Funktional Fruit Sour All Grain Beer Recipe Kit Northern Brewer

Choose your fruit adventure!

Forget triple cherries… You just hit the homebrew jackpot with this fruity, funky kettle-soured ale. Prepare your palate for flavors both copious and complex — from tart and sour to subtle and sweet, thanks to the late addition of your favorite pick-your-own fruit puree!

Funktional Fruit Sour starts out as a Belgian-style wheat, but things get funky pretty darn quick. Using unique kettle souring techniques, this recipe develops its tart, sour character in a few days, instead of months or years. All without the risk of contaminating any other batches you’ve got going on. 

The Belgian yeast brings out the ale’s fruity flavors while complementing the tart, refreshing finish. Want to go classic? Then we recommend the Raspberry, Blackberry and Apricot purees for a sour session ale with a remarkable balance of tart, refreshing fruitiness. Want to go rogue? That’s cool, too. You can’t go wrong with our pick-your-own fruit options. Use our Cherry or Peach purees to create something a bit different, or add a tropical twist to this sour by adding Mango or Passionfruit purees. 

Whatever option you choose, you’ll end up with a sessionable, summery crowd pleaser that pairs well with anything under the sun.

Brewing Notes:

• Style: Belgian-Style Wheat Beer/Fruit Beer
• Fermentation Range: 64 – 74F
• OG: 1.046
• SRM: 4.0
• IBUs: 9
• ABV: 4.5%

Tasting Notes:

• Aroma: Soft malt tones underlie a complex yeast-driven matrix of spicy phenolics and fruity esters, with up-front aromas of the chosen fruit puree and an unmistakable tartness.
• Appearance: The base beer is a deep straw color with bright white head and a slight haze. The added fruit puree will create a vibrant color ranging from peach-yellow to red-pink to nearly purple depending on the specific fruit used.
• Flavor:  Low to moderate bready maltiness with very low bitterness. Fruit puree is the star of the show in perfect synergy with the mild to medium-high tart sourness provided by the lactobacillus.
• Mouthfeel: Light bodied, with a smooth finish after the swallow and includes a moderate to firm tart bite on the back and sides of the tongue. 
• Overall Impression: An incredibly easy drinking beer popping with Belgian yeast notes, deep fruit flavors and a satisfying and thirst-quenching tart finish. 

Recipe kit includes Omega Yeast Lactobacillus Blend

• Read our article on How to Kettle Sour Beer 

Looking for the Extract Version?

Brewmaster Brad’s Thoughts:

“Ever since I started playing around with kettle souring, I was hooked. I’ve always loved sour beers, but I’ve been too paranoid about cross-contamination with my other Saccharomyces based fermentations, and frankly, I often lack the patience to let a traditional sour do its thing. Since kettle souring is quick, easy and relatively risk-free, I have embarked on a journey of making these simple, yet satisfying beers. Once I tried a specific commercial beer made in this fashion, I absolutely could not get it out of my head. Better yet, it was made with fruit. I had to try to make it myself, and this recipe is the result of those efforts. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly simple recipe – the wheat and pilsner malt provide a clean malt base for the 1-2-3 punch of Belgian ale yeast, lactobacillus, and your choice of fruit. The final product is certainly far more than a mere sum of its parts.“