Why do so few breweries make sours? What is it about the brewing process? Also, why are sours never sold in more economically-friendly formats? I've never seen a 4-pack of sour beers, but I feel like if that existed, it would be a regular purchase for me. Are they expensive to make? Difficult? What gives?
Not to exagerate too much, a conventional ale can be brewed and sold withing 30 days to 3 months. A conventional lager can be brewed and sold within 60 days to 6 months. A conventional sour can be brewed and sold within 1-3 years. How many businesses do you know who can spend 1-3 years making their product without any income?
Good point on the economics of it, @drtth. Is there an additional issue in breweries being afraid of contamination? Bringing wild yeasts, etc, into their brewery seems like it might be a scary thing. Wagner Valley Brewing here in the Finger Lakes has had off and on over carbonation issues, seemingly from cross-contamination issues (being that they're predominantly a winery). If that's a real issue, I can understand why some brewers (and especially some owners) would be reluctant.
Yes some are afraid of contamination as well. In the Russian River blog, Vinnie Cilurzo talks about how when he first started experimenting with Barrels and Brett, local wine makers, for example, refused to even set foot in his barrel room for fear of taking Brett back to their wineries. (In wine it’s a definite loser apparently.) Its also not unheard of for US breweries who use Brett in beers to have two completely separate brewing facilities, one for their regular ales/lagers and one for their Brett based beers. In Belgium, places like Cantillon do only spontaneously feremented beers so they need only one brwery to do what they do. But their gueuze still requires that about 1/3 of the lambic used sits in their barrel room for 3 years.
really? i buy them from time to time if you want a sour these are available easily in the format the OP was looking for
mY hometown brewry used to make a sour . Ithaca's Le Bleu. On this coming wednesday they will release Luminous Golden Wild ale another sour. I will be there. I will report back here. I don't knwo how much it's going to cost but let's find out anyway =)
