ABSTRACTTraditional sour beers are produced by spontaneous fermentations involving numerous yeast and bacterial species. One of the traits that separates sour beers from ales and lagers is the high concentration of organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid, which results in reduced pH and increased acidic taste. Several challenges complicate the production of sour beers through traditional methods. These include poor process control, lack of consistency in product quality, and lengthy fermentation times. This review summarizes the methods for traditional sour beer production with a focus on the use of lactobacilli to generate this beverage. In addition, the review describes the use of selected pure cultures of microorganisms with desirable properties in conjunction with careful application of processing steps. Together, this facilitates the production of sour beer with a higher level of process control and more rapid fermentation compared to traditional methods.
Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) from woody biomass were evaluated
as
a substrate for secondary lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation
in sour beer production. XOS were extracted from birch (Betula pubescens) and added to beer to promote the
growth of Lactobacillus brevis BSO
464. Growth, pH, XOS degradation, and metabolic products were monitored
throughout fermentations, and the final beer was evaluated sensorically.
XOS were utilized, metabolic compounds were produced (1800 mg/L lactic
acid), and pH was reduced from 4.1 to 3.6. Secondary fermentation
changed sensory properties significantly, and the resulting sour beer
was assessed as similar to a commercial reference in multiple attributes,
including acidic taste. Overall, secondary LAB fermentation induced
by wood-derived XOS provided a new approach to successfully produce
sour beer with reduced fermentation time (from 1–3 years to
4 weeks). The presented results demonstrate how hemicellulosic biomass
can be valorized for beverage production and to obtain sour beer with
improved process control.
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