Souring a beer can feel like a huge undertaking
or at least it did for me. Having never soured a beer on purpose before, I was worried about creating all sorts of weird and unwated flavors. After all, I’ve spent the last 5 years trying to make the cleanest beers I can and this one was going to be “infected”.
What kind of bacteria do I want to use? What should I do to protect my cold-side equipment? What new off-flavors should I be aware of?
These kinds of questions had me afraid to take the leap so when I was offered a spot to make beer for a dinner pairing, I off-course blurted out “Berliner Weisse” and allowed the panic to set in slowly.
I had never made a sour beer before and here I was suggesting it to be served up to others.
This type of behavior is actually very common in my daily life. I’ve never let the prospect of failing publicly stop me from trying something, although it stings when something doesn’t go well.
Therefore, I needed help!
I solicited Facebook for an authority I could get to walk me through a simple kettle sour procedure and Drew Hardin popped up at the top of the list. I sat down with him and had a great evening at his place just minutes away from CBW.
Listen in, and if you happen to attend a beer dinner soon, cross your fingers!
About the guest: Drew Hardin
“I’m [31], was born in Atlanta GA and moved to Buffalo when I was 4. Been here ever since. Lived on the west side of Buffalo for over ten years. I’m a Scorpio, ha. I’ve been floating around the local beer and food scene for about 8 years trying to find my place. I started Prepaired beer and food in late 2011 and had my first event in 2012. I’ve been studying the art of homebrewing for 5-6 years. Reading my face off, studying yeast, growing my own hops, and malting my own grain on a small scale. I started all grain brewing about 3-4 years ago, joined a
This is a snippet of Dan Conley’s post about Drew over at CommunityBeerWorks.com. Please follow the link to read the full article there and show Dan and CBW some love.
http://www.communitybeerworks.com/2014/03/profiles-in-cbw-drew-hardin/
Want John’s water spreadsheets with the Buffalo numbers filled in?
You can find the empty spreadsheets at his website HowtoBrew.com, or sign up for the mailing list on the right and I’ll email you the version with our numbers already plugged in, and suggested adjustments for Burton on Trent and Vienna water profiles.
