The word “spontaneous” conjures up almost romantic thoughts about beer, hearkening back to the days when the prayer to Ninkasi was first written and then recited regularly. This natural occurrence plucks the good stuff out of the air, inoculates the sweet liquid that is gathered in a pool, and then Poof! Beer!
Even though brewers have unlocked much of the science behind this magic, there’s still a reverence for tradition and respect for the brewers, especially those in Belgium who have been using nature to create their liquid art. Still, here in the United States, where centuries of brewing tradition were turned on their head over the course of a few short decades, there’s been a shift on how brewers approach spontaneous fermentation and what its future might be.
Back to the Future
To see where the road might be headed, look to New Jersey where James Priest is making beers at The Referend Bier Blendery in the state’s more bucolic countryside. Working with local ingredients (typically raw wheat and floor-malted barley) and brewing wort at various breweries in his geographical area, he brews turbid mashes and cools each batch overnight in a portable coolship before toting it back to his barrelhouse.