Wild / Sour

Wild / Sour beers have one thing in common and that is they are intentionally acidic, tart or sour in taste. Whilst this feature is usually sen as a fault it is deliberately created in these beers to produce a complex range of tastes quite dissimilar to other beer styles. It appeals to beer drinkers who are seeking a new taste sensation, with Wild ferments there are a lot of characteristics which cider drinkers will recognise. Some wine drinkers may also transition to beer using this style.

Wild / Sour beers can be produced using several different techniques such as spontaneous fermentation, introduction of unusual yeasts or kettle souring. But the basic thread is that they are all fermented using organisms other than standard brewer’s yeasts, Saccharomyces, to produce the alcohol and have acidity as a prominent feature. The acid is usually lactic, which is odourless and tasteless but brings tartness.

To get the desired Wild / Sour beer one or more of the following may be applied.

• 'Bretted' Beer - the addition of Brettanomyces yeast which can impart a distinctive sharpness or tart character. Some people perceive this as reminiscent of farmyards or to be more genteel, rustic. Examples of this often come from Belgium and include the world of Geuze and Lambic Ales. If these are then flavoured with fruit CAMRA may categorise them as Fruit Flavoured Beers. • 'Lactic' Beer - the addition of Lactobacilli bacteria to deliberately impart a sour character, often described as funky. The lactobacilli create lactic acid, which delivers the sourness. A lot of German brewers use this to produce beers such as the wheat based Berliner Weiss which has a low alcohol content or the slightly stronger Gose which has salt and often spices added. • 'Kettle' Sours - are slightly different in that the bacteria is added to the kettle. Sometimes the acidity of the the wort is adjusted by adding lactic acid and thus lowering the pH of the beer.