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For the traditional '''Solera''' process used in sherry, vinegar, and brandy production, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solera ''see the Wikipedia article on Solera'']. In beer, particularly sour beer, a single stage Solera process has been discovered to be a reliable and easy way to continuously make sour beer.
The process of using a ''solera'' method in sour beer brewing is traditionally has become the term used for filling a single fermenter with a sour beer, and every 6-12 months taking one third or half (and sometimes more than one half) of the beer out for packaging. That volume is then replaced with new beer or wort. This method provides the brewer with an "everlasting" sour beer that takes less time to age because of the blended components. Over time the beer can continue to develop and change, and the brewer has the option of trying to steer the beer by altering the recipe for the wort or beer used to refill the ''solera''. As a rule of thumb, the larger the fermenter the better. This will allow for larger seasonal pulls from the ''solera'', thus producing more beer. The term could also be applied to a multi-vessel solera in beer, which has been argued is a more accurate use of the term, although multi-vessel solera systems in sour beer production are less common due to the potential for over exposure to oxygen.
The barrel can be refilled with either fermented beer or wort. Choosing to refill with wort could eventually lead to a lot of trub build up, however, there might not be any negative flavor effects from doing so. Wort will ferment in the barrel and might cause a blow off unless there is adequate headspace (in which case the brewer should top up the barrel after the wort ferments). Choosing to refill with beer that is first fermented with brewers yeast or with a mixed culture might be more practical for avoiding blow off issues and for group barrel projects for homebrewers because individual brewers can brew the refill beer at any time, and then meet to refill the barrel. See [[Solera#Yeast_Autolysis|Yeast Autolysis]] below.