Sour beers

[chuckstout]

Hi, I dont now much about sour beers but think I might have the patience to start.
I think I just want to here about some sour beers stories how they came about and maybe some tips to brewing-yeast-fermenting-blending-barreling/types-simple/complex. DarkSour? I thought Id ask before researching. Had a chance to sample some Russian River sours and the complexity really got my attention

Thanks chuckstout

 

[cfonnes]

A great place to start learning about sours would be the Lambic & Wild Brewing Forum on this site.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

The book Wild Brews is a good primer on the subject.

 

[acidrain23]

Also, check out Old Sock's blog, The Mad Fermentationist- so many creative ideas for sours there!

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/

 

[kingwood-kid]

You can do sours without patience, as long as your definition of a sour is "tastes sour" and not "contains brettanomyces." My berliner weisse was bottled in under two weeks, and I've had sour browns ready in a similar time frame.

 

[chuckstout]

Thanks everybody! Ill be studin a bit in these areas

 

[Calder]

There is a ton of information out there, almost too much and makes it seem intimidating. The subject can be as complex as you want to make it, but it really is very simple to get started:

Make a simple wort (60% Pilsner/40% Wheat), or really any simple wort. Limit hops to produce 10 IBUs max. Ferment with any yeast (Belgian preferred). Rack to secondary in either a glass carboy, or better bottle. Add dregs from sour beers (with active bugs; non pasteurized, and fresher is better). Put on an airlock and leave for 12 to 24 months.

 

[chuckstout]

Ok this is the recipe I went with for a sour brown ale.

5lb pilsner-2lb pale-2lb munich-12oz caramunich-8oz special B-
2oz black patent 1.5oz 3.9aa bobek and 2 packs of the Roselare blend
1.050sg
Est 1.011fg
Est 24 ibus

 

[bluebrew17]

one way ive done sours in the past is to stove-top cook up about 1-2 pounds of wort using just 2-row. grind the malt and then mash it for 30 mins or so at 150F. Then put the mash in 1QT mason jars and vacuum seal them. Then put some 120F water in my mash tun (an orange cooler) and stick the vacuum sealed jars in. Keep adding small amounts of boiling water every day to get back to 120F and let it sit for 5-7 days. Then, on brew day, add the malt in with regular malt during mash for sour flavor.

The bug you want is anaerobic and likes 120F optimally. Air is especially bad for your sour mash.