Brouwerij Rodenbach Rodenbach Caractère Rouge

Sour Ale Varietals

Sour ale, often known as sour beer, is a beer with an acidic, tart, or sour flavor. Belgian lambics, gueuze, and Flanders red ale, as well as German gose and Berliner Weisse, are examples of traditional sour beer genres.

The oldest type of beer known to man is sour ale. Before pasteurization and sterilization were fully understood, nearly all beer was at least slightly sour. Today's sour beers are tart and brewed with wild bacteria and yeasts, whereas more common beers are made in sterile surroundings with specialized yeast strains.

Unlike current brewing, which is done in a sterile atmosphere to avoid the introduction of wild yeast, the starter used from one batch to the next typically contained some wild yeast and bacteria. Sour ales are prepared by deliberately introducing wild yeast strains or bacteria into the brew, either through the barrels or during the cooling of the wort in an open coolship.

Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria are the most common microbes used to purposefully sour beer, while Brettanomyces fungus can also impart acidity. Adding fruit, which directly provides organic acids such as citric acid, is another way to achieve a tart flavor. Acid can also be added to beer directly or by the use of exceptionally high amounts of acidulated malt.

The uncertainty inherent in employing wild yeast may cause the beer to take months to ferment and years to develop, depending on the procedure used. Modern technologies, on the other hand, allow sour beer to be made in the time it takes to make an ale, which is generally several days.