Imagine a process where shower-sour beer could be brewed predictably and consistently in just 16 hours, preserving the crisp, refreshing flavors of modern sour beers. Chr. Hansen brings 145 years of fermentation experience to the sour beer space with its introduction of Harvest LB-1, the company’s addition to the SmartBev line. Harvest LB-1 is a freeze-dried, direct inoculation culture of Lactobacillus plantarum from Spanish grape must, designed to optimize production while providing producers with excellent results with every brew.
Sour beer can trace its origins back to brewing traditional lambic, kriek and berliner weiss style beers in Belgium and Germany. Modern sisters, however, offer a new take on this long-standing drink, offering a lighter taste, fruity notes thanks to the addition of ingredients like raspberry, yuzu, elderflower or combination infusions. These characteristics make tart beers attractive options for more casual occasions, for consumers who may not appreciate the taste of conventional beers (preferring the crunchy and fruity taste of wine or cocktails), and for those who wish. moderate their alcohol consumption by looking for a drink that is low in alcohol.
In recent years, the sour beer category has seen significant growth, with sales up 40% in 2019 and 43% the year before. Producers interested in increasing their production of these beers – or even expanding their consumer base by tapping into this market for the first time – are increasingly looking to improve consistency and quality of results while preserving the unique and characteristic flavors. that distinguish sour beer. .
Harvest LB-1 Brings a New Consistency to Sour Beer Making
Traditional sourcing is a production method that can be difficult to control, leading to inconsistent results, increased risk of wasted batches, and difficulty in scalability. With the direct co-inoculation and co-inoculation of Harvest LB-1, brewing sour shower beer becomes simpler and more predictable, allowing producers to avoid the unpleasant flavors that can occur during uncontrolled fermentations and more. slow. In just 16 hours, growers can reliably produce clean, refreshing flavors from a culture that ensures transparency of the strain’s origin, histamine-free infusion, and a two-year shelf life in between. purchase and use for better planning and flexibility.
When kettle sourcing with Harvest LB-1, the fermentation process starts almost immediately due to the high cell count and the purity of the culture. Chr. Hansen developed Harvest LB-1 to produce clean, crunchy flavors and aromas. Carefully selected Lactobacilli strain provides rapid and safe acidification.
Some feedback
Already, the results of Harvest LB-1 speak for themselves. Customers report that the incorporation of Chr. Hansen’s premium sour beer culture in their recipes makes production easier and ensures consistency between the beers they need to increase production.
“Our favorite attribute is that [Harvest LB-1 works very quickly] and gives us a consistent and clean flavor profile, ”says Ryan Jackle, Head Brewer at US-based Brewing the Wise Man in North Carolina, while being “very easy to use.”
Will Brown, head brewer of Colonial Brewery Company in Melbourne, Australia, also reports that after facing production speed challenges and consistency issues for kettle sours, the implementation of Harvest LB-1 [and BACTIV-AID™] gave him “complete confidence in these products for [help us] meet our specifications in a short time while remaining cost effective.
“While we have built our reputation on perfecting fermentation processes primarily in the dairy industry, we are delighted to enter categories that could also benefit from our expertise,” says Nathalia Edwards, Chr. Hansen Business Development Director in Fermented Beverages.
“The sour beer space is growing and this is a great opportunity for breweries to reach new consumers who don’t see themselves as beer drinkers. Consumers are more interested in drinks that offer refreshing, tangy and complex flavors, ”continues Edwards. “Ideal for warmer weather and lighter occasions, these drinks are influenced by classic European beers but offer a cool experience, along with the low sugar and alcohol content that our increasingly caring consumer base seeks. health.”
To learn more about Harvest LB-1, visit www.GusmerBeer.com. Gusmer Enterprises is the exclusive North American distributor of Chr. Hansen.
