Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Our series of fruited American Sour Ales come from a love of fresh fruit flavors combined with mouth-watering acidity. We take the same golden sour base beer and referment it with different fruit combinations.

Heat 5.5 gallons (21 L) of strike water to ~166°F (74°C). Mash in grains (pilsner, wheat, flaked oats, and light crystal) and hold at 150°F (65.5°C) for 60 minutes. Stir gently to fully incorporate and check mash pH — target 5.2–5.4. If pH is above target, add lactic acid or use acidulated malt gradually to reach range.

Mash

Raise mash temperature to 168–170°F (76–77°C) for mash out for 10 minutes. Sparge with enough water to collect approximately 6.5–6.75 gallons (24.6–25.6 L) of wort in your boil kettle.

Mash Out & Sparge

Bring collected wort to a gentle boil. Add 0.5 oz of Saaz or Hallertau at 60 minutes for very low bittering (target 1–2 IBUs). Add Irish moss or whirlfloc with 10 minutes left if using. Add the late 0.25 oz hop addition at 5 minutes for a light herbal note. Total boil time: 60 minutes.

Boil

After the boil, chill the wort quickly to ~110°F (43°C) for kettle souring or to pitching temperature if using mixed-culture in primary. If kettle-souring, cool to 110°F as described below under souring.

Cool

Sanitize fermenter and all equipment. If kettle-souring, transfer wort to sanitized kettle and hold at ~110°F (43°C). If you plan to sour in the fermenter, cool to 100°F (38°C) or follow your chosen process for mixed fermentation.

Sanitize & Prepare

In the sanitized kettle, oxygenate wort lightly (stir but do not aerate vigorously). Pitch Lactobacillus culture (1 tsp or manufacturer recommended dose) and maintain 100–115°F (38–46°C), ideally around 110°F (43°C). Hold at this temperature and monitor pH. Within 24–48 hours, target pH 3.3–3.6 for a bright, tart profile. Taste frequently — stop souring when desired acidity is reached.

Kettle Souring

If kettle-souring, after reaching desired pH, bring wort back to a vigorous boil for 10–15 minutes to kill the lactobacillus and drive off DMS and volatiles. This is also the time to add any very late hops if desired. Then chill wort quickly to yeast pitching temperature (65–70°F / 18–21°C).

Post-sour Boil (optional)

Transfer cooled wort to the sanitized fermenter and pitch a neutral ale yeast (US-05 or similar). Ferment at 65–70°F (18–21°C) until primary fermentation is complete (typically 5–10 days). Allow beer to condition for an additional 5–7 days to clean up flavors and let yeast finish.

Pitch Yeast & Ferment

Choose fresh ripe fruit (peach, or peach + raspberry, etc.). Sanitize workspace. Wash fruit thoroughly, pit as needed, and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. For a 5 gallon batch use about 8 lbs of fresh fruit. If desired, heat the puree briefly to 160°F (71°C) for 5–10 minutes to pasteurize then cool quickly, or add 1 crushed Campden tablet per ~3–4 lbs of fruit (diluted and held 24 hours) to reduce wild microbes. If using Campden, wait 24 hours before adding to beer to allow sulfites to dissipate.

Prepare Fruit

When primary fermentation is complete, cold crash the beer to ~35–40°F (2–4°C) for 24–48 hours to drop yeast and trub. Rack beer to a sanitized secondary fermenter (or to a bright tank) leaving most lees behind.

Cold Crash & Transfer

Add the prepared fruit puree (8 lbs) directly to the secondary fermenter. If using additional fermentable sugar to boost refermentation and achieve slight carbonation or to lighten body, add 5 oz of corn sugar dissolved in a small amount of boiling water and cooled before adding. Gently mix to homogenize fruit and beer, minimizing aeration. Seal fermenter with airlock.

Add Fruit

Allow the beer to referment on fruit at 65–70°F (18–21°C) for 7–14 days, tasting periodically. The fruit will impart aroma and flavor and active fermentation should subside within a week or two. For brighter fruit presence, transfer off fruit after 7–10 days; for more integrated fruit flavor, leave up to 2–3 weeks.

Secondary Fermentation & Conditioning

If desired, cold condition the beer for an extra 3–7 days to help clear. Use fining agents if required, following manufacturer instructions. If you used Campden tablets earlier, ensure flavor has dissipated before packaging.

Stabilize & Clarify (optional)

For bottling: dissolve 4 oz priming sugar in 12 oz (350 ml) boiling water, cool, and gently mix with beer in bottling bucket avoiding oxygen pickup. Bottle and cap. Condition at 68–72°F (20–22°C) for 2 weeks. For kegging: force carbonate to desired volumes of CO2 (typically 2.2–2.8 volumes for fruited sours) or keg with low-level priming sugar if desired.

Priming & Bottle or Keg

Chill and serve cold (40–45°F / 4–7°C) in a stemmed glass. Expect vibrant fruit aroma, bright acidity, and a dry finish. Enjoy fresh but also keep an eye on evolution — fruited sours can change character over months.

Serve

Pilsner malt

Wheat malt

Flaked oats

Light crystal (20L) or Vienna (optional)

Water

Brewing salts (CaCl2 and/or gypsum)

Lactic acid (50% solution) or acidulated malt (to adjust mash pH)

Irish moss or whirlfloc (optional for clarity)

Saaz or Hallertau hops (1.0 - 2.0% IBUs target)

Hop additions (late / aroma)

Kettle souring culture (Lactobacillus plantarum or blend)

Ale yeast (neutral/stable, e.g., US-05 or Chico-like)

Pureed fresh peaches (or chosen fruit combo: peach + raspberry, mango, strawberry, etc.)

Sugars for refermentation (corn sugar / dextrose)

Campden tablet (optional, to sanitize fruit)

Priming sugar (for bottling, adjust to desired carbonation)

Sanitizer (no-rinse)

Rotating: Edmund Oast Brewing Co. Charleston, SC

Make Rotating: Edmund Oast Brewing Co. Charleston, SC Recipe in just 16h . Our series of fruited American Sour Ales come from a love of fresh fruit flavors combined with mouth-watering acidity. We take the same golden sour base beer and referment it with different fruit combinations.

Rotating: Edmund Oast Brewing Co. Charleston, SC

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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