WEEK 239--Sour Beer made simple

"beer is sour?"--that's a rather novel concept to many newbies-- some who only had MACRO LAGER before would have thought this is beer gone bad OR would be concerned about the puckering/one dimensional sourness of a sour beer.

刚接触craft beer新人对啤酒可以是酸的概念觉得陌生，也担心会只酸没其他风味的顾虑，对很多新人来说酸味啤酒是之前不知道的全新概念。

 实际上酸味啤酒的分布相对广阔，几个以酸为风味主轴啤酒类型风格之外，酸味啤酒也可以延伸至比如黑啤或印度淡啤等原有风味主轴不是酸的类型。

 酸啤是什么一回事？以下是一些简易概念：-

for those who know--sour beer refer to quite some different beer styles focusing on sour taste/smell either as the main characteristic OR part of the characteristics of a beer--in fact other than a few beer styles which are specifically well known as sour beer styles--other styles not usually associated with sourness like IPA/Stout can also be made into a sour beer if the brewer wishes to. 

here are some simple basics about sour beer:-

1) where does sourness come from?

in simple words--sourness in a beer can be achieved via brewing method--and/or also with adjunts like adding sour fruits/juices....

1）酸从哪里来？

简单说，酸味来源主要通过不同发酵方式，另外就是添加食材比如水果提味而成。

*Brewing method*

1-1) Kettle Sour

A relatively faster and easier to control way of making a sour beer by inoculating sour bacteria such as Lactobacillus into the cooling wort during brewing process. Kettle sour beer might be lacking in depth and layers but adding adjunts is 1 way of making the beer more interesting.

发酵方式

1-1）Kettle Sour

相对来说快捷又可控的酸啤发酵方式，通过添加乳酸菌让冷却麦汁酸化然后煮沸而成，风味以酸爽为主，可能欠缺丰富层次风味变化不过可通过添加食材或桶陈方式提升。

1-2) Mixed Fermentation

Depending on what the brewer wanted--this is about using at least 2 different bacteria/yeast--souring agents such as Lactic acid bacteria as well as Brettanomyces/ Saccharomyces yeast can be used /mixed during different stages of brewing process--which usually take longer time to achieve desired tartness & complexity. This is still very much a controlled process when compared to Spontaneous fermentation beer such as Lambic.

1-2）Mixed Fermentation 

视乎酿酒师要什么，通过添加两种或以上不同酵母，包括乳杆菌，酒香酵母，酿酒酵母等发酵并酸化酿造而成。这也是可控酿造方式，需要较长时间工序让风味层次更丰富。

1-3) Spontaneous Fermentation

While many beer geeks would instantly think of terms like Pajottenland in and around Brussels area as well Lambic--this method is being used by brewers outside of that area including US & more--what is unique about this method is that No yeast is added by brewer--everything is up to the Bacteria existing naturally in the air/surroundings.

Another unique feature of this method is brewing can only be done during Cool/Cold weather period because hot/humid weather would mean BAD bacteria will take over and the beer will go bad.

1-3）Natural / Spontaneous Fermentation 

天然发酵酸啤类型中，比利时天然发酵酸啤（Lambic）备受推崇, 通过让麦芽汁(wort)在冷却槽（coolship)中吸收野生菌自然发酵方式而成，可控性低只能在冷季节酿造，好作品风味层次表现可以是最迷人的类型风格。

Lambic以外，其他类型风格啤酒也能通过自然发酵方式酿造。

*Adding adjunts*

adding fruits with natural sourness is another way of making a beer sour--sounds direct & simple but this also takes consideration and care as well time.

添加食材

增加啤酒风味，包括酸味表现是可通过添加食材比如不同水果（酸樱桃，柠檬，橘子等等）浸泡/桶陈而成，是看似直接但也讲究时间工序的一关。

 

2) What the beer styles available?

2-1) Berliner Weisse

If German weisse beer is malty and sweet with banana/clove flavours--this is the less malty/ligher sour weisse beer.

2）有什么类型风格选择？

2-1）Berliner Weisse

柏林小麦啤酒是德式麦芽啤酒基础上变化而来，和甘甜爽口带麦香味的Weissbier 截然不同，是酸味轻型麦芽啤酒。

 

2-2) Gose

also originated from Germany--traditional style Gose are known for sour/salty/coriander flavours though the modern ones can be rather different nowadays.

2-2）Gose

也是源自德国的咸味酸啤，传统作品典型风味是酸中有盐味和香菜/芫荽味道气息，发展至今世界不同角落酿坊有各自不同诠释/呈现方式。

2-3) American Wild Ale

While the term American Sour can be any sour styles made in US--here we are refering specifically to Wild Ale--which invloved spontaneous  fermentation sour beer styles--while Spontaneous style beer can be similar in brewing method to the ones in Belgium--geographical differences would mean the US wild ale is a category of its own.

2-3）American Wild Ale

美式酸啤(American Sour)可以是个统称，意思是包含好多个不同啤酒类型风格，这里只说美式自然发酵酸啤，酿造方式或许和比利时Lambic有非常相似之处，地理位置和风土区别让美式天然发酵酸啤自成一格。

2-4) Pastry Sour

Widely popular since some years ago--this is an interesting style--while it has the word sour--depending on how it's made--many a time Pastry Sour is known to be either sweet sour or outright sweet--not always sour while looking like a fruit punch / milk shake.

2-4）Pastry Sour

近些年风行的甜品类型果泥酸啤 加入大量水果让酒体浓郁如奶昔著称，虽是酸啤类型但不同酿坊有不少甜味或酸甜风味类型作品

2-5) Flanders Red & Oude Bruin

1 in Red another in Brown--these are 2 traditional sour beer styles from Belgium--Flanders Red are more pronounced with sourness from fruits like sour cherries/plum/berries and so on--while Oude Bruin is usually more malty with lesser sour tone.

2-5）Flanders Red 和 Oude Bruin

比利时两大传统酸啤，前者酒色带红，后者棕色。风味表现Flanders Red以水果比如樱桃李子莓果等酸味为主，Oude Bruin则带有较明显麦芽底蕴，酸味表现相对来说较低。

2-6) Lambic

This is 1 style which is always looking up to the sky for when to brew as Spontaneous fermentation using bacteria from the air means only can be done during Cool/Cold weather period. 

Funky note is 1 big feature of this beer(smelling good or otherwise can be no middle ground).

Beer styles wise the 3 main ones are Oude Gueuze( no adjuncts only blend of different years lambic), Framboos( with Raspberry) & Kriek( with sour cherries)--of course there are also other variants with different fruits/adjuncts.

2-6）Lambic

比利时天然发酵啤酒是“看天”而酿的类型作品，因为要靠空气中野生菌发酵所以只能在天冷季节酿，意味着一年中酿酒时间非常有限，野生菌带出独特霉味（是香或臭不同人不同答案）是风味表现一大特点，主要分原酒混合版（Oude Gueuze) ,覆盆子版本（Framboos) 和 酸樱桃(Kriek)版本三大分支。

Above are some are the more commonly known/seen sour beer styles--but sour beer can exists in literally any other beer styles too if the brewer so wishes.

In truth--a well made sour beer will not be only about puckering sourness--it shall be layered with depth and displaying more flavours/nuances than just monotonous sourness.

以上是主要酸啤类型风格，但酸啤范围并不只限于上述，只要酿酒师想，农场风格啤酒，黑啤，印度淡啤等等都能以酸味为主。

至于酸啤是不是只能一酸到底没变化，答案是酿得好的作品会有不同层次风味表现，不会只是单调酸。