Catharina Sour Water Profile and Recipe

Catharina Sour is a relatively new craft beer style originating in Brazil, designed to be a bright, refreshing, and highly fruited kettle-soured ale. It shares similarities with Berliner Weisse but with more body, slightly higher alcohol (~4.5–5.5% ABV), and a bold fruit-forward character—often featuring tropical fruits like passion fruit, guava, mango, or pineapple. It’s intentionally tart but not mouth-puckering, and the fruit is meant to be prominent but well-integrated. Catharina Sour has quickly gained popularity in Latin America and among sour beer lovers for its balance of acidity, fruitiness, and sessionability.

Water chemistry for a Catharina Sour should emphasize smooth acidity, fruit brightness, and a soft mouthfeel. Target a water profile with moderate chloride (100–150 ppm) to enhance body and fruit perception, and keep sulfate low (<50 ppm) to avoid accentuating tartness too harshly. Calcium should be around 50–75 ppm for yeast and enzymatic support. You can allow sodium up to 50–75 ppm, especially if your fruit additions are acidic, to help round out flavor perception. Keep your mash pH low (~5.2), and kettle pH post-souring in the 3.3–3.6 range, which is ideal for this style's refreshing tartness.

Simple Catharina Sour Recipe (5-Gallon Batch):

  • Grain Bill:

    • 5 lb Pilsner Malt

    • 3 lb Wheat Malt

    • 0.5 lb Flaked Oats (optional for body)

  • Water Profile Target:

    • Calcium: 60 ppm

    • Chloride: 130 ppm

    • Sulfate: 30 ppm

    • Sodium: ~60 ppm

    • Magnesium: ~5 ppm

    • pH: mash at 5.2, post-sour around 3.4

  • Kettle Souring (Optional): After mash and lauter, boil briefly (5–10 min to sanitize), cool to ~95–100°F, pre-acidify to pH 4.5, pitch Lactobacillus (e.g., Lacto Plantarum), and hold warm 24–36 hours until pH ~3.4. Then boil and proceed.

  • Boil Additions (light):

    • 0.25 oz Hallertau or Saaz @ 60 min (8–10 IBU total)

  • Fruit Addition (Post-Fermentation):

    • 3–5 lb fruit puree (e.g., passion fruit, guava, mango), added after primary fermentation

  • Yeast: SafAle US-05 (clean, neutral), or K-97 for a touch of ester character and haze

  • OG: ~1.046 | FG: ~1.008 | ABV: ~5% | IBU: ~8

Ferment at 64–68°F with US-05 or slightly cooler with K-97. Add fruit after fermentation finishes, then let it rest for a few days before packaging. Kegging is ideal to preserve freshness, but bottling is also fine—just ensure fermentation is complete to avoid over-carbonation, especially with fruit sugars.

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