Below you’ll find a constantly updating list of useful articles, books, and blog posts for brewing sour and funky beers. This page is intended to serve as a resource for members of Funk & Sour Brewers of NZ, a Facebook group that acts as an educational forum for those of us undertaking mixed and alternative fermentations in New Zealand.
Brettanomyces
All About Brett (Michael Tonsmeire) – a great introductory article that covers both what Brett is and how to use it.
Lactobacillus
Brewing with Lactobacillus – BYO free article
Spontaneous Fermentation/Yeast Capture
Bootleg Biology
– This “open-source yeast (and wild bugs) project” sports an excellent guide to yeast capture, isolation, and banking – see the ‘DIYeast’ section of the website.
Sui Generis Brewing
– Bryan Heit is a long-time yeast wrangler, who details his process beautifully on his blog. He also has a number of helpful videos covering how to start your own yeast lab.
Sour Beers
Hoppy Sour Beers (Michael Tonsmeire) – BYO free article
Kettle Souring
Overnight Acidification (BYO)
– A practical introduction by Michael Tonsmeire.
Kettle Souring – BYO digital subscription required
Blogs
The Mad Fermentationist
– Michael Tonsmeire’s blog is an absolute treasure trove of all things brewing, with a heavy focus on mixed and alternative fermentations. He now runs Sapwood Cellars with Scott Janish, the hop-head responsible for ScottJanish.com, another excellent blog. Tonsmeire’s book American Sour Beers (linked below) collates the best of his posts into an eminently readable guide to brewing sours.
Ales of the Riverwards
– A wealth of sour and funky recipes and tips on process.
Embrace the Funk
– Dedicated to ‘Sour, Funky, and Wild Beer’, this blog is an obvious place to start if looking to start alternative fermentations at home.
Books
American Sour Beers – Michael Tonsmeire
– The entirety of this book is relevant and skillfully written.
Wild Brews – Jeff Sparrow
– As above. A seminal tome.
Farmhouse Ales – Phil Markowski
– Belgian Farmhouse Ales were once sour – intentionally or otherwise. Although this book does not specifically cover alternative microbes, it does provide a wonderful treatise on the saison style, with references to the historical role of mixed fermentation.
Brewing with Wheat – Stan Hieronymus
– Relevant primarily for its sections on Berliner Weisse and Gose.
Brew Like a Monk – Stan Hieronymus
– Useful for its segment on Orval, though overall an excellent read.
Relevant Brülosophy exBEERiments
Mixed Fermentation: Combined vs Staggered Microbe Pitch
Brü It Yourself | Barrel Fermented Sour Ale
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