New Female “Sour” T-Shirts are available in our tasting room and on our on-line store now! These are dark heathered-grey shirts with off-white printing. Available in female sizes S-XXL.
Sour
Move Over Lambics: The Unsung Sour Heroes
What exactly does the term sour beer mean? I guess, in a way it means beers that are influenced by more than just brewers’ yeast. This subject really dates back to 1876. Prior to 1876 brewers did not even know that yeast existed, let alone what it did. You can just read the original German Reinheitsgebot – it only included water, malt & hops.
In 1876, Louis Pasteur examined foul smelling beer under his microscope. Besides yeast cells, he was able to identify other bacteria as well. In order to keep other microorganisms at bay certain methods were applied, shorter shelf lives, higher hop rates (hops act as a natural preservative in beer), higher alcohol volumes and other arcane methods.
It should be noted that at one point in history, all beers would eventually become sour. Only now that modern technology (refrigeration & modern cleaning systems) are readily available are we able to go back and purposefully brew a sour beer. Like many things in life, such as bell bottoms, things in life are circular. So while three generations ago they were trying to get rid of sourness in beer, we are now trying to bring it back in.
Beer vs. Wine
Yeast
The history of both wine & beer making are quite ancient. The earliest evidence of wine making dates back to 7000 BCE & beer making dates back to 5000 BCE. The brewing process of beer has become much more modernized over time compared to that of wine. Most fine wines, like in the old days, use the wild yeast on the grape skins to aid in the fermentation. Brewing on the other hand has moved over into a direction of total control. Highly specialized yeasts & standardized cleaning processes have tried to eliminate variation from different batches.
When you look at the high end world of wines, vineyards always have different vintages that turn out better than others. However, with beer people have become used to every batch tasting the same. Maybe this is why more interest is developing in the world of sour beers. More variety & randomness – a little bit more excitement!
A major flavor change agent is yeast and what it can do over a long period of time. The first beer we are going to talk about today is quite a modern example because in this case there is only brewing yeast at work.
In the glass the liquid is a dark amber colored beer with good clarity. The aroma is alive with warm flowers, apricot, banana and bitter almonds. The flavor follows in a similar fashion with notes of apricot, almond cake, citrus fruits, and rich malt. Super Baladin Reserva finishes quite dry and tangy.
Bacteria
Moving on from just yeast we head into the world of bacteria.
Berliner weisse is a cloudy, sour wheat beer that is light in alcohol, about 3 – 4% ABV usually. This was a very regional style around Berlin that dates back to the 1500s. In the 19th century it was the most popular style of beer in Berlin and there were 700 breweries brewing it. There are a few theories on how the style came about: 1) That it actually originated in Hamburg but ended up being brewed in Berlin, and 2) That migrating Huguenots developed the beer style on their way from Flanders to Northern Germany.
The more popular wheat beer is the Bavarian hefeweizen, this is different though. The only thing they have in common is that they both use wheat. Modern brewing uses a lower proportion of wheat, generally ranging from 40% to 60%, and deliberately create sourness by a secondary fermentation in the bottle or by adding lactobacillus. Lactic acid producing bacteria can produce a lot of acid if pitched at a high enough cell count (there are two common types lactobacillus & pediococcus). During primary fermentation the brewers yeast will tend to dominate these bacteria but once all the simple sugars have been eaten the bacteria will make their presence known.
Authentic old recipes of Berliner Weisse suggested adding the hops during the mash and not the boil. This was done because unlike barley, wheat does not have a husk so it can clog up during the lautering process (it also has a lot of sticky gluten), so the leaves from the hops actually helped this process.
Bayrischer Bahnhof Berliner Weisse
It appears a straw color with some haze, big dense head and insistent sparkle when poured correctly. The nose is sweet and sour notes with a hint of lemons and raspberries. The flavors are mellow with raspberry and citrus flavors with a sharp lactic tartness in the background. This beer also finishes dry, crisp, and tart.
Moving on to the next souring agent leads us on a little history tour. As touched on in my previous article Belgium has its own Mason/Dixon line in a sense. This split in the Belgian culture led to different brewing styles between the Northern & Southern parts. The Dutch brought an influx of new spices whereas the French were known for their use of spices & fruits in beer.
These influences and split personalities led to lots of experimentation including using herbs, spices and hops, other stranger substances such as mustard, coffee and chocolate along with wild fermentation & crazy yeast strains.
Often when people talk about sour beer most people think about lambics, however lambics are actually a minority in the world of sour beer. A few of the qualifications for lambics are: 1) They must be brewed around Brussels, Pajotenland region, 2) They use a special brewing process called the turbid mash technique, and 3) They rest in a coolship overnight and 4) They are racked to the horny tank after the coolship rest (Horny because it is ready to go, aka ferment).
There are many more sour beer styles other than lambics. Framboise for example, is a style brewed with raspberries. It is usually assumed that the base beer for a framboise is a lambic but this is not necessarily the case. Brewing with raspberries can be tough for a couple of reasons: 1) They are quite expensive 2) They have a lot of water weight 3) They completely decompose during secondary fermentation which can lead to filtration problems and 4) They will increase the perception of dryness and add quite a bit of acidity and possibly some astringency.
Birra del Borgo’s Rubus con Lamboni is a sour ale made with a raspberry infusion. Raspberries were used for 15% in weight and are special from the Sudtirol Alps in northern part of Italy. Rubus is also a beer that spends time in oak barrels.Rubus uses pilsner, wheat & caramel malts along with Hallertauer, Northern Brewer & Saaz hops.
Barrel Aging & Blending
After all this talk of fruits & bacteria we finally arrive at barrel aging & blending. Why are the barrels usually made out of oak you might ask? Oak is quite strong, resistant to decay and generally easy to take care of. With a barrel, the previous use, size & method of production will all have an effect on the future liquid. Barrel aging beer is actually not a modern invention even though it currently seems to be en vogue.
Prior to our modern brewing time they didn’t have welded stainless steel tanks, back then even the brew kettle was made from wood! Wood can provide up to 200 different flavor compounds to a beer/wine/spirit. Only about a dozen can actually be tasted by the human palate. Of those we’ll only really talk about 3 as they are the major ones: 1) Vanillin – vanilla like, sweetness 2) Tannins – dry, astringent & acidic characteristics and 3) Methyloctalactones – a spicy character that depends on the wood.
For a little background most wine barrels tend to be made of French oak, bourbon barrels for example are made of American white oak. Traditionally it was thought that American white oak was inferior, however the problem was actually with the production method. The French dry their wood for 24 months whereas American oak was kilned to dry it out quickly.
Brettanomyces is a type of wild yeast. It actually ferments better with the presence of oxygen and it will ferment for about 18 months. Brettanomyces can break down more complex sugars than brewing yeast. That is why most sour/wild beers are much drier in character. Some common characteristics brett brings in are “horse blanket & barnyard funk.” Brett is also an oxidative yeast so if there is too much oxygen you will end up with actetic acid which creates vinegary sourness. Temperatures above 75 F will also create problems and too much acidity.
The color is a red amber, caramel brown, with some golden glints. The aroma has hints of spices, fruity, almost gingery. The flavors coming from the Rum aging give a lot of complexity (tobacco, ginger, spices and woody). On the palate it is sweet and crispy, explosion of freshness, woody and hoppy, as well as a medium hard bitter attack going on a very long aftertaste with a spike of fresh fruits remaining.
Fruits/Barrel Aging & Blending
Putting everything together we get Del Ducato’s La Luna Rossa which uses barrel aging, fruits & blending to arrive at an extremely complex product, and a wonderful way to wrap up…
Birrificio Del Ducato La Luna Rossa
The start is a sour base which has undergone at least 2 years of mixed fermentation with acetic and lactic bacteria as well as Brettanomyces strains. Amarena and morel cherries are then added for additional flavor for at least 6 months. The beer is then blended with part L’Ultima Luna and part young beer and poured into numbered bottles indicating the year of the cuvee. 12 more months of maturation in bottle are required before entering the market.
La Luna Rossa is an intense amber with ruby highlights.The nose is extraordinarily complex with fruity aromas of morel and amarena cherry perfectly blending with subtle ethereal notes, acetic and lactic flavors and hints of oxidized malts.It has a sapid, full mouthed lasting palate with a magnificently elevating sour finish.
Exploring Flavour in Beer
Here we will explore some of the flavours we encounter in beer…
Bitter
The essential counter-balance to sweetness.
Balancing sweetness in beers in many different ways. Resinous or zesty bitterness from hops, roasted or smoky from special malts or an earthy character from the yeast.
Flavours: Earthy – Roast/Smoke – Zest – Resinous
Sweet and Rich
Rich, complicated stouts are the perfect taste to end the night. Beer doesn’t have to be created for refreshment only. Cocoa nibs and freshly roasted coffee beans create rich, complicated stouts, full of new stories for palate.
Then there’s the smooth caramel and bready sweetness, from traditional English malts; this can be used to balance the floral notes of aromatic New World hops and create the perfect beer.
Flavours: Chocolate – Malty – Nutty – Caramel – Dried fruit
Dryness
We love the Belgian style of Saison beers and its distinct dryness. Our house yeasts are very hungry giving a distinctly dry character to a number the beers. The Belgian Saison style of beer traditionally has a refreshing, crisp dryness from its yeast. We use this yeast in a number of our beers, as it’s a character we love in them.
Flavours: Crisp – Prickly
Fruit
Fruit flavours in beer can be as complex as those in wine. Fruit flavours are common in many different beer styles. Some of the most common flavours found are berries, citrus fruits, tropical flavours, and stone or dried fruits.
Traditional and contemporary methods are used to give the beers these flavours. Malts, hops and yeasts all can give fruit characters as well as barrel-ageing, maturing on fruit or adding juice.
Flavours: Berries – Citrus – Stone/Dried fruit – Tropical
Sour
No. Come back. Sourness is delicious… Beers that are soured by the uncontrollable critters that are lactic bacteria and wild yeasts, inoculating our Wild beers with the help of sour fruits and barrels.
A number of different techniques are used to make our sour beers, blending, ageing, sour-mashing and inoculating. Complex and refreshing beers that dazzle the tastebuds.
Flavours:Citrus – Tannic – Crisp
Herbal
Cleanse your palate with clean, cool and refreshing flavours. Clean, cool and refreshing qualities with scents of being in the open air. They can be fresh, pungent or subtly hidden in the background. Great for enjoying on a hot summer’s day, these beers are like a gentle breeze for your taste buds.
Flavours: Mint – Cucumber – Dill – Rhubarb – Elderflower
Spicy
Some of the most complex flavours that deliver intense finishes. An array of aromas that leap from the glass. Gentle, sweet spiciness delivers warming tones and incredibly unusual complexity.
For a long lingering finish that’s intense on the palate, a peppery taste can create an interesting, crispness that’s dry and spicy, yet surprisingly refreshing on the tongue.
Flavours: Pepper – Spices
Barrel-Aged
Ageing in oak barrels brings woody complexity to beers. The woody complexity of beers like Modus Vivendi, is achieved by ageing the beer in oak barrels. With each batch we sample a number of barrels to identify the flavours that blend well.
We pick up character from the wine and bourbon that was previously in the barrel. The brettanomyces yeasts love the porous nature of the wood to develop a slightly sour cherry flavour
Flavours: Wood – Blends – Soured – Barrel
A Hot & “SOUR” Summer 08/23/2014
Yes of course we produce many sour beers at OEC Brewing and you can always find some on tap here, but on Saturday, August 23rd, 2014 the entire day will be dedicated exclusively to sour beers from us and many other great breweries from around the world.
OEC Brewing and B. United International present A Hot & “SOUR” Summer
Guest beers will include:
Birrificio Del Ducato, BFM, Bayerischer Bahnhof,
The Wild Beer Company, Alvinne, Hanssens, LoverBeer, Birra del Borgo & MORE!
OEC beers and more TBA.
4 oz pours of all beers available.
OEC growlers available as always.
7 Fox Hollow Rd, Unit B, Oxford, CT 06478. 08/23/2014 –12-7 p.m.
What’s all this sour beer stuff?
It’s beer that’s been intentionally spoiled by good bacteria. We love sour beers, their unrivalled complexity and nuances make them both the most exciting and engaging styles of beer to brew and to drink.
Whilst many breweries play around with the hops and malt they use in different recipes, few are prepared to have a number of different yeasts on the go. Yeast fascinates us, it is the life blood of beer, and for us, the most important ingredient.
We often talk about wild yeasts and using unusual strains of yeast or bacteria when talking about our brewery. The most common strains we use in the brewery are saison and brettanomyces, often as our own blended strain. This leads to very dry beers, as they are very hungry yeasts, metabolising all of the available malt sugars. And that’s why we have included dryness in the FLAVOURS section of the website, as a common theme in our beers. Beers such as Somersett Saison, Bliss and Iduna Cru use these yeasts.
Sour beers have long been a part of the brewing tradition. Indeed before the advent of refrigeration and advances in the science of fermentation in the mid-nineteenth century, almost all beer was, to varying degrees, sour. The sour comes from lactic acid bacteria during the fermentation process, with further complexity from strains of ‘wild’ yeast.
Brewing today is often romanticized by highly paid marketeers, they tell you that beer is a natural artisan product, but more often than not it is a very industrial process with highly automated machines and button pushers doing the work. The romance and the art of brewing come through in a very different way when using the extraordinary uncontrollable wild yeasts and bacteria.
Instead of, as in traditional ale making, fermenting solely with sacchromyces yeast we could also add our strains of bacteria and put the beer into oak casks to mature and sour. Bacteria gobble up sugars in the beer and convert them into acids, like the ones in Granny Smith apples and lemons. The microcritters also churn out a smorgasbord of flavours and aromas. The result is a brew that has all the complexity of a fine wine and a delicious sour zing. We are embracing the time-honoured Belgian art of deliberately infecting beer with the same “wild” bugs that generations of our predecessors so painstakingly eradicated. The result: pleasingly sour, food-friendly beer, mysteriously complex and engaging.
There’s wild yeast and bacteria everywhere, especially here in Somerset with so many orchards nearby, when you make a happy home for them in your brewery they just show up and spontaneously ferment — and sour — a beer. We have painstakingly experimented with locally occurring natural yeasts from the air and on local wild fruit to be able to develop our own strain of “wild” yeast to use in a number of our sour beers in the future. Another of our experiments has been around the use of the Hobbs House Bakery sourdough culture, the beer ‘Sourdough‘ is a homage to the historical relationship between beer and bread.
As we are based at a dairy, a favourite analogy is that “sours” are to the beer world what yogurt is to dairy.