As more and more brewers strive to create wheat beers with a specific range of nuanced flavours, Fermentis is launching a POF+ yeast ideal for brewing the typical German styles in this category. SafAle W-68™, a world-renowned German strain, is selected for brewing wheat beers with moderate attenuation, medium phenolic flavours and fruity estery notes. It enhances the distinctive characteristics of popular German White styles while preserving their essence. This results in wheat beers with the distinct aroma, flavour, body and foam retention most desired in German-style wheat beers.

SafAle W-68™ joins SafAle™ WB-06 in the Fermentis portfolio to give brewers more choices in creating specific styles of wheat beers. Brewers are encouraged to experiment with both yeast strains to create exceptional German, Belgian, or other wheat beer styles. Indeed, those strains develop distinct balanced flavours and related beer characteristics; also depending on recipe and processing parameters.   

Fermentis is dedicated to providing brewers with reliable, easy-to-use tools for creating delicious, flavourful beers. And because SafAle W-68™ is an E2U™ certified product, brewers can pitch the yeast directly into the wort, or choose to rehydrate it – enjoying the same results either way. It’s one more way Fermentis supports the creativity and production of people who are passionate about the beers they brew.

Fermentis, a company that creates fermentation solutions for brewers, winemakers and all producers of fermented beverages, is a business unit of Lesaffre Group, a global key player in yeast and all its applications for over 170 years. All fermentation products from Fermentis are developed with unsurpassed expertise under meticulous production procedures, which guarantees the highest microbiological purity and maximum fermentation activity.

Check out the video to learn more: https://youtu.be/SKgIL0MAo10

The post Fermentis Launches SafAle W-68™, a World-Renowned Strain Tailored for Flavorful, German-Style Wheat Beers first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Fermentis Launches SafAle W-68™, a World-Renowned Strain Tailored for Flavorful, German-Style Wheat Beers appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Recognizing these faults can help you identify and avoid them. Here are five common beer faults and how to recognize them:

Oxidation:

Recognize: Oxidized beer often has a cardboard-like or stale flavour and aroma. It may also exhibit a noticeable loss of hop aroma and flavour.

Causes: Exposure to oxygen during brewing, packaging, or storage.

Diacetyl:

Recognize: Diacetyl produces a buttery or butterscotch-like aroma and flavour. It can also give beer a slick or oily mouthfeel.

Causes: Yeast byproducts or bacterial contamination, often a result of incomplete fermentation or poor yeast health.

Acetaldehyde:

Recognize: Acetaldehyde imparts a green apple or freshly cut pumpkin aroma and flavour to beer.

Causes: Incomplete fermentation or premature removal of yeast from the beer, or bacterial contamination.

Light Struck (Skunky Beer):

Recognize: Light-struck beer develops a strong skunky odour and flavour when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, similar to the smell of a skunk.

Causes: The reaction between hops and UV light, typically from direct sunlight or fluorescent light, results in this off-flavor.

Acetic Acid (Infected Beer):

Recognize: Infected beer can display a wide range of off-flavours, including sourness, funkiness, or vinegar-like qualities. It may also develop off-putting aromas.

Causes: Bacterial or wild yeast contamination, often due to improper sanitation practices.

To recognize these faults, you can follow these general steps:

Visual Inspection: Check the beer’s appearance for clarity, colour, and any visible sediment or particles.

Aroma: Swirl the beer gently in the glass and take a sniff. Note any unusual or off-putting aromas.

Taste: Take a sip and let it cover your palate. Pay attention to any unusual or undesirable flavours.

Mouthfeel: Assess the beer’s texture and mouthfeel. Some faults may affect the beer’s body or carbonation.

Finish: Note the aftertaste and how long any off-flavours linger on your palate.

Identifying and understanding beer faults is essential for brewers to produce high-quality beer, and it’s also important for consumers to identify and avoid beers with faulty beers to ensure an enjoyable drinking experience. Homebrewers and commercial brewers take measures to prevent these faults through proper brewing practices, quality control, and careful handling of ingredients and equipment.

The post A Guide to Identifying Common Beer Faults first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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Fermenting a wort into a beer could be considered easy but is often challenging as well. Nowadays, adding dry yeast to a wort is very simple; especially with the Fermentis’ E2U direct pitch concept, giving you the confidence that the yeast will do its work to create your intended beer. Indeed, yeast has only one goal: to grow and survive. It’s the Master Brewer, with his knowledge and experience, who has the responsibility to drive the yeast in the right direction to produce the beer of your dreams. With a few simple adjustments, fermenting wort into a quality beer can be greatly improved.

Here are Fermentis’ top 5 ways to improve fermentation:

1. Use an appropriate pitching rate:

It’s commonly a brewer’s belief that yeast can be used with a lower pitching rate than recommended. Using the right pitching rate is a key leverage for a brewer to steer the yeast in the right direction.

Using a low pitching rate can lead to several undesired consequences. Firstly, the probability of having a slow and long fermentation is greatly increased. In addition, some off-flavours are typical with long fermentation. To list only two: diacetyl and acetaldehyde (green apple flavour) are two major off-flavours.

Using a low pitch rate will also add stress to the yeast. This can lead to a shift in aroma profile (the level is dependent on the yeast strain) and even off-flavours like H2S (rotten egg).

Using a low pitch rate will allow the yeast to produce more biomass. Therefore, yeast will use a part of sugar to make biomass” rather than beer”. On top of that, it will increase genetic deviation, with a significant risk to decrease the overall quality of harvested yeast.

Using the right amount of dry yeast will give the beer improved conditions, the brewer the best possible result and a beer to be proud of.

2. Understand Oxygen management:

Beer yeast (top or bottom fermentation) can synthesize most of its key components using energy and basic nutrients. For example, yeast has the ability to make all the amino acids required for its growth provided there is ammonium (NH4+) and an energy source in the media (and SO4– if there is a sulphur).

Yet, some essential molecules can only be produced when yeast has access to oxygen. Those compounds include ergosterol and unsaturated fatty acids. They are necessary molecules that ensure the fluidity and permeability of the yeast membrane. With a deficiency, yeast has difficulties growing and importing other mandatory molecules leading to insufficient growth and incomplete fermentation.

Fermentis yeast is a dry version of a stressless yeast in its most active state. It contains a rather sufficient amount of reserve compounds including but not limited to ergosterol and unsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, if you use Fermentis yeast at the recommended pitching rate (based on the full volume of wort), there is no need to add oxygen or air. On the other hand, adding air/oxygen is mandatory with “darauflassen”, i.e. when you add multiple brews in one fermenter (and a lower pitch rate based on the full volume of wort), or if you make a high-gravity beer (> 16 to 18 °P).

3. Optimise temperature management:

Temperature plays a big role during fermentation. Beyond fermentation efficiency, it is important to consider the effect temperature management has on your final beer.

Putting aside any aromatic characteristics, all yeasts ferment better at the higher end of the temperature range they’ll work under. It’s the brewer who has the responsibility to choose the right temperature to steer the yeast towards the targeted flavour profile. Here are some guidelines from the brewing experts at Fermentis coming from years of experience.

For ale beers (produced with top fermentation yeasts), a temperature between 20 and 24 °C is most of the time ideal. Below 20 °C you risk the probability of a long fermentation (along with the same issues as observed regarding pitching rate). Fermenting above 24 °C increases your chances of producing off-flavours like H2S. One of the exceptions to the rule is SafBrewTM HA-18 (a mix between yeast and enzyme) which will deliver a nice aroma profile up to 35 °C.

For most lagers and pilsners (produced with bottom fermentation yeasts), Fermentis advise a temperature of 11-14 °C. The lowest temperature we could suggest would be to make a Bohemian-style Pilsner with SafLagerTM S-23 down to 9°C. One of the exceptions here is SafLagerTM W-34/70. This so-called “German Stone”, originating from the great Weihenstephan Brewery, will give a neutral and refreshing profile even when fermented at up to 20 °C.

The pitching or hydration temperature should be as close as possible to the fermentation temperature.

4. Limit Attenuation Test:

Even with the same recipe, the apparent degree of fermentation (ADF) may vary from one fermentation to another. The reason for this variation can be multiple and include raw material characteristics, mashing process diagram, fermentation management and yeast vitality. There is a very useful way to determine whether the variation is due to the mashing or fermentation management, i.e. through Limit Attenuation (LA).

Conducting a Limit Attenuation Test consists in using some cold wort and adding an excess of yeast (11 g in 200ml) to it. After 48 h of fermentation at 20 °C under constant slow agitation, comparing apparent extract (AE) in real conditions (in the fermenter) to apparent extract in limit attenuation (LA) gives a very good indication.

When the ADF is lower than usual, and you have a 0.2°P of difference between AE and LA, the process before fermentation should be looked into (raw material and mashing).

When you have a significative difference between AE and LA, e.g. 0.5°P, the fermentation process should be looked into.

5. The beer flavour comes from the whole production process:

Decisions the brewer makes regarding mashing often have consequences for the final beer. Being aware of this will greatly help to improve the beer flavour. For example, the sulphury aroma of cooked vegetables or corn in the final beer comes from a compound called DMS (dimethyl sulphide). It is commonly mistaken for H2S, another very common sulphur flavour. DMS comes usually from a lack of boiling (time or evaporation) or from a prolonged whirlpool stage.

To know more, visit: www.fermentis.com

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Why did  Fermentis decide to add this strain to the range?

Brett (Brettanomyces) yeast has always held a rather special place in the beverage fermentation landscape. In winemaking, it’s a dreaded contaminant which can wreak havoc in the winery. 

In beer making, the picture is very different. There is plenty of romance around Brett yeast – its wildness, its unpredictability, the funky notes it gives to beer, and the way it evolves over time. Historically it is used with no control, in spontaneous fermentations, especially in beer styles such as Gueuze. 

Harnessing such a yeast, making it controllable and to a certain extent predictable, has been an ambitious goal for Fermentis for a while now. And our team of beer experts, which includes many Belgians, made this goal even more personal. The scientific name of the strain is of course Brettanomyces bruxellensis.

As brewers become more and more creative, looking for unusual styles and stand-out flavours, we knew that if we could succeed in producing the very first dried Brett yeast, we’d be providing something new and special to the brewers of the world. And that’s what we’ve achieved with SafBrew™ BR-8.

How was it developed?

Developing SafBrew™ BR-8 was probably the biggest R&D challenge in the history of Fermentis. The unparalleled extent of effort and research that went into this innovative product makes it more special for us. The whole product development phase spans a period of close to 10 years, from isolating the initial yeast strain to successfully producing and drying it.

Over these years, we faced many big challenges, which required specific machinery in new production plants to successfully filter this microorganism, which is considerably smaller in size than our usual yeasts. 

It also proved to be quite sensitive to temperature dynamics. Meaning it required extensive testing to reach the best balance between the percentage of dry living matter and the viability of the yeast cells. Of course, after the initial pilot productions, we held trials and tests to make sure this dried Brett was as reliable as our current range, that shelf life was not an issue, and that the flavours produced were the ones expected and typical of this wild yeast strain.

And only after these many years of R&D which included its fair share of triumphs and setbacks, could we officially and confidently launch SafBrew™ BR-8.

What is it for?

SafBrew™ BR-8 is primarily recommended for bottle conditioning & production of specific phenols in bottle refermentation: 4-Ethylguaiacol & 4-Ethylphenol (funky notes such as horse, farm, animal, leather…).

Our Brett yeast assimilates glucose, maltose and maltotriose. It doesn’t assimilate the more complex sugars like dextrins, which makes it more predictable than the completely “wild” Brett yeasts. This means we have successfully harnessed the beast, making it more reliable, repeatable, and less prone to over-saturation or gushing. Since the yeast will consume a lot of the residual sugar, it produces a distinctive Brett signature, for a highly refreshing beer and high drinkability.

The Brett microorganism ferments slowly, and requires a long maturation time, ranging from one month to 6 or more. The Brett signature will evolve, eventually reaching its highest potential after approximately 3 months, but it can change over time and that’s one of the things that makes it so interesting for the end consumer.

What are the main advantages of this product?

SafBrew™ BR-8 gives your beer the very distinctive and funky Brett print but with all the practicality of dried yeast. It’s user-friendly and reliable and results will be consistent. Sugar consumption is limited, so it reduces the risks of oversaturation or gushing. It’s a versatile refermentation strain. Experiment and you will get different results.

Is SAFBREW™ BR-8 in any way comparable to SAFALE™ F-2?

The quick answer is no. SafAle™ F-2 is also a yeast strain designed for bottle refermentation, but it’s much more of a purely “technical” yeast strain, made to produce CO2 in the most neutral of fashions, without changing the flavour profile of the beer.

SafBrew™ BR-8 is another kettle of fish – or horses! It will adjust the organoleptic profile of your beer over time, making it potentially more drinkable and adding this amazing wildness that only Brettanomyces yeast can offer.

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At the Brewer World Conclave 2023, Fermentis organised a tasting session with a “Brett ale” brewed by Geist Brewing Co using SafAle™ US-05 and conditioned with SafBrew™ BR-8. The beer gained quite many interests from brewers and participants during the Conclave. 

Commenting on this special collaboration brew, Vidya Kubher, Head Brewer at Geist Brewing Co, talks about the “Brett ale” and her experience working with the yeast strain, a “A Brett character without overwhelming intensity was what we wanted in the Geist Brett Ale, and it was interesting to notice flavour changes that happened during the conditioning phase. SafBrew™ BR-8 was developed for cask conditioning, but we chose to do tank conditioning for easy monitoring and control.”

How is it different from the yeast strains you have worked with in the past?

We usually stay away from diastatic strains, bacteria or wild yeast, but we chose to try SafBrew™ BR-8 on a smaller scale in our brewery because it was developed to be dextrin negative. 

Can you tell us what kind of beer styles work best with SafBrew™ BR-8?

The trend is to Brett a lot of different beer styles, and we would at some point like to use it in a Sour Beer, Hoppy Beer, Farmhouse Ale, Stout or Fruited Beer. We would of course have to do a lot of trials to understand the strain better.

Were there any challenges you faced while working with the strain?

Using a Brettanomyces strain in our brewery called for higher levels of hygiene and sanitation, but the product being available in dry form helped keep things simple.

To learn more about the technical features of SafBrew™ BR-8, please visit https://fermentis.com/en/product/safbrew-br-8/

The post Discover A New Horizon With Fermentis’ SafBrew™ BR-8 first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Discover A New Horizon With Fermentis’ SafBrew™ BR-8 appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

A bigger market provides a larger consumer panel with different expectations and desires. Low-alcohol beers emerged to meet a need which only existed moderately in the past. Indeed, an entire segment of consumers has grown with an education around well-being, the “well-eating” and now the “well-drinking”. Modern beer drinkers pay special attention to the product’s caloric intake, have an increased knowledge about a product’s health benefits and the desire to consume locally if possible. While the third point is not always substantiated, low Alcohol answers the two first consumption trends: in a consumer mindset, less alcohol implies less sugar and a better health benefit, and generally alcohol always has a negative connotation. All other factors being equal, especially taste and price, there is no doubt that for this kind of consumer low-alcohol beer is a viable alternative to “classic beer”. Generally, we can bring this low-alcohol trend closer to the “free” trends, such as additive-free, gluten-free and alcohol-free.

To these new consumers, we must add those who’ve always had this “need” for a low-alcoholic beer. For health reasons, like pregnant women for example or for a religious conviction. Although this need always existed, it has strengthened during the last few years, due to the fact that beer is now a societal phenomenon. Consumers, by willing to be part of the society, want to consume trendy products. Therefore, the product must adapt itself to the consumer and give him this possibility. This is the reason behind the rise of low-alcohol beers.

Although demand is quite recent, we must go back much further to find the origin of low-alcohol beers. It’s the year 1920, in the USA and it’s the Prohibition: this constitution signs the interdiction to produce, transport, import and sell alcohol in order to reduce criminality and corruption in the country. Taking place from 1919 to 1933, this law pushes breweries to reinvent themselves to survive. Low-alcoholic beers were born!

Although the style emerged under constraint, nowadays it’s really the brewer’s choice to produce no or low-alcoholic beers to answer the growing demand. When going for this particular style, the question of the process arises: how does a brewer significantly reduce alcohol quantity without changing the production process? Because Yeast is the key for alcohol production, it was our duty to help brewers in this task. We, at Fermentis, have been solicited to develop a solution.

Firstly, we had to do the work of screening among all the strains we know, a long-term task to select the ones that could match our research criterion: technical criteria but also sensorial criteria to answer to brewers’ needs. Simon Jeanpierre, Technical Sales Support Manager Asia Pacific, tells us more about it: “To perform our first screening, our target was to list Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces strains able to produce only little alcohol. To narrow this list, we looked at microorganisms also able to reproduce as much as possible the expected beer flavors, as we traditionally know. This naturally led us to maltose-negative strain unable to ferment complex sugars (i.e. polymers of glucose), with yet a strong ability to produce higher alcohols, Esters and phenols, participating into the beer aromas.”

To understand our decision to steer our choice towards maltose-negative strains, you just have to look at the classical composition of a beer wort on the schema here below. Unlike the other strains of Fermentis range, maltose-negative strains only have the capacity to ferment glucose (DP1, single sugar chains), the equivalent of 10 to 15% of total sugars in wort.  Less fermentable sugars imply a lower alcohol production in the final beer.

This done, the next step was to verify our hypothesis with a trial protocol, it’s Simon who explains it: “We started with the beginning: a recipe. This recipe had to produce a classic wort at a standard density of 15, 10, 8 and 6°P (1061, 1040, 1032 and 1024 in specific density) fermented at 20°C (68°F). It was then fermented with all screened strains and accurately followed-up on sugar consumption and alcohol production. A tasting with a panel of experts finally allowed us to choose the winning strain that would not only perform well in low alcohol production but also provide essential aromas expected in the beer during a proper fermentation.”  Moreover, this yeast produces “clean beers” without off-flavors that are commonly found in NAB.

The strain we have selected after duplicating this trial protocol many times is a Saccharomyces chevalieri that we named SafBrew™ LA-01, LA simply for Low Alcohol.  We chose this strain because it showed excellent results during our fermentation trials as demonstrated hereunder. For every tested density, the fermentation reached its plateau after 60 hrs for an alcohol level between 0,4 and 1,2% ABV, corresponding to an apparent degree of fermentation about 14%. We have noted a positive correlation between final degree of alcohol and wort initial density, so we are able to say that an initial density of 7°P (1028 in specific density) is ideal to reach 0,5% ABV which is the maximum alcohol level tolerated in many countries to write “Non-alcoholic beer” on the label.

As previously presented, this strain is maltose-negative, it only consumes simple sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose) leaving behind the maltose and other complex sugars such as maltotriose and dextrins. Logically, we find more residual sugars in our low-alcoholic beer. The below graph confirms that in numbers, DP2 means disaccharides which are mainly maltose and DP3 means trisaccharides which are mainly maltotriose.

We have seen that in purely scientific terms, SafBrew™ LA-01 allows us to brew a NAB-LAB, but what about the sensory profile of the beer itself? This is a legitimate question because such a high level of residual maltose doesn’t exist in “classic” beers. Maltose is a sugar able to bring a clean sweetness. In the majority of beers, it doesn’t have the chance to express its potential because it’s turned into alcohol and CO2 by yeasts. Therefore, it’s the alcohol which will mainly bring the roundness and sweetness perception in the mouth (or to Mouthfeel). In a NAB-LAB, residual maltose can play this role because alcohol is present in small quantities only. However, if the sweetness level in your final beer worries you, it’s easy to balance it with several brewing tools as Simon explains to us: “Bitterness level plays a great role and anything above 15 IBU for 0.5% ABV is a good target to balance the sweetness level. Increasing your water hardness gives a firmer bitterness too. On the cereal side, limit the use of caramel malts and the sweet flavor associated with them. To finish balancing the bill, there is of course the acidity. You can either pre-acidify your wort prior to fermentation or use greater carbonation and its associated carbonic acid which also propels aroma.”

Another important thing when we are talking about sensory profile is the fact that SafBrew™ LA-01 is a POF + strain. By being classified positive (+), SafBrew™ LA-01 owns a gene which expresses the POF character, POF meaning phenolic off flavor. In other words, this yeast has a specific enzyme that decarboxylates phenolic acids, like ferulic acid and coumaric acid, present in wort and thus producing respectively the flavor-active compounds 4VG and 4VP. These compounds contribute to spicy, clove-like flavors which, depending on the concentration, may produce a spicy and complex character. Note that in a NAB-LABs brewed with SafBrew™ LA-01, this phenolic side will be very light as described by Simon: “From a sensory perspective we really enjoyed the slight phenolic expression it develops. Keep in mind that the expression of a POF character depends on the amount of ferulic acid you have in your malt. In a NAB-LAB, you will therefore only have a limited expression from the recommended lower amount of malt”.

Last but not the least, the pasteurization topic. Pasteurization is a technique invented in 1865 by Louis Pasteur for food conservation by killing all living microorganisms in the product. The process is theoretically quite simple: you heat the product between 62°C to 88°C (144 to 191°F) before brutally cooling it. Pasteurization is not popular in the craft beer industry because it’s linked to standardization of the product or because, with this process, the beer is not really “alive” anymore and will not evolve over time.

But in regard to our recommendation for NAB-LAB, pasteurization is mandatory. You are certainly aware of how much yeasts and microorganisms like sugars and how much residual sugars we still have in a NAB-LAB at the end of fermentation. If a pasteurization is not done, any living microorganisms could eventually ferment maltose and totally alter the beer or even create over carbonation in bottles, which could be dangerous. Different Pasteurization techniques exist such as tunnel pasteurization, whichever technique is chosen, Simon explains how much you have to pasteurize: “As soon as you have reached your max ADF of 13-15%, it will be important to inhibit eventual living friends from further fermenting. We studied different cross-contamination levels with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and observed a minimum safe limit of 80 PU in order to prevent growth in a brew fermented with SafBrew™ LA-01. We recommend the range of 80-120 PU.” PU signifies Pasteur Units, in terms of affect, one PU is equivalent to heating to 60°C in one minute. To calculate your pasteurization level, the formula is the following:

PU= t x 1,393 (T-60)

Where is the time you heat in minutes and T is the temperature in °C.

A true alternative to pasteurization doesn’t really exist, it remains the best technique for ensuring optimal microbiology of a beer. We know that this technique is not accessible to every brewer and as Simon explains, we are constantly looking for solutions for small breweries: “Fermentis is aware that such equipment can be limited to big scale breweries. This is why we are working on alternatives to offer craft brewers the best performance in fermenting flavourful NAB-LAB with our SafBrew™ LA-01. Such alternatives exist through intrusive (biotechnology) or non-intrusive methods (cool chain). Feel free to reach out to us to learn more and receive tailor-made advice on your NAB-LAB fermentation management and hygiene practices.”

Article Authored By

Simon Jeanpierre

Technical Sales Support Manager Asia Pacific

Hugo Picard

Technical Sales Manager – Home Segment

References

https://fermentis.com/en/knowledge-center/expert-insights/beer/low-alcohol-beer-trend/

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Nitrogen, the most important yeast nutrient, is a key factor that has a significant impact on fermentation. Similarly other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, salts etc. are also critical for yeast cells to thrive and perform optimally. But what happens when these nutrients fall short? Or what if there are not enough nutrients in the wort? Well, there are many possibilities such as slow/stuck fermentation, yeast stress, off-flavour production and plenty more.

Majority of the yeast nutrition is derived from the brewing ingredients. In some cases where there’s a use of adjuncts in larger quantities, yeast nutrients tend to fall short. For scenarios like these, yeast nutrients are manually added in which help and promote the growth of yeast cells and increase free amino nitrogen (FAN) which eventually improves fermentation and increases efficiency of the final product.

To improve the fermentation quality and add efficiency to the brewing process, Praras^® Biosciences Pvt. Ltd. has a wide range of products for every requirement including yeast nutrition. The company specialises in providing solutions for product and/or process improvement with a major focus on sustainability. With products such as FermAid^® BF and FermAid^®B, fermentation capacity can be significantly increased. Let’s look into these products in detail down below.

FermAid^® BF

FermAid^® BF is a user-friendly, Polydimethylsiloxane based product. In the present scenario, where the breweries are compelled to work under best of efficiencies due to the competitive atmosphere in the industries, new technologies are most sought after. FermAid® BF enables breweries to increase the fermentation capacity by at least 10% without any infrastructure investments.

Benefits

– Increased fermentation capacity by 10% by reduced fermentation headspace.

– FermAid^® BF is highly recommended for process intensification.

Application Conditions

– FermAid^® BF is a very stable product that performs best under normal wort fermentation conditions of pH 3.5 – 6.5 & temperatures ranging from 10 – 100^oC.

– FermAid^® BF is effective at concentrations of 3 – 5g per HL wort.

– FermAid^® BF may be added in the fermentation tank along with the feeding of seed. It may be added in the media used for scaling up the yeast culture.

FermAid^® B

FermAid^® B is an optimised formulation of Biochemical and Nutrients to improve the fermentation of brewery wort especially with higher adjuncts. In the present scenario, where the breweries are compelled to work under best of efficiencies due to the competitive atmosphere in the industries, new technologies are most sought after.

One such technology is to improve the fermentation quality. In this effort, industries are opting to use yeast cultures which are designed to produce quality beer. These cultures being much specialised tend to be very fastidious with regards to growth conditions and nutrient requirements. FermAid^® B supports yeast to produce quality beer with appropriate fermentation attenuation.

Benefits

– Reduces early yeast flocculation.

– Ensures vigorous yeast fermentation and thus prevents the growth of contaminating organisms which may produce off flavours in the beer.

– The yeast requirement may be reduced.

– Eliminates sluggish fermentation which may bring about stuck fermentation.

– Increase in FAN level in wort: FermAid^® B dosage of 10g/HL improves the Free Amino Nitrogen levels by 30%.

Application Conditions

Under normal wort fermentation conditions of pH 3.5- 6.5 & temperatures of 10^oC – 40^oC, FermAid^® B is effective at concentrations of 10-20 g/HL wort.

– FermAid^® B may be added in the fermentation tank. It should be added along with the feeding of seed into the fermentation tank. It may be added in the media used for scaling up the yeast culture.

– FermAid^® B may be added in the Wort Kettle to avoid contamination issues during handling.

Overall, it is possible to have successful fermentations with or without added nutrients. However, for best possible results in high-gravity brewing or whenever in the need of consistent fermentations, nutrients are essential and an obvious choice. Yeast is a living cell and it is really crucial that we control the environment and make sure that the cells are in good health.

For further information on Praras^® Biosciences brewery/microbrewery products, visit https://www.prarasbiosciences.com/breweries/ or write directly to info@prarasbiosciences.com

The post The Importance of Yeast Nutrition for a Successful Fermentation first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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With Brewerkz as the first brewing partner, more than $1.5 million was invested into the development of this probiotic’s beer from lab-to-table. Moving from nascent stage to clinical trials to consumer tests, this probiotic beer is now ready for commercial scale-up to commercial breweries and microbreweries around the world.

Probiotification of alcoholic beverages is a major technological challenge. These beverages contain many intrinsic antimicrobial compounds such as ethanol, organic acids, and hops that impair the growth and survival of probiotics. Through evidence-based research, Probicient’s technical team ensures the probiotics’ survivability while maintaining the traditional methods of beer brewing. Probicient’s IP lies in the technological breakthrough that ensures the probiotics’ survivability of 1 billion CFU, the minimum amount considered to be an effective probiotic, according to ISAPP (International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics). Probiotic dosage is expressed in CFU, or Colony Forming Units, which refers to the number of live probiotic microbes capable of forming colonies in a laboratory test.

According to (ISAPP), probiotics are “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. Although other live microorganisms may be found in other traditionally fermented food such as kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi, those do not typically meet the empirical evidence level and only certain characterised strains with a scientifically validated health effect can be classified as probiotics. Probicient’s IP lies in its distinct pairing of unique strains and patented fermentation processes as the world’s first probiotic beer.

Probicient believes that the global shift in consumer patterns towards health and wellness trends, unveiling low alcohol or low-calorie beer as healthier alternatives, will drive the global probiotic drinks market. As post-pandemic growth takes shape coupled with beer as the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, Probicient is poised to deliver consumers a uniquely different healthier beer experience, satisfying both their wellness needs through enhancing gut health and fulfilling their need to connect with others through social drinking.

A spin-off company from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Probicient is looking to bring this novel IP technology to both commercial macro breweries and microbreweries worldwide. “As a non-dairy probiotic drink, the probiotic beer would provide consumers with a healthier drinking experience without discernible compromise on the beer’s taste profile and be a good fit to the trend of functional beverages,” says Associate Professor Liu Shaoquan from the NUS Department of Food Science and Technology, and co-founder, Probicient.

To commemorate this milestone, Brewerkz will launch Red Billion, a probiotic raspberry sour beer – homage to the red hue and probiotics level of at least 1 billion CFU per serving, available at all Brewerkz outlets on tap from 1 March, 2022. Brewerkz will expand its range of probiotic beer flavours over time including canning and making them available for sale at major supermarkets and online channels.

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Yeast is fundamental to the brewing process. It is thought that 950 compounds are involved in giving beer its aroma and flavour – and 400 of them are produced by yeast¹.

Aroma is just one example of the complexity and nuance yeast contributes. Yet, the brewing process itself is not ideal for their growth and development. The presence of ethanol alcohol, carbon dioxide, and the pH of the wort can create a stressful environment.

When yeast are under stress, their performance in brewing may not be ideal and even result in off flavours or sluggish, stuck fermentations. On the other hand, offering bountiful nutrients and pleasant growing conditions can lead to consistent, reliable fermentations.

Consequences of Common Wort Deficiencies

Ideally, an all-malt wort can provide the necessary components for a successful fermentation. However, it is common to have deficiencies or low-quality malt.

High gravity worts or high adjunct fermentations can lack the essential balance of compounds for the yeast to properly function.

For example, increased extract content often is achieved by either producing a concentrated wort or adding sugar syrup to the fermentation medium. The resulting wort nutrient composition can cause yeast fermentation problems, including incomplete or slow fermentations².

Oxygen, a key yeast nutrient, is typically required by yeast immediately after the start of fermentation. Injecting oxygen or air is not normally required for standard fermentations using active dry yeast on first pitch.

Modern brewing methods may further reduce the wort’s ability to supply critical nutrients, including:

• High-gravity methods
• Using high levels of unmalted grains in wort production
• Increasing cell count during propagation
• Reduction of process times during fermentation³

Brewing Methods Affect Yeast Quality

High gravity brewing requires higher sugar concentrations compared to traditional methods. This places additional stress on yeast during fermentation. Increased gravity has shown to result in:

• Lower specific growth rates
• Longer lag phases before initiation of ethanol production
• Incomplete sugar utilization
• Increases in the concentrations of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate in the final beer⁴

Factors Influencing Wort Deficiencies

Common deficiencies will vary based on the wort, yeast, and the intended result. In general, the wort can lack sufficient nitrogen, zinc, pantothenic acid, and biotin – or have an imbalance of magnesium to calcium^21,22,23,24. This can result in less robust yeast growth and lower enzyme production.

Supplementing with yeast food is a common practice that can help address wort deficiencies. Not all supplements are equally available to the yeast, and some supplementation options may create as many challenges as they address.

5 Nutrients to Consider Supplementing

In this article, we review the five nutrients brewers may consider supplementing to improve
their fermentations, which can influence the resulting product’s flavour and aroma – among other characteristics.

1. Nitrogen
2. Biotin
3. Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
4. Magnesium
5. Zinc

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a nutrient that is most likely needed. Without sufficient nitrogen, yeast will not grow or ferment. Nitrogen is an essential element that is needed for proper yeast nutrition. About 10% of the dry weight of yeast is nitrogen⁵. Sources of wort nitrogen are mainly amino acids, ammonium ions, and di- and tripeptides⁶. Nitrogen availability strongly impacts the resulting product’s composition and flavour⁷.

Depending on the amount used, adjunct additions will dilute trace nutrients and nitrogen availability in the wort, making it necessary to provide supplemental nutrient additions¹.

Free amino nitrogen (FAN) refers to the organically available nitrogen that is present in wort. The majority of FAN is produced by proteolytic enzymes from malt during the malting and mashing process. There is very limited proteolytic activity from yeast. Also, a minority concentration of small peptides are produced by the hydrolytic action of extracellular yeast proteinases.

FAN has been regarded as the preferable indicator for predicting healthy yeast growth, viability, vitality, fermentation efficiency, and beer quality and stability.

Yeast autolysates naturally contains a good source of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients. Compared to mineral salts, yeast autolysates provide a bioavailable source of nitrogen, which will be slowly taken up by yeast during fermentation. This helps avoid stressful conditions for the yeast. Yeast autolysates also can be used in brewing applications adhering to all-natural or clean standards.

Biotin

Biotin supplementation is required for most brewing applications. It is part of the vitamin B family. It is a catalyst for multiple important reactions such as amino acid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and energy metabolism. Biotin is also an important cofactor for enzymes catalysing carbon dioxide transfers¹².

Pantothenic Acid (B5)

Studies in winemaking show that the imbalances between pantothenate levels and nitrogen can result in strong yeast mortality (more than 90%) at the beginning of the fermentation and can lead to a stuck fermentation.

Researchers concluded that yeast cell death was triggered by starvation for a set of micronutrients, including pantothenic acid^7,14. A wort that is deficient in pantothenic acid will often get sulfuric off-flavours.

Zinc

Zinc is a must-have for proper fermentations. It is an essential trace element necessary for proper fermentations of yeast. Zinc is a cofactor for many reactions. Most importantly, it activates the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which is the terminal enzyme in the fermentation pathway that leads to ethanol¹⁹.

During wort preparation, approximately 95% of zinc from malt is lost with spent grain.

Zinc deficiencies can cause stuck fermentations and flocculation problems. Supplementing zinc at sufficient levels can positively influence the metabolism and fermentation performance of brewing yeast to create:

• Faster fermentations
• Better flocculation
• Stimulation of uptake of maltose and maltotriose
• Stimulation of protein synthesis and yeast growth
• Protection of enzymes
• Stabilization of protein and membrane systems²⁰

Supplementation scenarios

The risk of encountering low concentrations of zinc in malt worts is very high due to zinc binding and coprecipitation with proteins during the malt wort boiling process¹⁹.

Sugar-added fermentations also require supplemental zinc. In addition, zinc deficiencies can be common during serial repitching of yeast.

Ideal levels

The requirement of zinc for yeast can be strain dependent, but on average the range of 0.15-0.30 mg of zinc/L is the minimum requirement. Zinc levels less than 0.1 ppm can cause stuck fermentations and affect beer quality.

Supplementation Options

Zinc sulfate,is a common way to supplement this mineral. However, this form is less bioavailable than other forms and can wind up in the trub.

Zinc-enriched yeast, is an active, dried yeast that has been enriched with high concentration of zinc can be added to provide a more bioavailable form of this nutrient. Specific enriched yeast brands can allow fermentation at lower temperatures for a “cleaner” taste.

Magnesium & Calcium

Yeast sugar metabolism is strongly influenced by the concentration of mineral components, most often magnesium and calcium ²¹. Yeasts have an absolute biochemical requirement for magnesium, and this metal is an essential cofactor for the function of more than 300 enzymes. Magnesium is involved in²¹:

• Yeast cell division and growth
• Mitochondrial structure and function
• Respiro Fermentative metabolism
• Responses to environmental stress, such as temperature and osmotic pressure^21,22

Calcium and magnesium act antagonistically. High calcium in the medium can suppress the active enzymes that are magnesium dependent.  Calcium mainly acts extracellularly and is essential for activity of the enzyme α-amylase and phosphate precipitation – giving calcium an important role in wort pH control and flocculation^25,22.

The table above summarizes the results of fermentations conducted using a variety of industrial yeast strains growing in different complex media. Although there appears to be both yeast strain and media-dependent effects, a general stimulation of fermentative activity by yeast is observed in the presence of a favourable Mg:Ca ratio.

High calcium levels are known to curtail cellular magnesium uptake and cell membrane proton-pumping ATPase activity, which is essential for nutrient translocation and cell growth. Elevating calcium may also have an impact on premature yeast flocculation and in reduction of media pH, which may slow yeast growth and fermentation²⁴.

Conclusion

Give yeast proper nutrition to grow and perform. A balanced and healthy diet offers the same benefits for all living organisms – including yeast. With proper nutrition, brewers can experience improved fermentations, greater numbers of yeast produced, better flocculation and improved characteristics. Understanding the needs of yeast is an important step towards expertly crafted beers.

AB Vickers offers a wide range of yeast nutrients adapted to your specific fermentation needs. For more information, visit Lallemand website at http://lallemandbrewing.com or http://www.lallemandbrewing.com/products/nutrients/

This article was adapted from a recently published white paper by Lallemand. All the references cited are listed below.

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This week, the Brewer talking to Brewer World is Satyam Awasthi, Head Brewer, The Pump House, Bengaluru.

Excerpts….

You make beer for a living. How cool is that?

I do make beers for a living. Indeed it’s a super fantastic job because I really enjoy it. I am kind of an artist who understands the science behind Brewing. A guy like me who never settles for less, crafting beer is a perfect job where permutation and combination of the recipes are endless.

How do you describe what you do?

Every beer comes with a recipe that includes a selection of malt, hops, yeast, and water profile. After that is how to execute it as per the brewing facility, looking after the fermentation process, and once the beer is ready, how perfectly it should reach the consumer. So you may say, I take care of the journey of grains until it is called ‘beer.’

What does your work entail?

A privilege and entailed part of this job is ‘Beer Tasting’. I do beer tasting almost every day to make sure beers are being served fresh and flavourful. So, one should be aware of beer faults too.

How did you start your career in the beer industry?

While pursuing my postgraduate programme, I explored the working culture and scope in the distillery, blending units, winery, and microbreweries. And what I observed in these mega production units is that there is not one person who will hold hands and take the time to guide me as per my skill sets. Craft brewing is a growing industry and the process gets me excited.

Tell us about yourself.

I am blessed with a great sense of humour, and a very easy-going person. I enjoy talking about beers, new beer trends, and all that I can offer to the craft beer community. And I am a big-time foodie who loves exploring new cuisines.

What do you like about what you do?

After a long brew day, enjoying my favourite beer is the best part of my job.

Is there something that you dislike about being a brew master?

Genuinely, everything comes with pros and cons, so there is nothing I can say expressly about disliking anything being a brew master.

What is most rewarding as a brewer?

The most rewarding thing as a brewer is when people really enjoy the beers I brew, especially for a new recipe. After putting my heart and soul into a recipe and the process, if someone appreciates it, that is the best feeling in the world I guess.

You have a degree in Fermentation technology. Could you tell us about it?

Fermentation is the soul of any kind of alcoholic beverage. Just that we manipulate it as per our requirements. During my fermentation technology course, I studied fermentation in the dairy industry, molasses-based distilleries, grain-based distillery, winery, brewery, and baker’s yeast production. In addition, I intensely learned about the biochemistry of yeast and other microbes.

How do you come up with new beer recipes?

Inspiration for the new recipe can be drawn through even a small talk. It could also be guest suggestions, local ingredients, sometimes we come across something interesting while travelling, or also while playing around with the favourite malt or hops. Sometimes I would just want to see the behaviour of any specific yeast and a new recipe is formed.

Which is your favourite Brewery and beer?

I am very fond of Rauch. Schlenkerla from Bamberg makes the best Rauch I have ever tried which makes it my favourite brewery too. If there is an award for the Best Brewery In India, my vote goes to Doolally, where I learned how to be true to the beer style.

Who do you look up to in the industry?

I like to appreciate the beers more than to appreciate the person who made it because it will be made for a particular reason. You need a team to make a good beer. I believe in learning from everyone in all possible ways. Definitely, my career is phenomenal because of the people who guided me, especially Doolally’s team, with whom I spent over four years.

Have you read about the Brewer Who doesn’t drink beer yet?

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Master Brewers Certificate Program is built only for serious brewers who are looking for in-depth knowledge in brewing science and brewery engineering topics. These include topics such as malting, mashing, brewing, fermentation and fluid flow, heat, mass transfer, solid-liquid separation, sensory science and many more.

Aspiring brewers can explore these subject areas through professional-level equivalents of UC Davis degree-program courses and expand their brewing knowledge through assigned reading and writing exercises. Master Brewers Certificate Program (online) is easily accessible to all the brewers which also features highly produced, pre-recorded lectures and scheduled, live class sessions, will give participants industry-recognised training to help them turn their passion into a career.

Added to this, there’s also an optional hands-on bootcamp which is being offered on-site for an additional $1400 at their state-of-the-art August A Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory. The entire curriculum is the same as the in-person version and can be completed in approximately 18 months for 14,300 USD.

Course Benefits

Upon the course completion, a candidate would be able to evaluate and select raw materials for specific brewing objectives and product qualities. Applying sensory principles and other methods to improve a product along with designing a brewery unit are just some of the benefits.

With industry experts like Lindsay Barr, Charlie Bramforth and Glen Fox taking over the lectures, this Master Brewers Certificate Program provides students with a wealth of knowledge and exploration of art, science and business sides of the brewing industry.

For more information, refer to UC Davis website. Happy learning!

Source:

UC Davis

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