Dessert Beer, No Hops.

Lambics and similar beers are loaded with aged hops used for their antiseptic properties; they are also rife with bacteria. So clearly, many bacteria can survive hops and alcohol. on the other hand, I made a lavender beer recently with no hops, added bacteria but no yeast, and let sit in my 100 degree garage for several days. After getting no sourness whatsoever (my bacteria was expired and subsequently confirmed as lifeless) I pitched yeast and it fermented out. I've been drinking it for a month now, and it's tasty, but still not remotely sour.

I'm no stranger to infections, but a sizable amount of living organisms have to make their way into your beer to contaminate it, and they have to be able to survive and multiply once they get there. If you follow proper sanitation procedures all the way through the process, you won't need hops to keep your beer from souring. Coming up with a drinkable recipe is the real challenge.