Sour Beers

scalded_dog · August 19, 2016, 2:14pm

It’s been a while since I posted (selling/moving/building new place) all my beer making stuff and keezer are in storage so been drinking store bought.

So I’m sitting at this great little brew pub last weekend and the waitress gets me to try a sour beer from some supposedly great microbrewery in Chattanooga. This stuff tastes like sewer water. She asks me how I like it and I tell her this is maybe the worst beer I have ever tasted in my life. It was putrid. I literally couldn’t finish it. I contend this sour beer is simply the results of a batch that’s gone bad for one reason or another the they’re trying to pass it off as drinkable “sour beer” This slopt was worst than the worst beer I’ve ever brewed and I’ve brewed a few bad ones.

Flame on

uberculture · August 19, 2016, 2:37pm

Oh, I get it. I’m slowly coming around on Gose, but for the most part, lambics and sours are disgusting. My tasting notes on them run from “moldy cough drop with dusty pocket lint” to “impossible to keep down.” I look at it as a blessing. I have enough taste for expensive things… I can save my money and leave the pricey sours on the shelf at the liquor store at least.

uncdeo · August 19, 2016, 6:31pm

I can do berliners and some goses…but me and brett do not get along… i havent learned because i keep trying them hoping it will be gooder but i just cant do it.

frenchie · August 19, 2016, 9:12pm

Gotta know what beer this is. I live in Chattanooga and really don’t know of a sour that’s made here. We have several pretty decent micros who have one or two good beers, but not seen a sour–and I LOVE sours.

Cheers,

Ron

sneezles61 · August 20, 2016, 11:21am

SSSSHHHH, Pork Chop will hear this discussion… I too have a hard time with sour brews. I don’t even like pickled stuff. Although I do enjoy yogurts, which is lactic side, I do believe. Sneezles61

hd4mark · August 20, 2016, 12:21pm

Try a commercial Kreik or Framboise. Lindeman’s is readily available but there are others out there like Boon. My wife loves Framboise so I have tried to brew something close without much luck so I just pick up a bottle once in a while for her.

frenchie · August 20, 2016, 9:02pm

I brewed NB’s dawson’s kriek extract and it turned out awesome. I like it even better than kriek boon, which I think is too sweet. I’ll agree though that sours have a wide range of funk, but if you look hard enough you might find one you like. But like uberculture said , it’ll be cheaper on you if you don’t!!LOL

Cheers,

Ron

uncdeo · August 20, 2016, 9:36pm

Picked up Odells Friek for tonight…buddy of mine loves sours.

scalded_dog · August 22, 2016, 7:14pm

Hi Ron,
I don’t recall what brewery it was. This was in Blue Ridge GA. Next time I’m up there I will check into it.

frenchie · August 23, 2016, 12:37am

Only sour I can even recall is a gose that Big River Grill made last year-they are owned by Gordon Biersch. It was ok and very mild, not too tart and almost no funk. Other than that, I can’t imagine what it was. But thanks for the reply. Just let me know if you find out.

Cheers,

Ron

And it’s good to see you back!

cran · August 23, 2016, 5:11pm

I like sours. I have done a bunch of fruit lambics, Berliner weisse, and gose. With that said, some of the commercial stuff is horrible. It is definitely hit or miss.

pkrone · August 23, 2016, 7:21pm

I went to a little brewery in Waco last month. Place was pretty busy, but their beer was just plain awful. The only 2 beers halfway drinkable were (surprise), sour and and IPA. Only because the style (sour or bitter) over-powered the crappy malt flavor all their other beers had. I felt bad for them. But didn’t muster the courage to talk to any of the brewers. (I don’t even know if they were around at the time.) I hope they get it figured out.