Yeast Management

This series of articles explores examples of data curves from specific parameters, as they were recorded from the fermentation of various styles in different scenarios. In this installment we show examples of how yeast issues are expressed.

Does pitch rate matter? Though not everyone agrees, prevailing wisdom strongly suggests that brewers who prioritize accurate flavors and/or consistency should absolutely pay attention to their yeast counts. The various factors required to calculate a target pitch rate for beer can make figuring out the formula quite complicated. In this article, we deconstruct the topic and find some easy ways to do it. 

There’s a trending not-so-new category of super-yeasts in town and if you haven’t tasted or brewed with them yet, you likely will soon. Called kveik (kuh-vike) yeasts, they hail from Norway, and their fans say that almost anything your yeast can do, kveik yeast can probably do better.

Brewers commonly repitch yeast to ferment batch after batch to save money and coax out the complex flavors and higher flocculation rates that Saccharomyces yeast can develop over multiple generations, particularly from the second to the third. But in order to maximize yeast function and longevity, it’s important to be strategic and maintain consistency when…

Brewing reliably delicious beer requires quality ingredients, recipes, and (my personal favorite) operations. Though hops often get the glory in the modern craft brewing scene, it’s important to understand that the fermentation process, driven by the natural life cycle of yeast, is truly at the heart of the beer making process. In the brewhouse, a…