complete with Brett that I never would have Omega OYL-218: All The Bretts* attenuation (although more strains dreamed of! Hopefully in another ten White Labs WLP650 increase the variability of the results, years we’ll see these ideas continue Brettanomyces bruxellensis* especially with repitching). to pinball, with brewers around the White Labs WLP653 Some Brett strains (e.g., WLP645 world selecting and adapting Brett Brettanomyces lambicus Brettanomyces claussenii) produce to suit local tastes, equipment, and Wyeast WY5112 Brettanomyces fantastic flavors fermenting as warm ingredients! bruxellensis* as 85 °F (29 °C). However, I tend to trial The Yeast Bay Brussels strains by pitching around 65 °F (18 °C) Brettanomyces Blend and allowing them to ramp to 72 °F (22 °C) to ensure complete attenuation. * Recommended for primary Warmer fermentations produce more fermentation esters; while heat does not seem to reduce phenol production, esters distract, resulting in a fruitier less funky profile. The biggest drawback to 100%

nutrients and Whirl-floc according to in the bottle when it has herbal hops, ALSATIAN FUNKY SAISON the ingredient list. At the end of the peppery yeast, and a mellow earthiness. (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) boil, there should be approximately OG = 1.047 FG = 1.003 5.5 gallons (21 L) in the kettle. Chill INGREDIENTS IBU = 24 SRM = 3.4 ABV = 6.1% to 180 °F (80 °C) and add the hop 8 lbs. (3.6 kg) Weyermann Floor-Malted (Including wine) stand addition, stir and let settle for 20 Bohemian Pilsner malt minutes. Chill to 65 °F (18 °C), aerate 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Castle pale ale malt

This beer is all about showcasing an alter- the wort with filtered air or pure 2O and 10 oz. (280 g) granulated cane sugar native universe where Germany developed pitch with a starter of the yeast and 7 AAU Northern Brewer hops (70min.) the saison and wild culture of Belgium. bacteria. This recipe references my own (1 oz./28 g at 7% alpha acids) Rather than trying to get my hands on personal mixed culture of yeast and 3 AAU Hallertauer Mittelfruh hops (20 Alsatian Gewürztraminer grapes, I blended bacteria, feel free to substitute in your min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acids) in a bottle of wine post fermentation. The own favorite mix of strains and cultures. 1.2 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (12 fruity notes from the wine meld beautifully Ferment at 70 °F (21 °C) until the min.) (1 oz./28 g at 1.2% alpha acids) with the new German hops and lemony- kräusen falls. Transfer to a keg or ½ tsp. yeast nutrient (5 min.) funky-minerally Brettanomyces. The secondary vessel and add the dry hops ½ Whirlfloc tablet (5 min.) extended warm conditioning also provides and ½ cup of sugar. After several days, White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or an opportunity for the Brettanomyces to transfer to another keg or bottling Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) free aromatics from glycosides in the hops bucket, add the bottle of wine and ½ yeast and wine, and to work under pressure to cup of table sugar and allow to sit at White Labs WLP650 (Brettanomyces create flavors quickly so that the fresh hop cellar temperature for two months to bruxellensis) or Wyeast 5112 nose is still evident. carbonate and to allow yeast-wine (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) interactions. Chill and serve when 1 cup corn sugar (if priming) INGREDIENTS desired. 9 lbs (4.1 kg) Rahr Standard 2-row malt Can be bottled either after two STEP BY STEP 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Great Western weeks if the gravity is suitably low, or Step mash at 147 °F (64 °C) for 60 Superior flaked wheat allow to ferment in a carboy until the minutes then 157 °F (69 °C) for 20 4 oz. (113 g) acidulated malt gravity is stable before priming and minutes. Boil 90 minutes adding hops

5.9 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) bottling. Aim for 2.8 volumes of CO2 according to the ingredient list. At (0.5 oz/14 g at 11.8% alpha acids) using a priming sugar calculator. the end of the boil, there should be 2 oz. (57 g) Hallertau Blanc hops approximately 5.5 gallons (21 L) in the (hop stand) Extract Option: kettle. Chill to 70 °F (21 °C), aerate the

2 oz. (57 g) Hull Melon hops Replace the pale malt, flaked wheat wort with filtered air or pure 2O and (hop stand) and acidulated malt with 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) pitch with a starter of the yeast and 2 oz. (57 g) Hallertau Blanc hops extra light dried malt extract, 1.7 lbs. bacteria. Ferment the beer at 75 °F (dry hop) (0.77 kg) wheat dried malt extract and (24 °C) until the kräusen falls. 2 oz. (57 g) Hull Melon hops (dry hop) ½ tsp. lactic acid (88%). Stir the extract Bottle after two weeks if the gravity ½ tsp. yeast nutrient (5 min.) and lactic acid into 6 gallons (23 L) of is suitably low. Add 5–10 drops of a ½ Whirlfloc tablet (5 min.) water and bring up to a boil. Refer to Brettanomyces culture of your choice The Yeast Bay Saison Blend boil, and fermentation instructions in to each bottle. Suggestions include White Labs WLP644 (Saccharomyces the all-grain version. WLP650/WY5112 Brettanomyces “bruxellensis” Trois) bruxellensis (originally sourced from Brettanomyces bruxellensis var. CB2 Orval) etc. Or mix in 4 fl. oz. (120 mL) (Jason Rodriguez’s Cantillon isolate) WESTORVAL of dilute starter culture for the entire Wyeast WY5223-PC (Lactobacillus (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) batch and allow to age in a carboy brevis) OG = 1.050 FG = 1.009 (before Brett) until the gravity is stable. 750 ml of German/French white wine IBU = 35 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.4% (suggested: Trimbach Extract Option: Gewürztraminer) This is my unauthorized imagined Replace the Pilsner and pale ale malt 1 cup corn sugar (if priming) collaboration between the monks of Sint- with 4.5 lbs. (2 kg) Pilsen dried malt Sixtusabdij Westvleteren and Abbaye extract and 1 lb. (0.45 kg) Muntons STEP BY STEP Notre-Dame d’Orval. The malt, hops, and light dried malt extract. Stir the extract Single infusion mash at 148 °F (64 °C) primary fermentation are inspired by the into 6 gallons (23 L) of water and for 75 minutes. Collect ~6.5 gallons flawless Westvleteren Blond (Green Cap) bring up to a boil. Refer to boil, and (25 L) of wort in the kettle and boil and the bottle conditioning is pure Orval. fermentation instructions in the all- for 65 minutes adding hops, yeast The result is fantastic around two months grain version.

15 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved TIPS FROM THE PROS: BREWING SOURS BY BYO STAFF Ted Miller, Brugge Brasserie in Indianapolis, IN like a touch of crystal malt, Special B Personally, I like to let nature run its After a gentle primary (2 months), and chocolate malts in my bruins. My course. This will give your beer the you will need to inoculate with lambic bill, though, is nothing but a aged-hop flavor I find preferable in my Pediococcus cerevisiae. This will create a I Pilsner malt and wheat. sour beer. high level of lactic acid. This can take As for hops, I would recommend As for the souring process, the hob- a long while, so consistent monitoring that homebrewers stay away from any byist needs to acquire the pure cultures. of the fermentation is necessary. It can high-alpha variety (such as Simcoe®, It would be futile to culture from a be extremely disappointing to break Chinook and the likes) and any hop with bottle, and in most cases you would out the old barrel thief only to find extremely identifiable characteristics simply be culturing Saccharomyces your lambic isn’t lambic at all — but (like Cascade or Amarillo®). I use Tett- anyway. The beer in that bottle is so rather an extremely nasty cesspool of nanger almost exclusively. Also, using far removed from the source bacteria Brettanomyces. whole, aged hops that are well past that it would be nearly impossible to Speaking of Brettanomyces, I inoc- the “organic rot” aroma stage can also achieve the stage of becoming “ill.” ulate with Brettanomyces lambicus after make a big impact. It takes planning to The ill (or sour) stage has been my six months. Brettanomyces lambicus make one of these sour gems. entire battle with these brews. It is easy produces the immediately identifiable A brewer can do one of two things to achieve if you’ve got a 400 year-old “horse blanket” characteristic. At what depending on time: Put hops into a barrel, teaming with all the required levels to inoculate is a matter of debate. breathable container somewhere out beasts, but to do it in the middle of Varying amounts of Brettanomyces of the way for two years, or bake them say, Taiwan or China, where I was for create a wide spectrum of flavors, so at very low temperatures (200 ºF or the past several years, or now here in you will need to develop a taste for it 93 ºC) for several hours (at least 4–6). Indiana, it proves more of a challenge. and gauge your brewing accordingly. Peter Bouckaert, New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, CO nce you have collected the re- amount of regular yeast. Once you cases, I start with a well fermentable, quired bacteria for sour beers, it’s have a good solution of bacteria for lowly hopped wort (15–20 IBU). Let the crucial to store them properly. your sour beer, limiting acid is key. Do fermentation rise to room temp. or OI boil up a sugar solution — 10– this by increasing alcohol, depleting higher if possible — as high as 95 ºF 14% sugar with some egg white and nutrients and reducing pH. (35 ºC) — to speed up the depletion of beer (for bitterness) to maintain and A sufficient amount of bacteria- sugars. When fermentation is close to propagate the critters in this liquid. At free yeast and temperature control, completion, cool as fast as you can to pitch, add this slurry and a sufficient though, are our main weapons. In most capture the desired lactic sour flavor. Tomme Arthur, Port Brewing in California (Solana Beach, San Clemente and Carlsbad) n our Cuveé de Tommé, a Belgian- isolated cultures to our brews at This separation of old yeast ensures style dark strong ale, we are specific intervals. It is in this way that that we do not develop yeast autolysis, looking to support the bourbon we can control and best manipulate which can produce a burnt rubber I barrel character and the strong the finished beer. Numerous isolated smell in the beer. We ensure through charred oak flavors by adding a nice cultures are available to the home- the primary fermentation that we caramel malt base. In our Le Woody brewer. Other homebrewers and some have hit our target levels of alcohol, Blonde Belgian Style Ale, we attempt- professional brewers are using dregs bitterness and attenuation before ed to brew a beer with a lighter body of yeast cultured from lambic beers. proceeding to the barrel, which is and therefore chose no crystal malt, These cultures contain Pediococcus, where the magic happens. opting to use Vienna malt and flaked Lactobacillous and Brettanomyces. The For a homebrewer, no extra special corn instead. only drawback to using these types equipment is needed. While oak is Hops play an important role in sour of mixed cultures is the inability to desired for its oxygen transporting beers. There are many compounds separate each type of fermentation. abilities — and widely used in that are found in new hops that are We add our souring culture (mostly commercial brewing — plastic is not desirable in sour beers. When the Pediococcus and Brettanomyces) after an acceptable substitute as it has a hops are aged, those compounds fall to a one-month primary fermentation. permeable membrane allowing oxygen reduced levels. The role of hops in sour The goal of this fermentation is to transport as well. If plastic buckets ale beers is to provide not bitterness attenuate the beer to the proper level are used, oak chips can be added as a but other acids in a supporting role. and then settle out as much of the flavoring compound that also provides We use a process of adding pure yeast from the primary as possible. some tannins.

16 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved SOURING WITH LACTO BY DAWSON RASPUZZI Fal Allen, Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, CA t Anderson Valley we have about on a regular basis. It is also healthier a harmonious balance of flavors and if eight years of kettle souring than some other sources, which makes a fruit has a very low pH we will factor experience. We use this method it easier to grow up to the proper that into our kettle souring process. A for making our Goses and, on pitching rate. Other important factors for kettle occasion, other beers (like our Tropical Prior to pitching the Lacto we look souring is to get the wort off the grain Hazy Sour beer). We also do a fair for the same pH as we would in any (as you would with a “normal” beer) amount of barrel souring beers — we of our other beers (about 5.2). We do a and into the kettle. This needs be done have about 1,200 wood barrels in our very large pitch of lactic acid bacteria to avoid too much bad funkiness that sour beer production. This process (LAB) and expect to see the pH drop in you would probably get in your wort differs greatly from the kettle souring to our desired range within 6–8 hours. if you did not sour it fast enough. The process. It can take anywhere from We also exclude oxygen from the second thing is sour your wort fast (in nine months to four years to sour a beer process as much as possible and this less than 24 hours). To achieve that you this way; in contrast kettle souring can helps retard unwanted bacteria with need to pitch a good amount of LAB be done in less than 8 hours. The flavor no deleterious effects on the LAB. We into the kettle; slightly more than one that each process creates can be very do not add extraneous acid to our kettle million cells per mL per degree Plato. different as well. We use kettle souring souring process other than to adjust So about 12 million cells per mL for a to create clean, sharp, bright tartness the pH of the brewing water prior to 11 or 12 degree Plato wort (1.044–1.048 and we use our barrel souring process to mash-in (which we do for all our beers specific gravity). And the third thing create a more complex, deeper, funkier as our water is quite high in pH). is to exclude oxygen as much as you range of flavors. For kettle sours, we After the Lacto does its thing we can. This will help keep the bad funk in keep our temperature at about 108– prefer a wort pH of 3.35 to 3.25, but will check. We blanket the top of the kettle 112 °F (42–44 °C). We use a strain of accept wort between 3.4 and 3.2. We with an inert gas to help keep oxygen Lactobacillus delbrueckii that seems to are looking for a clean, bright acidity out of the process. work best at that temperature, but each and don’t want the pH to be less than For much more on the subject, I strain is different. 3.2 or above 3.4. We also use titratable wrote the book Gose for the Brewer’s We have tried several sources for acidity to judge acidity and its quality Association’s style guideline series Lacto, but we prefer the one we get from of impact. Future fruit additions play and there is a lot of information about a lab. It creates flavors we like, and it into our target sourness level to a kettle souring in there. creates these flavors more consistently lesser extent. We are trying to achieve Nicole Reiman & Amanda Oberbroeckling, Odd13 Brewing in Lafayette, CO t Odd13 we’ve been kettle keeping the wort at 115 °F (46 °C). In target pH accordingly. This typically souring for about five years. the past we have also worked with results in a higher pH wort so that fruit We employ this method any several other Lacto species at various additions don’t turn the beer too sour. A time we produce a sour with temperatures, including L. brevis, The most important lesson we’ve the intention of canning. The kettle and have found that at incorrect learned is that kettle souring is its own souring method is perfect for our temperatures there is either less process that requires great attention process because it provides us with activity or too much activity. We chose to detail, and has its own intricacies a finished product that maintains our current temperature based on the that don’t necessarily carry over from the same flavor through the shelf recommendation from our supplier. traditional brewing methods. The life of the beer. Conversely, we use Our process across all of our kettle souring process introduces the traditional souring methods with production is to acidify our wort to possibility of less common off flavors, small experimental batches. Most a pH of 5.2 using lactic acid. Then, such as isovaleric acid and butyric acid. of these are long-term souring after the souring phase, we typically We’ve learned that it’s important to processes, typically using Lactobacillus target a pH around 3.5; however, the make sure the process is dialed in — and Pediococcus and aging in barrels or decision to stop the souring process is do your homework and come up with foeders. We have also experimented ultimately determined from sensory a plan before just jumping in. Monitor with open fermentation in foeders. evaluation of the wort. As we expand and control the process, including We get our Lacto from Inland Is- our portfolio to include more fruited cleanliness, wort temperature and pH, land Yeast Laboratories, out of Den- sours we do take into consideration and gas levels . . . oxygen makes Lacto ver, Colorado. We prefer L. delbrueckii the acidity level of the fruit that will angry! because it gives us a quicker sour, be added to the beer, and adjust the

17 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved Joe Mashburn, Night Shift Brewing in Everett, MA e don’t kettle sour, but barrels that will have adequate time This has been the same for the two rather have a Lactobacillus for the Lacto to produce acid and the different types of Lacto we’ve tried. fermentation phase, follow- Brett to do its thing. When the pH reaches 3.2–3.3 we then W ed by a brewer’s yeast fer- For our Weisse Series beers, we pitch the brewer’s yeast. Our sours mentation for our Weisse Series target a pH of 5.2 in the kettle, just are heavily fruited, so that low of a pH releases. We’ve done a single kettle from normal mashing/sparging helps the acid come through. sour and weren’t happy with it, so procedures. We haven’t played around When working with Lacto, watch we moved on from that. Now, we with acidifying prior to Lacto additions, your diacetyl production. We’ve had never denature the Lacto and really mostly because the 5.2 gives us the success eliminating and minimizing like the consistency and results results we’re looking for. diacetyl by adding fruit early in of this approach. We produce We use a Lacto culture from fermentation (day 2). Additionally, between 200–300 bbls (6,200–9,300 Lallemand, but we’ve also tried White during the Lacto fermentation, try gallons/235–352 hL) of this style each Labs and Brewing Science Institute. to eliminate all oxygen. You could month. We’ve also used Lacto for The Lacto from Lallemand is incredibly hook up CO2 to an oxygen stone and more time-intensive Lacto/Brettano- easy to use and it comes as a dry pitch continue to purge during knockout. If myces/brewer’s yeast fermentations, so it has a very long shelf life. For that you don’t have an oxygen stone, try which are generally destined for oak addition we knock out at 100 ˚F (38 °C). not to splash during knockout.

BREWING WITH BRETT BY DAWSON RASPUZZI David Logsdon, Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales in Hood River, OR

he methods of brewing with about a refermented bottle. In addition of Brett, in which the matiness drops Brettanomyces weren’t really to creating new esters and flavor out of it. It can almost seem sweeter established; they were created compounds in the bottle while aging, because of the fruitiness but it is dryer T more by default as Brettanomyces what it’s also doing is re-esterification because the malt is not prevalent and found its way into beer more so where esters break down and form new the Brett tends to eat up a lot of hop than being introduced. That’s why esters. There are many good things flavors as well, however the bitterness it’s considered a wild fermentation. happening in that beer over time. remains constant. First, brewers got spontaneous It is getting dryer, you do lose some Some brewers are really paranoid fermentation in styles like lambics esters, but other things are going on to about bringing Brett into their brewery, and English porters, then came supplant what was there and it evolves or any yeast that is not their brewing controlled inoculation, primarily in well. strain. In my 25 years of experience, I secondary fermentation, or purposeful Some people are doing 100 percent can say Brett should not be feared— inoculation to affect the flavor profile. Brett beers, which I have not tried contamination should not be an issue There are four different species because I have not personally found for people with a normal cleaning and of Brettanomyces commonly found in 100 percent Brett beers to be all that sanitation regiment. beer: lambicus, bruxellensis, claussenii, desirable flavor-wise. When brewing My advice for anyone who wants and anomalus. Some produce better a 100% Brett beer, many brewers will to brew with Brett is to experiment flavors than others. They’re not all the wait 6 to 12 months in fermentation. with some different strains. Try a few same by any imagination. We add Brett in secondary (after adding different things, and try to manage Brett adds fruitiness to beers in Saccharomyces in primary) and with the the yeast and have a big enough cell addition to a high acidity taste, and strains we use we give it two weeks count to get you a good start. The other it can have a pretty incredible impact conditioning and we see the pellicle important thing is to have patience and of keeping the freshness more intact forming, pH dropping, and flavor continue evaluating your brew over and delaying degradation of the beer, development occurring. At that point time. It might take a year to get your while enhancing the beer at the same the beer is distinct and very flavorful. head wrapped around it and get your time. Brett beers will evolve, as a little We make our Seizoen with beer moving in a direction you want it bit of fermentation takes place you Saccharomyces yeast for primary fer- to. get new esters that form in the bottle; mentation and a Seizoen Bretta that that’s one of the things that is nice has the addition of our unique strand

18 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved Gabe Fletcher, Anchorage Brewing Co. in Anchorage, AK use Brettanomyces because I love different than traditional beers. When dryer. I wouldn’t bottle a Brett beer how versatile it is. Brett can adapt I’m making a beer that will spend that was higher then 0.8 to 1 °Plato in to almost any situation and almost a long time in barrels I do a higher gravity. Anything higher than that and I thrives under stress, plus it has a mash temp, around 158 °F (70 °C), to you will have too much left over sugar huge range of flavor when fermented add more dextrins to the wort so the for the Brett to eat later on, which will in different ways. The other big Brett has something to chew on during result in over-carbonated beer. Just to benefit is its shelf-life stability. You it’s long fermentation phase. For give you an idea, it only takes about 0.5 can make a super hoppy Belgian DIPA beers with a shorter time in barrels, degrees Plato of sugar to carbonate to

and the Brett will continue to live in I do a low mash temp, around 146 °F 2.5 volumes of CO2. So if you bottled at the bottle, absorbing any oxygen that (63 °C), and I won’t go over 13 °Plato 1.5 °Plato and then added enough sugar

is left from the brewing process. After for the starting gravity. That way the for 2.5 to 3 volumes of CO2, after about two years the hop flavor is still fresh primary yeast can take care of most of 5 months or so you might end up with

and there is no cardboard character the sugars before the Brett comes into 5 volumes of CO2! That’s a lot! In the from the hops oxidizing. Eventually play, allowing a shorter fermentation past, I have stopped the fermentation the hops die down, but instead of the time for the Brett. at 2.5 °Plato by cooling it, then I bottle beer going stale, the Brett flavors come I only make Brettanomyces beers, the beer with no sugar added. It takes to the forefront and you have a whole so cross contamination is not an a little longer to ferment in the bottle, different experience to enjoy. issue. If you work in a brewery that but you end up with nice carbonation Most of my beers have three produces non-Brett beers also, then and no issues with over-carbonation. different yeast in three different there are added challenges. The most To homebrew your Brett beer, start fermentations. I use a Belgian strain important thing in that situation is with making your favorite Belgian- for primary fermentation in foundres, to have separate process parts for the style recipe. Let it ferment out in the and then I secondary with Brett (usually Brett beers, i.e. anything that is not carboy, transfer to another carboy, add bruxellensis from Wyeast) in small stainless steel. You can use the same a couple smack packs of Brett, and just barrels. Lastly, I bottle condition, tanks, just make sure you change all of let it sit for 6-8 months. Don’t disturb usually with wine yeast. I have found the gaskets and hoses out. Another big the pellicle that will grow on the top that layering the flavors from all the challenge is bottle conditioning. If you of the beer, that’s what protects the different fermentations adds a real are aging the beer for several months beer from oxidation during the aging depth to the beers. in a tank or barrel it is easier because process. It looks like mold on the top In addition to bruxellensis, I have the Brett has time to ferment out all of of the beer if you have never seen one several other Brett stains in the the non fermentable sugars the regular before, it’s a good thing, so don’t dump brewery as well, including some from yeasts couldn’t — reducing the risk of it! After the 6-8 months, transfer it off Chad Yakobson at Crooked Stave in having the bottles blow up after a few the pellicle and bottle condition with Denver, Colorado. Shaun Hill (brewer months because there was a lot more a Belgian or wine yeast culture. Give at Hill Farmstead in Greensboro, sugar in the bottle then you thought. it 3-4 weeks in the bottle and then Vermont) and I just brewed a Saison If you do want to bottle condition with enjoy. I would leave some out warm at the brewery using a couple of those the Brett, then I would suggest adding for another 3 months and see how it strains mixed with some Saison strains the Brett to the tank at the end of develops. that turned out really nice. fermentation so it has some time to Brewing Brett beers is not very ferment in the tanks to make the beer SPONTANEOUS FERMENTS BY DAWSON RASPUZZI Van Carney, Pen Druid in Sperryville, VA e have two programs for old palate technique to make sure it’s lateral palate and a finish that goes fermenting beer at Pen Druid: good to pitch. With our spontaneous forever! It typically has a lactic acid Spontaneous and pitched. All ferments we rely on the coolship and presence, of varying degrees, and W our clean beer is fermented the resident yeasts and bacteria deep no acetic acid. Our wild clean beers with an indigenous wild yeast that in the wood of the fresh steam cleaned are devoid of lactic acid-producing we captured from a flower that was red wine barrels that we use to ferment bacteria, so they are crisp and clean. underneath an apple tree beside the our spontaneous beers. For our spontaneous beers we use brewery. We do not isolate or keep this The difference in these two beers traditional spontaneous methods that yeast banked. We merely pitch it batch is noticeable. Spontaneous beer made Belgian lambic producers use in order to batch to keep it going, using the age- in the traditional method has a long, to make a poor wort that ferments

19 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved very slowly, forms a pellicle to protect package is about a year old. the barrels at all. Other issues such against oxidation, and allows microbes We only taste when we are ready as ropiness, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, to do the work that can take years to to package, and at that point you’ll tetrahydropyridine (THP) and some complete. Spontaneous ferments allow know what you’ve got. We end up Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) and S-Methyl for this and therefore can produce the dumping about 25–40% of any given Methionine (SMM) compounds can most complex beer, which is what we year’s barrels, which is one of the work themselves out with further aging want to drink. risks you face with spontaneous and patience. We brew these beers in the fermentations. We dump barrels when When a beer is ready for the bottle traditional method, so a ratio of 60/40 they are oxidized (cardboard), have any is more a matter of experience and less Pilsner-to-raw wheat, a traditional level of ascetic acid (vinegar), ethyl about specific criteria. Why things go turbid mash schedule, and aged hops. acetate (acetone), butyric acid (puke), wrong in a barrel is the stuff of a PhD Our coolshipping season runs from isovaleric acid (sock cheese) or in other thesis, but using your palate to judge October–April and fermentation is words the beer is weird or gross. Also, what you like and don’t like is the most consistent throughout the season for too much oxygen can cause production important thing and that’s the fun part us. After racking to barrels we don’t of aldehydes, which can create bruised of it! Take pleasure in sampling barrels, touch them at all for 18 months. Then fruit flavors that can work in aged making blends, bottling, messing up we fruit some of the last brewing barleywines, but typically don’t work horribly, sometimes succeeding, and season’s barrels, and we do our 1-, 2-, in our spontaneous ferments. The key knowing that success is positivity in and 3-year-old spontaneous blend. things to prevent oxidation are proper the face of failure! The youngest spontaneous beers we pellicle formation and not touching James Howat, Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales, Denver CO o me, the biggest appeal of spontaneous beers. I think the but the constraints of homebrewing spontaneous fermentation is the differences between seasons are make it even more challenging. One diversity of microbes. One can, mostly based on cooling rate vs. what trick for homebrewers is, instead of T in theory, make sour beer using microbes are present in the air. A slow one 5-gallon (19-L) batch, try to split only one strain of lactic acid bacteria cooling rate means that, for example, that into single-gallon (4-L) sizes. It and one strain of yeast from a lab, but I enteric bacteria (which are indeed an isn’t an exaggeration to say that 20 believe the most interesting, complex, important early part of the process all components (be they 1-gallon/4-L jugs inspiring beers are those made from a year) can get out of hand and ruin the or 530-gallon/2,000-L foeders) is only wide diversity of microbes — hundreds beer before other genera can catch up. a starting point for really getting into of species potentially — that come I don’t recommend tasting blending, which is the essence of these from the local environment instead traditional spontaneous beer for at beers and something really unique to of a lab. At Black Project, all of our least a month or two. You want to make the style. beer is inoculated via a 320-gallon sure the pH has dropped and alcohol is Another tip for homebrewers — (1,200-L) copper coolship. We do two present, otherwise there is a theoret- cool in your kettle. Tiny versions of different types of spontaneous beers. ical risk of botulinum poisoning. If commercial coolships are a waste of One is a traditional lambic-style brew, you do taste during aging, know that time and money. In the US and in inoculation, fermentation, and aging. the beer is going to go through cycles Belgium it takes approximately 12 More on the procedures we adhere early on where it will taste better, then hours for the wort to cool even with to on that can be found on Methode worse, then even better still. You have wintertime air temperatures. That’s Traditionnelle.org. However, we also to experiment and know what your tough to achieve with 5 gallons (19 make some of our base in what we native flora does. L) even in a kettle, let alone a very call a spontaneous solera. We have Ultimately spontaneous beers shallow pan. If the wort cools too large vessels that were started years are about blending and I think the quickly it can have drastic effects on ago using mature spontaneously biggest struggle homebrewers have microbial growth and procession. fermented barrels. Since then they is not thinking like a blendery. You Homebrewers can use any base style have never been completely empty. need many batches of the same beer they like if they aren’t trying to use We remove, say, 25% of the volume to in order to craft something really traditional lambic brewing techniques. fruit or package, and then replace it good. It is exceptionally rare for us to Ultimately, I think the best recipes with fresh wort from the coolship. It have one single barrel (out of 150+) are going to be set up for long aging, doesn’t create quite the same depth that I would sell on its own. I often which is pretty much a requirement for as the traditional style of spontaneous see homebrewers make one 5-gallon these beers. That means a wort that is fermentation, but it creates a slightly (19-L) spontaneous batch and get very “unfermentable,” — so mashed more consistent product in both disappointed and surprised that it isn’t quite hot if not using a turbid mash to character and production time. exactly how they thought it would be achieve the same. We prefer the wintertime, when . . . but that’s the nature of the game. it is cold at night, for our traditional It is very difficult to do on any level,

20 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved HELP ME, MR. WIZARD BY ASHTON LEWIS Wild Yeast Pitch Rate Are pitching rates similar or different for “wild” type cultures (Lactobacillus, Brettanomyces, Pediococcus, etc.) to that of Q typical ale yeast? Pitching rates for wild yeast This means that these beers have the affect change. A few hundred cells/ and bacteria are really all over potential to be bottle bombs. Heavy mL in the proper setting can grow the place. bottles, like champagne bottles, are into a population large enough to A Brettanomyces species can recommended. Pitch with about 1 have obvious flavor contributions. In be used in place of Saccharomyces million cells per mL to give your beer comparison to yeast cell densities, species for the primary fermentation a good shot of developing the aroma bacterial densities are usually much of wort into beer. Brettanomyces has that is expected. lower. A lager beer that has been become a very popular “wild” yeast Bacteria, such as Lactobacillus thoroughly spoiled by lactic acid in certain brewing circles and imparts species and Pediococcus species are bacteria may have only 5,000 cells/mL an interesting aroma and flavor to completely different, for two big of the culprit. The interesting thing a wide range of beer styles. When reasons. The first thing separating about bacteria is that they can grow used as the primary yeast strain the these bugs from yeast is that they are very well by feeding on amino acids flavor contribution is more up front sensitive to hop acids, and in some associated with autolyzed yeast cells, and immediate compared to when cases alcohol strength. This means especially in anaerobic environments. Brettanomyces is added to beer during that souring beers that are highly This means that the bottom of a beer aging, where the aroma notes develop hopped and high in alcohol can be tank is a pretty ideal propagation slowly over time. If you are looking for a real challenge. Even moderately container for bacteria, and beers numbers, the range in pitching rate hopped beers can give lactic acid often sour when held for prolonged varies from about 250,000 cells/mL to bacteria the cold shoulder and will not time periods with yeast present. over 10 million cells/mL, depending turn sour. This is really frustrating The take home message here is that on how the yeast is going to be used. when you are intentionally trying the answer to your question depends If you want to use Brett for the to do something that many brewers on what you want to accomplish by first time, I would use it after primary curse when it happens on its own. I adding these sorts of organisms and fermentation is complete and add have been in that boat! how quickly you want results. Most for bottle conditioning. This yeast is The other thing about these bac- beers produced with these types of a “super-attenuator” and ferments teria that set them apart from yeast cultures are not produced overnight sugars that ale and lager yeast cannot. is that it does not take many cells to and it is very important to be patient.

Bottle Conditioning Brett Beers Do the same priming sugar calculations apply when bottling a 100% Brett fermented beer? Should I expect it to take longer for the Q bottles to prime since Brett tends to ferment slower? Brettanomyces yeast strains are homebrewers have limited laboratory may want to use fresh Saccharomyces so-called super attenuators and pre-bottling testing ability. The yeast when bottling. But you always because they secrete enzymes best deterrent of the bottle bomb must be aware that Brett will dry beers A that break down carbohydrate problem is complete fermentation out over time and lead to increased dextrins that remain in wort following prior to bottling. This may take a carbonation levels if the beer is bottled mashing. The products of these couple of months to occur, but beats with residual dextrins floating about. enzymatic reactions are fermentable. bottling beer and ending up with a I recently had a bottle of Green Flash So in a Brett fermentation the beer is problem. On the other hand, if you Rayon Vert that was a couple of years either very dry at the time of bottling are brewing a beer like Orval that is old; this beer had a massive level of or will become very dry after bottling. expected to morph during bottle aging, carbonation that developed in the The most important thing you can you need to use Champagne bottles. bottle and accompanying level of never forget about Brett beers is that Assuming the fermentation is com- Brett assertiveness. This beer was also you can quickly end up with bottle plete the priming rules are the same. bottled in glass intended to withstand bombs if you are not very careful. Most If you want faster conditioning you the pressure developed during aging.

I have started to see more sour beers in my local beer stores. When did these become so popular? I am interested in the different methods used to produce sour beers, especially those used by craft brewers who are canning and bottling sours in 12 ounce (354 mL) bottles and selling these beers for pretty normal prices. I really want to brew some of these beers at home and want to know Q where to begin!

It took a while for brewers Port in Solano Beach, California 30 minutes, effectively pasteurizing outside of the small sour in the late 90s, Vinnie Cilurzo was the wort. Next use a wort cooler to brewing centers of Belgium and busy up in Santa Rosa, California in temper the wort into the 95-122 °F A Germany to produce excellent the early 2000s and Tim Schwartz (35-50 °C) range, hit it with carbon sours because so much of the science was brewing some great sours in dioxide to strip oxygen from the wort and practice of sour beer brewing Austin, Texas at the Bitter End in and to try to maintain an anaerobic was closely guarded ~30 years ago the late 90s and early 2000s. Today environment. Then add the bacterial when brewers from other parts of there are breweries in nearly every culture to get the party started. the brewing world began dabbling state with sour barrel programs. Most kettle sours only require about with sour beer. Jean-Xavier Guinard’s Although many of these beers are 48 hours for the wort to sour, and Lambic (Brewer’s Publications, 1990) produced in less than a year, sour the progress of souring is usually was really ahead of its time because barrel programs require a substantial monitored by pH or titratable acidity there were very few U.S. homebrewers, investment in beer, wood, and space. (TA). When the process is complete, let alone U.S. microbreweries, that There is also a higher level of risk the sour wort is boiled, cooled, were experimenting with sour beers with these beers and many breweries aerated, and pitched with yeast. The in 1990. simply steer clear of sours that beauty of this method is that it keeps In retrospect, it is pretty amazing develop in the cellar. the bugs out of the cellar, and only that JX, as he was known by his I am not sure when U.S. brewers adds a couple of days to the normal colleagues at UC-Davis, was actually began producing any real volume brewing process. Since this technique brewing sour beers in the UC-Davis of Berliner weisse-type beers, and is easiest carried out in the brew brewing lab while completing his their Gose-inspired cousins, but it kettle, it does have the disadvantage Ph.D. because Dr. Michael Lewis was was really only after the early Belgian of tying up the kettle and greatly not a big fan of contaminated beer. I styles were garnering attention in reducing brewhouse utilization. Many remember having a conversation with the beer world. Indeed, some of the breweries have worked around this Dr. Lewis sometime in 1992. We were brewers playing with sour barrels were dilemma by adding sour wort tanks to sitting in his office when the phone also playing around with bacteria in their brewhouses. rang. I could only hear one side of the brewhouse. Although traditional If you are new to kettle sours, the conversation, but the topic was Berliner weisse is fermented with a do yourself a favor and simply buy clear; a well-known microbrewery mixed culture of yeast and bacteria, a pitchable culture. Growing these was interested in brewing Berliner and bottled with the same, modern bacteria is a bit different from growing weisse. Dr. Lewis repeatedly asked the interpretations can be produced in the yeast because the acid production can brewmaster on the other end of the brewhouse to keep their fermenters suppress cell growth. If you want line “why do you want to [mess] up clean of bugs. to propagate your own cultures, your brewery by bringing Lactobacilli With the growth of this market consider using a carbonate buffer in into your cellar?” I don’t know if Dr. segment, the supplies required the propagation media to keep the Lewis’ continual protests influenced to produce these beers has also pH in check. Milk the Funk has some this brewer, but the brewery never grown. The various bacteria and great practical advice on their website produced a Berliner weisse. But in yeast used to brew these beers have regarding techniques to best grow the brewing lab, a small collection gone from obscure and guarded to these bugs. of JX’s lambics remained in storage readily available from brewing yeast While the kettle sour method for the occasional tasting. I don’t suppliers. Most of the cultures used produces very clean, and sometimes know if those beers were as excellent to sour beer in barrels are mixed, very sour beers, the beers are often as I remember them being, but they whereas the bacteria used for kettle criticized by lovers of Belgian sours seemed like the real deal at the time. sours tend to be single strains, or a for being one-dimensional. This is It was like JX transported the magic mixture of Lactobacillus species. Some where fruits, herbs, spices, and other from Belgium to Davis using that brewers use yogurt as the source for beers enter the equation. If you have clichéd blend of art and science. bacteria, but this can be hit or miss. a great sour base, use it like vinegar The early sours to hit the US The most common methods use in your kitchen and blend with other microbrewing scene were brewed in the brewhouse to produce sterile, ingredients. These ingredients can the Belgian tradition. New Belgium very lightly hopped wort. Start with be added at any step of the process launched La Folie in 1997, Tomme a normal boil or by holding wort at depending on what makes the most Arthur was brewing sours at Pizza near-boiling temperatures for 20- sense. And this is how many of the

22 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved new generation sours are being Sweetness can come in the form of the judicious use of salt and heat may produced and are key to their success. a neutral beer, like a wheat beer, to be fun to bring into the mix for certain Although some folks really like smooth out acidity and add a little flavor combinations. These sorts of things that are simply sour, most body and texture to beers that can methods are being used to produce like sour foods and beverages that come across as very dry and thin. Fruit some of the new generation kettle are balanced by sweet, salty, or hot juices add sweetness, fruitiness, and sours that are popping up on the ingredients. This is where blending aromas. Fruit essences, such as citrus shelves with price tags that are more can transform one-dimensional peel oil, can be used to add top notes. in-line with IPA. I hope this helps you kettle sours into a wide array of new Herbs and spices can also be used to ease your foot into the sour end of the and interesting flavor combinations. add aroma and complex flavors. And pool! Post-Souring Gravity I have been getting into sour beers lately with two of my latest being Irish reds kettle soured with GoodBelly mango-flavor probiotic juice drink. I stopped the first at a pH of 3.8 and the second at 3.4. Both are great, with the 3.4 the best. Will let the next batch go a bit lower. This started me thinking, obviously the souring bacteria eats sugar to make the lactic acid, so how much of the fermentable Q sugar is used up? The Irish reds were already expected to result in a low abv. I lost my starting gravity readings on both so I can’t get any numbers but the taste tells me the finished products are lower than expected. Also, would the lactic acid have messed up the readings anyway? I’m thinking the next batch I may use 50–100% more fermentables. Does that sound reasonable?

Thanks for the interesting used like the original gravity (OG) of are simply too many variables to question, Duncan. The product non-sour brews. This is not an exact consider. The best calculation tools you are using as your source measurement, but it is a reasonable used to approximate alcohol content A of bacteria lists Lactobacillus approximation. in beer based on OG and FG are based plantarum as the only bacterial ingre- One thing to keep in mind on lots of data from “normal beer.” In dient in this beverage. Lactobacillus about fermentations, in general, order to develop the same sort of model plantarum is a facultative hetero- is that fermentation by-products for sour beers requires a matrix of fermentative lactic species. This often regulate fermentation. In the process measurements in addition to means that under anaerobic con- case of lactic acid fermentations, lab analysis of the ethanol content of ditions, Lactobacillus plantarum be- environmental pH affects metabo- the finished beer. Sounds like a great haves like a homofermentative lactic lism. This is why yogurt contains project for an eager brewing chemist! species and produces lactic acid as lactose, even after prolonged storage Something to consider about these its sole metabolic by-product, which in the presence of lactic acid bacteria. beers is how they stand up on the palate then switches to a heterofermenter Kettle sours tend to bottom out and if there is a real need to boost under aerobic conditions and also around pH 3.2, empirically suggesting OG to offset the loss of fermentables produces ethanol, acetic acid, and that the environment is regulating during the souring phase. Most kettle carbon dioxide. Not all Lactobacillus the rate of fermentation. The other sours being produced commercially plantarum strains behave the same, but practical consideration relevant have average to below-average alcohol they generally ferment a wide array of to your question is the kettle sour concentrations and generally are made carbohydrates (https://www.ncbi.nlm. process. Most brewers monitor pH from worts in the 10–12 °Plato (1.042– nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2546631/) during the souring phase and use 1.050 SG) range, and sometimes lower. and wort is a great growth media for pH as a control point; for example, Berliner weisse is a great example these bacteria. Sounds like you are if the goal is to reduce pH to 3.4, the of a low-alcohol beer that does concerned that these little critters brewing process advances to the next not leave my palate asking for the are going to consume too much step when this goal is achieved. This missing experience that is often the fermentable sugars and cut into the means that even if lactic acid bacteria case with reduced-alcohol, non-sour production of ethanol by yeast? are able to consume all fermentable styles. If you like what you find in the The hydrometer is a pretty handy carbohydrates, the brewing process market and want to brew these sorts brewing tool and you can certainly control would prevent that from of beers at home, skip the additional use it to monitor the change in wort occurring. The brewers I know who are fermentables. Alcohol consumption density before and after your souring commercially brewing kettle sours all is dropping globally and brewers are phase. The specific gravity of lactic carefully monitor pH because many being challenged to produce lower- acid solutions vary by concentration, of these brewers are looking for flavor alcohol alternates to traditional beers. but over the range seen in wort/ consistency as well as efficient use of Kettle sours, with their refreshing beer the specific gravity is not much their equipment; as soon as the wort acidity and high drinkability, are really higher than water. This means that pH falls to the target level, they are a style that fits in with this shift. as carbohydrates are metabolized moving on to wort boiling. Focus your process and recipe on how the specific gravity of the wort will I am not even going to touch your beer stands up to tasting, and drop, and that the wort density at attempting to calculate alcohol make changes from a flavor standpoint the time of yeast pitching can be content of kettle sours because there first and ABV targets second.

23 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved ADDITIONAL WILD/ SOUR RECIPES GOLD HAMMER GOSE Extract only option: Rice hulls are not is in the kettle, mix in cooled water 5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) needed. Swap out the pale and wheat to achieve a temperature of 118 °F OG = 1.040 FG = 1.006 malts for 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) wheat dried (48 °C) — or recommended pitch IBU = 8 SRM = 3 ABV = 4.3% malt extract and 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) extra temperature from the manufacturer light dried malt extract. Heat 23 qts. — and a gravity of about 1.034. Add This is a straightforward recipe for a (22 L) to 180 °F (82 °C) and stir in the Lactobacillus propagation. Pitching rate classic, refreshing, kettle soured Gose. dried malt extract. Hold at this temper- is ~500 mL at 1 x 108 cells per mL (or ature for 15 minutes for pasteurization, approximately 5 x 1010 total). Allow to By Fal Allen then cool wort to Lacto pitching tem- sour to desired pH (between 3.3–3.4). INGREDIENTS perature. Follow all-grain instructions Hold at the recommended souring 5.25 lbs. (2.4 kg) pale barley malt for the remainder of the steps. temperature. Once the pH is reached, 2.8 lbs. (1.3 kg) red wheat malt boil the wort for 45 minutes, adding ~2 oz. (57 g) rice hulls hops at beginning of the boil and the 1.9 AAU Chinook hops (45 min.) ANDERSON VALLEY coriander at the end. (0.15 oz./4 g at 12.8% alpha acids) BREWING CO.’S BLOOD Pitch German ale yeast at 68–70 0.02 oz. (0.4 g) Indian coriander °F (20–21°C). Add the blood orange (fine ground) (0 min.) ORANGE GOSE CLONE juice concentrate near the end of (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) 0.62 oz. (17.6 g) sea salt OG = 1.038 FG = 1.005 active fermentation. At the end of Lactobacillus culture, such as Wyeast IBU = 12 SRM = 3 ABV = 4.4% fermentation add the fully hydrated 5335, White Labs WLP672, or salt solution. Bottle and prime or keg WildBrew™ Sour Pitch Anderson Valley has become well- and force carbonate as usual. White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/ known for their variety of fruited Goses. Kölsch) or Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) This example uses blood orange juice Extract only option: Rice hulls are or SafAle K-97 yeast that imparts tangy citrus notes that not needed. Swap out the pale and 3 ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) complement the Champagne-like flavors. wheat malts for 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) wheat dried malt extract and 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) STEP BY STEP By Fal Allen extra light dried malt extract. Heat Mash in at 154 °F (68 °C) with the STEP BY STEP 23 qts. (22 L) to 180 °F (82 °C) and grains and rice hulls. Rest 60 minutes 5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) 2-row pale malt stir in the dried malt extract. Hold at and lauter. As the kettle fills, begin to 2.4 lbs. (1.1 kg) malted white wheat this temperature for 15 minutes for introduce an inert gas (usually nitrogen, ~2 oz. (57 g) rice hulls pasteurization, then cool wort to Lacto but CO2 works well too) into the top of 0.43 lb. (195 g) blood orange juice pitching temperature. Follow all-grain the kettle. Stop runoff at 1.008. Once concentrate instructions for the remainder of the the wort is in the kettle, mix in cooled 3.3 AAU Nugget hops (60 min) steps. water to achieve a temperature of 118 (0.25 oz./7g at 13.1% alpha acids) °F (48 °C) — or recommended pitch 0.016 oz. (0.45 g) Indian coriander temperature from the manufacturer (fine ground) (5 min.) — and a gravity of about 1.034. Add 0.61 oz. (17.2 g) sea salt Lactobacillus propagation. Pitching rate Lactobacillus culture, such as Wyeast is ~500 mL at 1 x 108 cells per mL (or 5335, White Labs WLP672, or approximately 5 x 1010 total). Hold at WildBrew™ Sour Pitch the recommended souring temperature. White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/ Allow to sour to desired pH (between Kölsch) or Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) 3.3–3.5). Once the pH is reached, boil or SafAle K-97 yeast 3 the wort for 45 minutes, adding hops at ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) beginning of the boil and the coriander at the end. STEP BY STEP Pitch German ale yeast at 68–70 °F Mash in at 150 °F (66 °C) with the (20–21°C). At the end of fermentation grains and rice hulls. Rest 60 minutes add the fully hydrated salt solution and lauter as normal. As the kettle at a rate of 0.124 oz. per gallon (0.92 fills, begin to introduce an inert gas g/L). Bottle and prime or keg and force (usually nitrogen, but CO2 works carbonate as usual. well too) into the top of the kettle. Stop runoff at 1.008. Once the wort

24 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved SAPWOOD CELLARS’ Partial mash option: Replace 2-row and NU ZULUND CLONE Pilsner malts with 3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) extra (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) light dried malt extract and 1.6 lbs. OG = 1.055 FG = 1.007 (0.73 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract. In a IBU = 0 SRM = 3.5 ABV = 6.3% muslin bag, heat the crushed oats and spelt in 3 qts. (3 L) of water to 164 °F Sapwood Cellars’ one and only kettle (73 °C). Mash at around 157 °F (69 °C) sour was a sour IPA showing off Wai-iti for 45–60 minutes. Remove the grains and Waimea hops from New Zealand. and wash with 1 gallon (4 L) of hot The result was fruitier than some of our water. Bring volume up to 6 gallons (23 fruited sours, with big lime and stone fruit L) and stir in the malt extract. Follow aromatics. The post-souring whirlpool the remainder of the all-grain recipe. serves both to kill the Lactobacillus and impart “kettle character” from the hops. CERVEJARIA UNIKA’S By Michael Tonsmeire CATHARINA SOUR INGREDIENTS 6.75 lbs. (3 kg) Rahr Standard 2-row WITH STRAWBERRY malt & COFFEE CLONE 3 lbs. (1.4 kg) Rahr Pilsner malt (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) 0.875 lb. (0.4 kg) Crisp oat malt OG = 1.049 FG = 1.008 0.875 lb. (0.4 kg) BestMalz spelt malt IBU = 9 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.5% 6 oz. (170 g) Waimea hops (hop stand) 6 oz. (170 g) Wai-iti hops (dry hop) A unique take on Catharina sour with the plete. Cool to 68 °F (20 °C) and pitch 3 oz. (85 g) Waimea hops (dry hop) addition of strawberries and coffee from the ale yeast. More yeast than is nor- UNIKA, in Rancho Queimado, Brazil. ~10–15 mL 88% lactic acid mal may be needed due to the low pH. Omega Lactobacillus blend Add the strawberries on the third By Gordon Strong Omega Yeast OYL-200 (Tropical IPA) or day of active fermentation. Do not wait White Labs WLP644 (Saccharomyces INGREDIENTS for fermentation to slow down, they “Bruxellensis” trois) yeast 6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Pilsner malt must be added at high kräusen. The Yeast nutrient per manufacturer’s 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) wheat malt fermentation temperature can rise as directions 10 AAU Citra® hops (whirlpool) high as 73 °F (23 °C), allow to ferment (0.67 oz./19 g at 15% alpha acids) to completion. Cold crash the beer, STEP BY STEP 14 lbs. (6.4 kg) fresh strawberries rack off, then add the cold brewed Mash at 157 °F (69 °C), adding calcium 24 oz. (700 mL) cold-brewed coffee coffee at packaging. chloride to achieve 150 ppm chloride. (light-bodied, fruity) Prime and bottle condition, or keg If needed to achieve a mash pH of 1.25 g Lactobacillus plantarum and force carbonate. 5.2, add phosphoric acid. Collect wort 1.25 g Lactobacillus casei and boil for 60 minutes. At the end of SafAle US-05, or Wyeast 1056 the boil, add lactic acid to achieve a (American Ale), or White Labs CERVEJARIA UNIKA’S pH of 4.4. Chill wort to 95 °F (35 °C). WLP001 (California Ale) yeast CATHARINA SOUR 3 Pitch an active starter of Lactobacillus. ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) Don’t worry about maintaining this WITH STRAWBERRY temperature. Allow to sour to a pH STEP BY STEP & COFFEE CLONE of 3.3 (or as desired), approximately This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) (5 gallons/19 L, extract only) 12–24 hours. Heat to 175 °F (79 °C) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH OG = 1.049 FG = 1.008 and add whirlpool hops and nutrient. of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 1 tsp. IBU = 7 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.5% Allow to sit for 40 minutes before force calcium chloride to the mash. chilling to 66 °F (19 °C). Transfer to This recipe uses a kettle souring INGREDIENTS a fermenter, aerate, and pitch yeast. method. In 15 quarts (14 L) water, 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) wheat liquid malt extract Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). mash the grain at 154 °F (68 °C) for 10 AAU Citra® hops (whirlpool) Once the gravity stabilizes, chill to 45 minutes. Sparge slowly and collect (0.67 oz./19 g at 15% alpha acids) 55 °F (13 °C). Transfer to a purged keg 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort. Boil for 14 lbs. (6.4 kg) fresh strawberries with dry hops placed in screens. Dry 30 minutes without hops. Cool to 24 oz. (700 mL) cold-brewed coffee hop for three days at 55 °F (13 °C), 97 °F (36 °C) and pitch the (light-bodied, fruity) agitating once or twice daily for 30 Lactobacillus. Let it sour until a pH of 1.25 g Lactobacillus plantarum seconds. Transfer off the hops to a 3.2 is reached (usually 36–48 hours). 1.25 g Lactobacillus casei serving keg. Pressurize to reach 2.5 Boil for 45 minutes, adding the hops in SafAle US-05, or Wyeast 1056 volume of CO2. the whirlpool after the boil is com- (American Ale), or White Labs

25 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved WLP001 (California Ale) yeast g total should suffice for a 5-gallon agents. 3 ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) (19-L) batch. Many brewers use just After the boil, add the corn sugar, plantarum, so it isn’t vital to source honey, raisins, orange peel, and STEP BY STEP both varieties. They switched from rosemary. Whirlpool for 15–20 minutes Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the using probiotic drinks to make the before chilling the wort to slightly brew kettle. Heat to 158 °F (70 °C) and product vegan-friendly, not because of below fermentation temperature. then turn off the heat. Add the malt problems with probiotics. Pitch saison yeast. Start fermentation extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve around 75 °F (24 °C) and ramp up as completely. You do not want to feel it goes. Ferment to completion, which liquid extract at the bottom of the THE LOST ABBEY may require a bit of patience and time. kettle when stirring with your spoon. BREWING COMPANY’S Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate Turn the heat back on and bring to a to approximately three volumes using boil. TEN COMMANDMENTS Brett Brux yeast. Boil for 30 minutes without hops. CLONE Cool to 97 °F (36 °C) and pitch the (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) Lactobacillus. Let it sour until a pH of OG = 1.089 FG = 1.006 THE LOST ABBEY 3.2 is reached (usually 36–48 hours). IBU = 34 SRM = 33 ABV = 11% BREWING COMPANY’S Boil for 45 minutes, adding the hops in the whirlpool after the boil is By Michael Bury TEN COMMANDMENTS complete. Cool to 68 °F (20 °C) and INGREDIENTS CLONE pitch the ale yeast. More yeast than is 10 lbs. (4.54 kg) 2-row pale malt (5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains) normal may be needed due to the low 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) crystal wheat malt OG = 1.089 FG = 1.006 pH. (55 °L) IBU = 34 SRM = 29 ABV = 11 % Follow the remainder of the 0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Special B malt instructions in the all-grain recipe. 0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) melanoidin malt 0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) flaked barley TIPS FOR SUCCESS: 0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Carafa® II malt The strawberries are prepared by 1.4 lbs. (0.64 kg) corn sugar washing, coring, and running them 1.4 lbs. (0.64 kg) honey through a juicer, then using the juice 6.75 AAU Amarillo® hops (90 min.) and pulp. This is to create more surface (0.75 oz./21 g at 9% alpha acids) area. Use very fresh, ripe strawberries 3.25 AAU Magnum hops (45 min.) (0.25 in season. If strawberries are frozen, oz./7 g at 13% alpha acids) make sure they are frozen for no more 5 oz. (142 g) blackened raisins (see than a week or two. Make sure to Tips for Success) account for the extra volume needed 0.5 oz. (14 g) sweet orange peel in your fermenter for the strawberries. 0.026 oz (0.75 g) fresh rosemary The coffee is prepared by the cold WLP565 (Belgian Saison) or Wyeast brew method. Using a 7:1 ratio of 3724 (Belgian Saison) yeast water to coffee (7 oz. water per oz. WLP650 (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) of coffee beans by weight or 700 mL or Wyeast 5112 (Brettanomyces water per 100 g of coffee), combine bruxellensis) yeast coarsely ground coffee with cold 1 cup corn sugar (if priming) filtered water, and let steep for 12 hours. Strain the coffee or use a French STEP BY STEP press. Use the indicated amount of Mill the grains, then mix with 4.4 the liquid coffee; measure the finished gallons (16.7 L) of 166 °F (74 °C) strike amount of liquid for the recipe. Use water to achieve a single infusion rest very fresh coffee, preferably from a temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold local roaster who can grind it for you at this temperature for 60 minutes. — be sure to tell them it’s for cold Mashout to 170 °F (77 °C). brew so they grind it coarsely. Vorlauf until your runnings are Lactobacillus can be a pure pitch clear before directing them to your boil or obtained through probiotic drinks. kettle. Batch or fly sparge the mash to The brewery uses Lactobacillus from obtain 7 gallons (26.5 L) of wort. Boil an Italian pharmaceutical supplier, for 90 minutes, adding hops at the www.probiotical.com. It comes in 50 times indicated above left in the boil. At g sachets; they use 50 g of each in 15 minutes left in the boil, you can add a 211-gallon (800-L) batch, so 2.5 Irish moss or Whirlfloc as kettle fining

26 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved INGREDIENTS fermenting. Note that the strain can months. Put the oak spiral into the 5.5 lbs. (4.54 kg) extra light dried malt tolerate fermentation temperatures fermenter at the start of fermentation; extract up to 90 °F (32 °C). Finally, the beer before using, lightly boil the spiral for 1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) crystal wheat malt is carbonated and conditioned using 15 minutes, discarding the water and (55 °L) Brett Brux yeast. If you decide to keg using the spiral. 0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) Special B malt the beer, you may want to consider Rack the beer, prime and bottle 0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) melanoidin malt using a funky, dedicated Brett or sour condition, or keg and force carbonate. 0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) flaked barley keg. Tomme recommends patience...all 0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Carafa® II malt the flavors in the beer take months to 1.4 lbs. (0.64 kg) corn sugar meld together. FLANDERS RED (5 gallons/19 L, partial mash) 1.4 lbs. (0.64 kg) honey OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010 6.75 AAU Amarillo® hops (60 min.) (0.8 IBU = 16 SRM = 17 ABV = 5.3% oz./23 g at 9% alpha acids) FLANDERS RED (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) 3.25 AAU Magnum hops (45 min.) (0.25 OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010 INGREDIENTS oz./7 g at 13% alpha acids) IBU = 16 SRM = 17 3 lbs. (1.4 kg) pale ale dried malt 5 oz. (142 g) blackened raisins ABV = 5.3% extract 0.5 oz. (14 g) sweet orange peel 1 lb. (0.45 kg) Vienna malt 0.026 oz. (0.75 g) fresh rosemary By Gordon Strong 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) flaked maize WLP565 (Belgian Saison) or Wyeast INGREDIENTS 12 oz. (340 g) dark Munich malt (9 °L) 3724 (Belgian Saison) yeast 7 lbs. (3.2 kg) Vienna malt 12 oz. (340 g) Caramunich® III malt WLP650 (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) flaked maize 6 oz. (170 g) Special B malt or Wyeast 5112 (Brettanomyces 12 oz. (340 g) dark Munich malt (9 °L) 2 oz. (57 g) chocolate wheat malt bruxellensis) yeast 12 oz. (340 g) Caramunich® III malt 3.4 AAU Styrian Goldings hops 1 cup corn sugar (if priming) 6 oz. (170 g) Special B malt (first wort hop) (0.75 oz./21 g 2 oz. (57 g) chocolate wheat malt at 4.5% alpha acid) STEP BY STEP 3.4 AAU Styrian Goldings hops 0.5 oz. (14 g) Saaz hops (5 min.) Bring 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water to (first wort hop) (0.75 oz./21 g Wyeast 3763 (Roeselare Ale Blend), roughly 152 °F (67 °C). Steep all the at 4.5% alpha acids) or White Labs WLP665 (Flemish milled malt in a nylon bag for 30 0.5 oz. (14 g) Saaz hops (5 min.) Ale Blend), or White Labs WLP655 minutes then remove. Allow the bag Wyeast 3763 (Roeselare Ale Blend), (Belgian Sour Mix 1), or Yeast Bay to drain back into the kettle. Add or White Labs WLP665 (Flemish WLP4633 (Melange Blend Yeast) enough water to bring the total volume Ale Blend), or White Labs WLP655 French oak spiral, medium-plus toast 3 to 6.5 gallons (24.6 L). Add the dried (Belgian Sour Mix 1), or Yeast Bay ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) malt extract, stir, and finally heat to WLP4633 (Melange Blend Yeast) a boil. Follow the all-grain recipe for French oak spiral, medium-plus toast STEP BY STEP 3 remaining boil, fermentation, and ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) packaging instructions. water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH STEP BY STEP TIPS FOR SUCCESS: This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) Ten Commandments will surely test water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH your faith in microbiota. The brew day of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 0.5 should be relatively straight forward tsp. of calcium chloride and 0.5 tsp. of except for the blackened raisins and calcium sulfate to the mash. rosemary. A subtle hand is needed for This recipe uses a single infusion the rosemary addition as too much of mash. Use enough water to have a the herb will unbalance the beer; The moderately thick mash (1.5 qts./lb. or Lost Abbey uses 4 oz. (113 g) in 25 3.1 L/kg). Mash the Vienna, Munich, BBLs (775 gallons/29 hectoliters) of and maize at 153 °F (67 °C) for 60 wort. As for the raisins, you’re looking minutes. Add the remaining specialty for a pleasantly caramelized character malts, raise the temperature to 168 °F that you get via brûléeing the raisins. (76 °C) and recirculate for 15 minutes. Lost Abbey uses a large torch to Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 accomplish this task but feel free to gallons (24.5 L) of wort. First wort hops use safer alternatives such as a broiler. go into the kettle early in the sparging The other major difficulty with this phase. Boil the wort for 75 minutes, beer is the fermentation. The DuPont adding hops at the times indicated in strain is notorious for stalling around the recipe. 1.030. However, with a bit of patience Chill the wort to 66 °F (19 °C), and heat, it’ll start back up and finish pitch the yeast, and ferment for 12–18 Shutterstock.com by Photo

27 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine Brewing Wild/Sour © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 0.5 Combine 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of 168 °F or White Labs WLP 655 (Belgian Sour tsp. of calcium chloride and 0.5 tsp. of (75°C) water with the crushed wheat Mix 1) yeast gypsum to the mash. and barley. Mix well and adjust the Wyeast 3335 (Lactobacillus buchneri) This recipe uses a single infusion temperature of the mash to 153 °F (68 or White Labs WLP673 (Lactobacillus mash. Heat 7.5 qts. (7.1 L) of water to °C). Let the mash rest at 153 °F (68 °C) buchneri) about 165 °F (74 °C). Place the crushed for one hour and then recirculate until Wyeast 5733 (Pediococcus damnosus) Vienna and Munich malts and maize the wort runs clear. Sparge with 168 °F or White Labs WLP (Pediococcus in a large muslin bag and submerge (75 °C) water until you get 6.25 gallons damnosus) the bag. Stir to make sure no dough (24 L) into the boil kettle, which will Wyeast 5112 (Brettanomyces balls exist. Rest at 153 °F (67 °C) be boiled down to 5.25 gallons (20 L). bruxellensis) or White Labs WLP650 for 60 minutes. Add the remaining Add hops when the wort comes (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) specialty malts in separate bag, raise to a boil and boil for 60 minutes. Wyeast 5151 (Brettanomyces the temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) if After the boil is complete, proceed to claussenii) or White Labs WLP645 you can without scorching the bags. chill the wort to below 80 °F (15 °C), (Brettanomyces claussenii) 3 Remove both bags and place in a and transfer the contents into your ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) large colander. Wash the grains with fermenter. I ferment my lambics in a 2 gallons (7.6 L) of hot water. Add the 5-gallon (19-L) oak barrel, but if you STEP BY STEP malt extract and stir thoroughly to do not have a barrel then feel free to Place crushed wheat in a large grain dissolve completely. Top off kettle to use your traditional fermenter. Pitch bag. Heat 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of water 6.5 gallons (24.6 L), add the first wort your yeast and bacterial blend (which to 168 °F (75 °C) and submerge the hop, then turn the heat on and bring contain strains of Saccharomyces grain in the water. Try to mix the grain to a boil. and Brettanomyces yeasts and the so no dry pockets exist. Let the mash Boil the wort for 60 minutes, bacterial strains of Lactobacillus, and mixture rest at 153 °F (68 °C) for one adding hops at the times indicated. Pediococcus) and aerate wort. hour. When the mash is complete, place Follow the all-grain instruction for Aging times can vary but allow it the grain bag in a large colander and fermentation temperature, aging to remain in the fermenter at least a wash with 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of hot timeframe, and packaging. year. After my initial pitch of a yeast/ water. Stir in the liquid malt extract bacteria blend on brew day, I pitch the and top off the kettle with water to Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria get 6.25 gallons (24 L) of wort into the TRADITIONAL LAMBIC into the fermenter at three months boil kettle. Follow the remainder of the (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) from the initial brewing date. I then all-grain recipe. OG = 1.045 FG = 1.008 allow the fermentation to continue. IBU = 10 SRM = 3 ABV = 4.8% At eight months, I pitch separate starters of Brettanomyces bruxellensis, By Paul Zocco and Brettanomyces claussenii. I don’t INGREDIENTS perform a secondary transfer, but 6 lbs. (2.7 kg) pale malt continue my fermentation in the 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) malted wheat. original vessel. 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) unmalted wheat After a year I like to pull monthly 1 oz. (28 g) aged Styrian Goldings hops samples to taste how the beer is (60 min.) evolving. Bottle or keg when the taste Wyeast 3278 (Belgian Lambic Blend) is what you were shooting for. Bottles or White Labs WLP 655 (Belgian Sour can be kept for years and flavors will Mix 1) yeast continue to evolve as they are cellared. Wyeast 3335 (Lactobacillus buchneri) or White Labs WLP673 (Lactobacillus buchneri) TRADITIONAL LAMBIC Wyeast 5733 (Pediococcus damnosus) (5 gallons/19 L, partial mash) or White Labs WLP (Pediococcus OG = 1.045 FG = 1.008 damnosus) IBU = 10 SRM = 4 ABV = 4.8% Wyeast 5112 (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) or White Labs WLP650 INGREDIENTS (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) golden light liquid malt Wyeast 5151 (Brettanomyces extract claussenii) or White Labs WLP645 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) malted wheat. (Brettanomyces claussenii) 2 lbs. (0.9 kg) unmalted wheat 3 ⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming) 1 oz. (28 g) aged Styrian Goldings hops (60 min.) STEP BY STEP Wyeast 3278 (Belgian Lambic Blend)