What Makes Sour Beer Sour?

Published date:

2022-10-05
Score: 4.08/5 (50 votes)

Are you searching for an answer to the question: What makes sour beer sour? On this page, we've collected the most accurate and complete information to ensure that you have all of the answers you need. So keep reading!

Sour beers get their sour flavor from the lactic acid produced by the Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria as it ferments. Unlike sours, IPAs are brewed in a controlled setting without wild bacteria and do not have as much of an acidic taste.

You may wonder, are sour beers good for you? Through a hands-off fermentation process, these sour beers offer health benefits like stress relief as well as immune and digestive system support. Every beer lover knows the struggle of enjoying their drink of choice while also maintaining a healthy body; wild fermented ales allow you to do both.

Similarly one may ask, what does it mean when a beer is sour? Bacteria gives sour beers their distinctive taste, while yeast adds the funky and earthy quality. Today's sours are primarily influenced by two types of bacteria and one type of wild yeast. The first is lactobacillus, a bacteria that turns sugars into lactic acid.

Besides above, why are sour beers so expensive? The process of making quality sour beer isn't cheap! While most styles of ale can be made in less than a month using basic brewing equipment, sour beer can take significantly longer to produce – up to three years in some cases – and requires huge investment in specialty equipment.

Likewise, why do sour beers give me gas? If the pH value of the beer drops below 4, it will taste sour and look cloudy or hazy. This happens if the fermentation is not done well. The low pH value of the beer causes stomach bloating or continuous burps, distended abdomen or gas and other discomfort, though most of it is temporary.


How do you make a sour beer?

Sour beer is typically produced through mixed fermentation: either exposing wort to microbes from the air for a spontaneous fermentation or pitching brewer's yeast, brettanomyces, and bacteria together, and then waiting a long time to see what happens.

Do sour beers have fruit in them?

American fruited sour beers are as diverse as the brewers who make them, but mostly they are brewed and soured in the boil kettle with lactobacillus. After that process, the beer is fermented with clean yeast and then very heavily fruited.

Is sour beer better for your gut?

When added to beer it gives it a probiotic boost and a tart and funky flavor. Adding more probiotic-rich foods and beverages can have huge benefits on gut health. It's all part of adding more beneficial bacteria to your microbiome – a world of microbes that helps your body perform certain functions.

Do sour beers need to be refrigerated?

Meanwhile, fruit-forward Sour Ales should be kept on the cool side, with a temperature around 45-degrees F to keep them refreshingly nuanced. On the other hand, Heavily Fruited Sours are best chilled in the low 40s.

How is sour beer different from regular beer?

Unlike other beers, sour beers use wild bacteria and yeast during the brewing process to achieve a tart, crisp flavor. The microbes most commonly used to create sour beer are the bacteria Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, while Brettanomyces is often used to add acidity.

Why does my beer taste like vinegar?

Sour – vinegar or acrid

Sour flavours are usually a result of a bacterial infection or wild yeast infection. This results in your brew having a very strong vinegar smell.

Why is IPA sour?

By far the most common cause of sour flavors in your homebrew is contamination (flaw) or inoculation (intentional) with souring bacteria. Here are the major roles. Lactobacillus bacteria produce lactic acid and are responsible for a relatively smooth sourness. It's the same tang you find in yogurt and sourdough breads.

Is sour beer an IPA?

Sour IPA – New Belgium calls this beer the best of both worlds. Part hazy IPA and part sour, New Belgium's Sour IPA is an iconic example of the style. With our a decade of experience dry-hopping sours, New Belgium combines fresh acidity from its Wood Cellar sour with their hazy IPA for a “beer that truly takes flight”.

Is sour beer like cider?

"Sour beers are tart like a raspberry or strawberry, but a lot of them are dry, like Champagne," Wallash says. So their taste sits somewhere between an ale, wine and cider, he says. "It will definitely change your expectation about what a beer tastes like. It's a new flavor experience all together."

Do all sour beers have probiotics?

“While good bacteria are often present in food that have been fermented, there are currently no beers in the market that contain probiotics. Developing sufficient counts of live probiotics in beer is a challenging feat as beers contain hop acids that prevent the growth and survival of probiotics.”


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