This is one of a series of books about Belgian beer that takes a look at style that seems to have survived from the past. Wild brews is a discussion of beers that are fermented with wild yeasts and with (gasp!) bacteria.

Most beer lovers have had an encounter with these beers: they are shocking, original and-to our tastes-most unbeerlike. They tend to be either distinctly sour or sweet and sour. Their effect in the mouth is thirst-quenching in the manner of a tart lemonade and they are often surprisingly aromatic.

Jeff Sparrow has provided an introduction to the history and brewing techniques of these beers that seems to grow out of a deep knowledge of the biochemistry involved and a major involvement in the Belgian brewing community. As a beer-lover, I find this book to be a revelation and it has led me back to some beers that I haven't tasted in years.
As a brewer, it scares the daylights out of me. Letting organisms like pediococcus and brettanomyces loose in your brewhouse or kitchen is risky. Outcomes with these organisms are always uncertain and aging can involve super-attenuation and unusual mouth-feel.
However.
The wild beer tradition is one of blending, and I can't help but think that a growler of my farmhouse ale could stand to be cut with a bottle of, let's say a lambic. Hmmm.


Lynn Hoffman, author of bang BANGBang Bang

I understood the basic styles of belgian beer before, but not the specific details of the styles, particularly the wild fermented beers.My one and only lambic was brewed in 2000.I drank the last bottle in 2007. A great beer with 7 years maturation.This book has spurred me on to brew more wild brews with greater control of targeted styles.Many thanks for a great book. Still have brew like a monk, farmhouse ales and extreme brewing to read. Just started Brew like a monk.Most informative and well written. Thanks,
Andy in Western Australia

As the title suggests, this book deals with the history and manufacturing techniques related to sponteneously fermented beers (lambic, gueze). It shows a very different perspective on what is "beer" from that of modern America where Budweiser dominates. Similar to "Farmhouse Ales", this book explores how culture and geography combined in the creation of these beers. It also deals with how modern attitudes are challenging the continuation of some of the methods. It seems odd that after 500 years someone would decide that a production method is "unsanitary".

This raises a great point. If the reader is like me, much of the methodology described in this book will seem like an unclean heresy compared to the dogma that new homebrewers are indoctrinated with. Which, to me, makes it fascinating. For the majority of American homebrewers this book will open a whole new world.

The book does a good job of describing the history, culture, biology, and methods that create "wild brews". Equipment and techniques are thoroughly described. In fact, this book inspired me to give barrel aging a try. It worked! At times the text does seem to wander and bog down (the reason for four stars instead of five). The author also falls into the "malt-extract beers are not as good as all grain" mantra. I see this a an annoying elitist attitude with little basis in fact. As Tess and Mark Szamatulski point out: "Award winning beers have been, and continue to be brewed with malt extract." Let each brewer choose the method that best suits them.

To sum up: The good points of this book far out weigh its negatives. This book provides a fascinating and inspiring look into a world of beer that barely exists for most North Americans. If you are a homebrewer who enjoys experimenting it will provide you with many avenues of exploration and hours of enjoyment.

This book was loaded with good historical pieces that I doubt could be found elsewhere. It is not a casual book however, only for those with a deep interest in Belgian brewing. The text tends to wind around a bit, but is well worth following.

I've never been in a Belbium brewery, but from what I hear, the health department in any city/state in the US would immediately shut them down. The very title of this book 'WildBrews' explains why. The traditional lambic beers of Belgium are produced using wild yeast. While you can find wild yeast everywhere, the ones you get here in the US produce truly bad beers. Each batch you produce will be different, sometimes totally different, but in my experience always bad.



The yeast that seem to abound in Belgium produce beers with a consistency that has lasted for generations. I don't know if it is true, but I have always suspected that clumps of yeast would gather together rather like cob webs or dust balls around the brewery and fall or be blown into the mix. I was rather surprised at the appearance of the breweries in this book as they seemed clean and sanitary.



Lambics have not been among the most popular beers made in this country. Only a few micro breweries produce lambics, the most popular around here is New Belgium from Ft. Collins, CO.



You can, of course make your own Lambics, the recipies start on page 255 of this book. But you don't do it with the natural yeast floating around the air in your garden. You buy Lambic yeast from a couple of companies.



One scary thought. Beer was invented some 5,000 years ago. Probably some grain got wet, sprouted, dried out, got wet again and some yeast got into the mix. Boy that must have been bad stuff. At that time it was all wild yeast. Personally I'm glad that we've had 5,000 years of yeast development.



This is an enjoyable book, almost a travelogue through Belgium beers.

I've never been in a Belbium brewery, but from what I hear, the health department in any city/state in the US would immediately shut them down. The very title of this book 'WildBrews' explains why. The traditional lambic beers of Belgium are produced using wild yeast. While you can find wild yeast everywhere, the ones you get here in the US produce truly bad beers. Each batch you produce will be different, sometimes totally different, but in my experience always bad.

The yeast that seem to abound in Belgium produce beers with a consistency that has lasted for generations. I don't know if it is true, but I have always suspected that clumps of yeast would gather together rather like cob webs or dust balls around the brewery and fall or be blown into the mix. I was rather surprised at the appearance of the breweries in this book as they seemed clean and sanitary.

Lambics have not been among the most popular beers made in this country. Only a few micro breweries produce lambics, the most popular around here is New Belgium from Ft. Collins, CO.

You can, of course make your own Lambics, the recipies start on page 255 of this book. But you don't do it with the natural yeast floating around the air in your garden. You buy Lambic yeast from a couple of companies.

One scary thought. Beer was invented some 5,000 years ago. Probably some grain got wet, sprouted, dried out, got wet again and some yeast got into the mix. Boy that must have been bad stuff. At that time it was all wild yeast. Personally I'm glad that we've had 5,000 years of yeast development.

This is an enjoyable book, almost a travelogue through Belgium beers.

I've never been in a Belbium brewery, but from what I hear, the health department in any city/state in the US would immediately shut them down. The very title of this book 'WildBrews' explains why. The traditional lambic beers of Belgium are produced using wild yeast. While you can find wild yeast everywhere, the ones you get here in the US produce truly bad beers. Each batch you produce will be different, sometimes totally different, but in my experience always bad.

The yeast that seem to abound in Belgium produce beers with a consistency that has lasted for generations. I don't know if it is true, but I have always suspected that clumps of yeast would gather together rather like cob webs or dust balls around the brewery and fall or be blown into the mix. I was rather surprised at the appearance of the breweries in this book as they seemed clean and sanitary.

Lambics have not been among the most popular beers made in this country. Only a few micro breweries produce lambics, the most popular around here is New Belgium from Ft. Collins, CO.

You can, of course make your own Lambics, the recipies start on page 255 of this book. But you don't do it with the natural yeast floating around the air in your garden. You buy Lambic yeast from a couple of companies.

One scary thought. Beer was invented some 5,000 years ago. Probably some grain got wet, sprouted, dried out, got wet again and some yeast got into the mix. Boy that must have been bad stuff. At that time it was all wild yeast. Personally I'm glad that we've had 5,000 years of yeast development.

This is an enjoyable book, almost a travelogue through Belgium beers.