Changes

Scientific research in Belgium and the US has shown a regular general pattern to the microbial succession of spontaneous fermentation beer. <ref name="Van Oevelen et al., 1977">[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2050-0416.1977.tb03825.x/abstract/ Van Oevelen et al., 1977]</ref> <ref name="Bokulic et al., 2012" /> <refname="Spitaels et al., 2014">[http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0095384#pone-0095384-g004/ Spitaels et al., 2014]</ref> <ref name="Spitaels et al., 2015" />. This as been illustrated well by Raj Apte <ref>[http://www2.parc.com/emdl/members/apte/slides_nchf.pdf/ Raj Apte Concepts of sour Beer, 2004]</ref>. The first stage, which lasts for approximately 1 month <ref name="Van Oevelen et al., 1977" /> <ref name="Martens et al., 1992">[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2050-0416.1992.tb01126.x/abstract/ Martens et al., 1992]</ref>, is dominated by ''enterobacteria''. Though ''enterobacteria'' contribute little in terms of gravity drop over the first month of fermentation, they may contribute aroma and flavor compounds and precursors during the initial stages of spontaneous fermentation <ref name="Martens et al., 1992" />. Acidifying the wort to pH = 4 before cooling and exposing to ambient microbes in a coolship can eliminate the ''enterobacteria'' phase of spontaneous fermentation <ref name="Spitaels et al., 2015" />.

The ''Saccharomyces'' dominated stage of fermentation is followed by prolonged and gradual acid and flavor development accompanied by the final points of attenuation. In some descriptions this is split into an "acidification phase" which is dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), primarily ''Pediococcus'', and a bacterially-dominated stage "maturation phase" driven by ''Brettanomyces'' <ref name="Van Oevelen et al., 1977" />. The main bacteria present here are lactic acid bacteria, particularly Other sources describe these as one extended maturation phase with acidification from ''Pediococcus damnosus''and ''Brettanomyces'' growth occurring simultaneously <ref name="Spitaels et al., 2015" /> <ref name="Bokulic et al., 2012" /> <ref name="Spitaels et al., 2014" />.  Some ''Pediococcus'' strains are known to produce exopolysaccarides, resulting in "sick" or "ropey" - not all producers get this-- include (<ref name="Spontaneous Sour Hour" /> maybe ~1:10 min in?)