Low IBU or No IBU for Sour Beer

[coypoo]

Planning my first batch of sour beer (10 gal) that will be split with a couple of different yeast's from Yeast Bank (Brussels Brett blend and Amalgamation) after a quick hit with lacto and then a Sacc strain. My question is, I see a lot of recipes where some brewers do low amounts of IBUs (generally < 10) and some that use no hops at all. Is there any benefit to putting a few IBUs in there? Or is it fine to just skip the hops all together?

 

[CA_Mouse]

Most Lacto strains are IBU intolerant. That is why traditional sour beers are brewed with aged hops. It is microbial, so it helps with preservation and to assist with keeping bad organisms from taking hold. You can always dry hop after primary fermentation is complete and it has reached the desired sourness.

 

[coypoo]

So is there any advantage to 3 IBUs vs 0 IBUs? I dont want to inhibit lacto very much, but if the minimal IBUs are protective against other microbes then it may be worth it to throw 0.25 oz's of a low alpha acid hop in the kettle

 

[oli-aus]

You definitely want some ibus in there, especially if your not killing the lacto like in a sour mash beer.
I had the exact same thoughts as you with two of my first sour beers. They turned far too sour and are undrinkable on their own.
(Great for blending with other beers though.)

 

[oli-aus]

Sorry you definitely want hops in there, ibus aren't essential if you can use aged hops.

 

[specharka]

You definitely want some hops in a sour beer, even if they are minimal. Beyond providing sensible bittering, hops also contain anti microbial compounds which prevent undesirable microbes (e.g. Enterobacter and Clostridium sp.) from gaining a foothold and ruining a batch.

If you are looking to produce a quick sour with LAB, you will want to keep the IBU level very low (~5 IBU) as most strains of Lactobacili are hop intolerant. However, this is not especially important for mixed fermentation when Pediococcus is involved, as the long fermentation period will reduce the effective bitterness (<20 IBU) and increase the lactic acid production over time.

The real reason that bittering is reduced for sour beer production is that the typical low terminal gravity accentuates the perception of hop bitterness. In that sense it is the lack of balance between malty sweetness and hoppy bittering that drives sour beer brewers to reduce hopping rates. I have seen recipes for Oud Bruins which call for up to 25 IBU, and their success is hinged upon this notion.

 

[coypoo]

Yeah, I dont want any bitterness or any hop flavors in mine, and since Im doing the 3-step method found on the sour beer blog (lacto for ~12 hours to give a little head start, then Sacc, followed by Brett blends, no pedio this time) I guess I'll shoot for about 3-5 IBUs. I dont have any aged hops, so I'll do a small of the lowest alpha-acid hops I have on hand

Thanks for the help

 

[CA_Mouse]

I guess I'll shoot for about 3-5 IBUs. I dont have any aged hops, so I'll do a small of the lowest alpha-acid hops I have on hand

Thanks for the help

This is your best option outside of aged hops. My first three mixed fermentations included Pediococcus but I still kept the IBUs to under 4.

 

[Agate]

I don't use any hops in my quick sour beers. All they do is inhibit the lacto, which is kind of counter-productive in this kind of beer. Give it a good boil to kill everything, pitch your lacto, and then your yeast once it sours. Shouldn't take more than a day or two. But there really isn't much point to the hops as long as your wort is sanitary.

 

[dmtaylor]

It depends if you want the tartness to really knock your socks off or not. For maximum tartness, zero IBUs is best. If you want a little more control and preservative qualities from hops, then go ahead and use some. It will still be tart but perhaps not as tart as it could have been.