Scientific Publications
A listing of peer reviewed scientific publications and non-peer reviewed scientific studies that focus on subject material that is relevant to sour brewing. Some good journals to keep an eye on for new publications about sour and funky beers include Cerevisia, The Journal of the Institute of Brewing, The International Journal of Food Microbiology, and Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Some of the papers are freely accessible and others require journal subscriptions for access.
Brettanomyces
Much of the scientific research done to date on Brettanomyces approaches the yeast from the view point of wine production and treating the yeast as a spoilage organism. These papers can still be useful to brewers interested in using Brett while recognizing the possible preconceptions, motivations, and biases that this viewpoint might contribute. Other groups, notably those led by a couple of Belgian researchers as well as Chad Yakobson's masters work, have studied Brett from the viewpoint of a desired component in certain beer fermentations.
Other Yeast/Bacteria
Title | Authors | Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|
Social wasps are a Saccharomyces mating nest | Irene Stefaninia, Leonardo Dapporto, Luisa Berná, Mario Polsinelli, Stefano Turillazzid, and Duccio Cavalieria | 2015 | Found that S. cerevisiae not only breeds inside the guts of wasps that eat grapes, but also breeds with other species of yeast to create hybrids that survive better in the guts of the wasps. |
Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a nomadic yeast with no niche? | Matthew R. Goddard, and Duncan Greig | 2015 | Proposes new hypothesis that S. cerevisiae is a generalized and nomadic microbe rather than a fruit-loving microbe based on the "neutral theory of ecology". Open access. |
Regional microbial signatures positively correlate with differential wine phenotypes: evidence for a microbial aspect to terroir | Knight, Sarah and Klaere, Steffen and Fedrizzi, Bruno and Goddard, Matthew | 2015 | Open access. This is the first quantitative demonstration of a microbial component of terroir. |
Alcohol-brewing properties of acid- and bile-tolerant yeasts co-cultured with lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional handmade domestic dairy products from Inner Mongolia | Takashi Kuda Sarengaole, Hajime Takahashi, Bon Kimura | 2015 | Not open access. |
Pyrosequencing reveals regional differences in fruit-associated fungal communities | Michael W. Taylor, Peter Tsai, Nicole Anfang, Howard A. Ross, and Matthew R. Goddard | 2015 | Open access. Showed that yeast diversity on wine grapes differs by region; Saccharomyces made up only 0.00005% of the total readings. |
Microbial biogeography of wine grapes is conditioned by cultivar, vintage, and climate | Bokulich NA, Thorngate JH, Richardson PM, Mills DA. | 2014 | Suggests link between microbial terroir and vineyard environmental conditions. |
Monitoring Seasonal Changes in Winery-Resident Microbiota | Nicholas A. Bokulich, Moe Ohta, Paul M. Richardson, David A. Mills | 2013 | |
Geographic delineations of yeast communities and populations associated with vines and wines in New Zealand | Velimir Gayevskiy and Matthew R Goddard | 2012 | Study leading up to the 2015 Goddard study above focusing on regional genetic differences in S. cerevisae. |
Biotechnological potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts isolated during spontaneous fermentations of Malvar (Vitis vinifera cv. L.) | Cordero-Bueso, Esteve Zarzoso, Cabellos, Gil-Díaz | 2012 | Open access. Records secondary metabolites produced by various wild yeasts in mono-culture fermentations of wine must. |
Studies on growth and metabolism of Oenococcus oeni on sugars and sugar mixtures | D.-S. Zhang and R.W. Lovitt | 2005 |
Lactic Acid Bacteria
Lambic, Spontaneous Fermentation, and other Mixed Fermentation beers
Historical
These studies focus on historical beer analysis.
Title | Authors | Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|
Brettanomyces – hero or villain? | Ron Pattenson, Shut Up About Barclay Perkins | 2015, May | Ron's analysis of a study on Brettanomyces beers in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 67, Issue 3, May-June 1961. |
Analysis of Beers from an 1840s’ Shipwreck | John Londesborough, Michael Dresel, Brian Gibson, Riikka Juvonen, Ulla Holopainen, Atte Mikkelson, Tuulikki Seppänen-Laakso, Kaarina Viljanen, Hannele Virtanen, Arvi Wilpola, Thomas Hofmann, and Annika Wilhelmson | 2015, Feb | Chemical analysis of historical beers found to have bacteria in them. Press conference that says 4 live species of Lactobacillus were found. Open access. |
Misc Topics
Title | Authors | Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|
The Microbiology of Malting and Brewing | Nicholas A. Bokulicha and Charles W. Bamforth | 2013, June | Open access. |
Use of beta-glucosidase activity for flavour enhancement in specialty beers | Luk Daenen | 2012 (presentation) | Open access. |
Effects of pH Adjustment and Sodium Ions on Sour Taste Intensity of Organic Acids | E.R.D. Neta, S.D. Johanningsmeier, M.A.Drake | 2009 | Open access. |
Release of hydroxycinnamic acids and formation of flavour-active volatile phenols during the beer production process | Nele Vanbeneden | 2007 | PhD thesis. Open access. Study on 4VG/4VP, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, etc. English sections available. |
Ferulic acid release and 4-vinylguaiacol formation during brewing and fermentation: indications for feruloyl esterase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. | Coghe S, Benoot K, Delvaux F, Vanderhaegen B, Delvaux FR. | 2004 | Not open access. Studied production of ferulic acid and 4VG production in barley and wheat based beers, fermented with S. cerevisiae. |
Other resources
These studies, presentations, or discussions aren't peer reviewed but they do contain useful info for brewing sour and funky beers.
Title | Authors | Date | Note |
---|---|---|---|
Measurement of Oxygen Transfer Rates for Carboy Closures and Air Locks | Gibbs | 2011, November 10 | Study performed by Better Bottle. Open access. |
How to Make Sour Ale: an inquiry | Apte | 2004 | contains Apte's charts for oxygen permeability and other notable references. Open access. |
Pickled beer: Concepts of Sour Ale | Raj Apte | 2004 | A presentation about sour beer. Open access. |
Lactic Acid Beverages: sour beer, (milk), & soda | Raj Apte | A presentation about sour beer and other lactic fermentations. | |
Horse of a Different Color | Nate Sampson, Michael Tonsmeire, Steve Gale, Tomme Arthur, Al Buck, Cisco ?, Sean Paxton | Round table tasting and discussion of brett primary beers. The author of the transcript is not listed. Open access. | |
Methods of Creating and Maintaining 'Wild' House Cultures | Kyle Kohlmorgan | 2013 | Presentation at NHC 2013. Notes available here. Audio available from the AHA website past presentations section (must be an AHA member for access). |
The Mystery of Lambic Beer | Jacques De Keersmaecker | 1996 | Article in Scientific American. Open access. |