Using wild yeast and bacteria seems daunting and expensive at first, but once you learn a few tricks, you’ll have no trouble making sour beer at home.
Wild yeast and bacteria are living creatures, which means you can kill them. High temperatures are your friend. You don’t have to have a second set of equipment, just use high temperature sterilization to make sure the equipment is sterile before switching from sour to clear beer. Silicone tubing, rubber stoppers, stainless steel can all be boiled. High-temperature sterilization for fermentation containers should be avoided because the plastic can melt and the glass can crack. So choose a separate plastic fermentation tank for sour beer and keep it clean – just like all other fermenters. You have to remember that wild yeast and bacteria are always and everywhere, so it’s not a big problem. You don’t use the same knife to cut raw meat and then – without washing it – raw vegetables. The same basic principles of hygiene apply to brewing. Don’t be afraid of dogma. Keep it clean and have fun.