Acid Washing and Serial Repitching a Brewing Ale Strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in High Gravity Wort and the Role of Wort Oxygenation Conditions†

Acid washing pitching yeast is an effective method for removing bacterial contamination, but if the yeast is washed incorrectly decreased fermentation performance and beer quality problems may result. Various factors can affect the acid resistance of yeast strains during brewery fermentations. Yeast from shaking flask experiments was more resistant to the combination of high gravity and acid washing conditions than yeast cropped from static fermentations. Yeast harvested from static high gravity wort (20° Plato; 1.083 OG) fermentations was more adversely affected by acid washing than yeast from standard gravity (12° Plato; 1.048 OG) wort. Wort oxygenation resulted in enhanced yeast fermentation performance and healthier yeast crops when yeast was serially repitched into 20° Plato wort. Yeast cropped from fermentations with air saturated high gravity wort responded poorly when acid washed. These results suggest that the structure of the plasma membrane particularly the sterol and fatty acid composition, may have an important role in tolerating high gravity wort and acid washing conditions.     

The Yeast Vacuole ‐A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study During High Gravity Wort Fermentations

The yeast vacuole has been shown to exhibit morphological responses to environmental conditions when exposed to worts of different gravity during fermentation. Marked effects of high gravity wort (20° Plato) on yeast morphology compared to more conventional wort gravity (12° Plato) were observed. High gravity worts caused vacuolar enlargement compared to conventional gravity wort. These results suggested that yeast cells experienced severe alterations with the vacuolar tonoplast when exposed to high osmotic pressure and elevated levels of ethanol.     

不同氮源组成麦汁对酿酒酵母发酵性能的影响

研究了酿酒酵母Saccharomyces pastorianus(FBY0095)在六种不同氮源组成麦汁(20°P)中生物量、表观发酵度、乙醇浓度以及游离氨基氮(FAN)消耗量等指标的差异。结果表明,在20°P超高浓麦汁发酵中,麦汁氮源含量和组成对酵母发酵性能具有显著影响。随着麦汁中可同化氮量的提高,加速了酵母对糖的吸收利用,提高了酵母稳定期生物量和乙醇产量,发酵时间缩短了20%。当氮源匮乏(约为FAN=124.59 mg/L)时,补充适量大豆分离蛋白水解物(SPIH)于超高浓麦汁中,增加了麦汁氮源的多样性,使菌体增长量提高8.3%,乙醇产量提高4.43%,是酵母生长的有效氮源。      

碱性和支链氨基酸对啤酒高浓酿造酵母发酵性能的影响

研究分别考察添加三种碱性氨基酸：精氨酸（Arg）、赖氨酸（Lys）、组氨酸（His）与支链氨基酸：缬氨酸（Val）、亮氨酸（Leu）、异亮氨酸（Ile）对24 °P高浓酿造过程中酵母发酵性能及啤酒风味的影响。结果表明,六种氨基酸的添加可促进酵母生长并提高活细胞率,显著提高麦汁发酵度及乙醇产量。其中,添加Val、Leu与Arg的高浓麦汁发酵性能较好,与对照组相比,发酵结束时总CO2失质量分别为92.4 g/L、92.7 g/L与91.2 g/L;发酵度极显著提高（P＜0.01）,分别为83.65%、82.95%和82.93%;乙醇产量极显著提高（P＜0.01）,分别为11.97%（V/V）、11.90%（V/V）和11.83%（V/V）。添加Arg可显著提高酵母总细胞数（1.64×108 cells/mL）（P＜0.05）,His、Val与Leu的添加对风味物质影响较大,可提高啤酒的醇酯比,其中,Val的添加可显著提高异丁醇含量（P＜0.05）,降低总酯含量;Leu的添加则可同时提高异戊醇及乙酸异戊酯的含量。     

啤酒高浓酿造中氨基酸对酵母发酵性能和啤酒色值的影响

探讨在24?°P高浓啤酒发酵过程中8?种氨基酸（Met、Phe、Trp、Arg、His、Ile、Leu、Lys）的不同添加量（分别为原麦汁中相应氨基酸含量的0.5、1?倍和2?倍）对酵母生理特性、发酵性能和啤酒色值的影响。结果表明：8?种氨基酸的补充可显著提高麦汁发酵度、乙醇产量,促进酵母生长,提高酵母活细胞率,改善啤酒色值。其中,补充1?倍氨基酸的高浓麦汁发酵性能较好,与对照组相比,发酵度、乙醇产量、最大悬浮酵母细胞数和发酵结束时的酵母活细胞率分别提高了6%、17%、11%和10%。添加氨基酸的高浓酿造啤酒经稀释后,啤酒色泽依然鲜亮,且添加1?倍氨基酸酿造而成的啤酒经稀释后色差（ΔE）最小,色泽最接近青岛纯生啤酒。     

Overexpression of vacuolar H+‐ATPase‐related genes in bottom‐fermenting yeast enhances ethanol tolerance and fermentation rates during high‐gravity fermentation

Vacuolar H⁺‐ATPase (V‐ATPase) is thought to play a role in stress tolerance. In this study it was found that bottom‐fermenting yeast strains, in which the V‐ATPase‐related genes DBF2, VMA41/CYS4/NHS5 and RAV2 were overexpressed, exhibited stronger ethanol tolerance than the parent strain and showed increased fermentation rates in a high‐sugar medium simulating high‐gravity fermentation. Among the strains examined, the DBF2‐overexpressing bottom‐fermenting yeast strain exhibited the highest ethanol tolerance and fermentation rate in YPM20 medium. Using this strain, high‐gravity fermentation was performed by adding sugar to the wort, which led to increased fermentation rates and yeast viability compared with the parent strain. These findings indicate that V‐ATPase is a stress target in high‐gravity fermentation and suggests that enhancing the V‐ATPase activity increases the ethanol tolerance of bottom‐fermenting yeast, thereby improving the fermentation rate and cell viability under high‐gravity conditions. Copyright © 2012 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

The Horace Brown Medal Lecture: Forty Years of Brewing Research

Horace Brown spent fifty years conducting brewing research in Burton‐on‐Trent, Dublin and London. His contributions were remarkable and his focus was to solve practical brewing problems by employing and developing fundamental scientific principles. He studied all aspects of the brewing process including raw materials, wort preparation, fermentation, yeast and beer stability. As a number of previous presenters of the Horace Brown Lecture have discussed Brown's achievements in detail, the focus of this paper is a review of the brewing research that has been conducted by the author and his colleagues during the past forty years. Similar to Horace Brown, fundamental research has been employed to solve brewing problems. Research studies that are discussed in this review paper include reasons for premature flocculation of ale strains resulting in wort underattenuation including mechanisms of co‐flocculation and pure strain flocculation, storage procedures for yeast cultures prior to propagation, studies on the genetic manipulation of brewer's yeast strains with an emphasis on the FLO1 gene, spheroplast fusion and the respiratory deficient (petite) mutation, the uptake and metabolism of wort sugars and amino acids, the influence of wort density on fermentation characteristics and beer flavour and stability, and finally, the contribution that high gravity brewing has on brewing capacity, fermentation efficiency and beer quality and stability.     

Vitamins in brewing: presence and influence of thiamine and riboflavin on wort fermentation

Thiamine and riboflavin vitamers are present in a wide range of foods including beer. These vitamers play critical roles in a variety of enzymatic complexes and can promote and maintain metabolism. Currently, the presence and role of these vitamers in the malting and brewing industry have not been widely explored. This research investigated the effects of various fermentation conditions that may lead to the variations in the vitamin content in beer observed by previous researchers. The present research found that during fermentation, the thiamine content of wort is quickly utilized within the first 6 h of a standard fermentation and the uptake of this vitamin is not affected by increases in wort gravity. While no significant changes were observed in extracellular phosphorylated vitamers of thiamine, both free thiamine and thiamine diphosphate accumulated intracellularly during the wort fermentation. Meanwhile extracellular riboflavin vitamers were only poorly utilized during beer fermentations, however flavin mononucleotide rapidly accumulated intracellularly and more so under aerobic conditions. When yeast was exposed to an all‐malt high‐gravity wort, the thiamine or riboflavin utilization was not affected. However, thiamine utilization was reduced in adjunct‐driven high‐gravity worts. Notwithstanding the lowered thiamine uptake under high‐gravity conditions; there were some minor improvements in fermentation performance and yeast viability. The addition of thiamine to an all‐malt wort did appear to enhance yeast viability, both under normal and high‐gravity conditions. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

125th Anniversary Review: Improvement of Higher Gravity Brewery Fermentation via Wort Enrichment and Supplementation

Intensification of the industrial brewing process, particularly the use of higher gravity worts, has been driven by increasing competition within the industry as well as the need to maximise the use of raw materials and minimise energy expenditure. These developments have, however, placed greater demands on brewing yeast strains, whose evolutionary history has not prepared them for the extreme conditions associated with higher gravity brewing. Various yeast nutrient supplements have been used or proposed to maintain yeast performance under stressful conditions. These have included specific metal ions, lipids and lipid components such as fatty acids and sterols and free amino nitrogen, usually supplied in the form of a complex yeast food. Correction of wort nutritional deficiencies may reduce stress sensitivity of yeast and improve fermentation performance. Potential negative consequences of altering wort composition must however be considered, as important beer quality attributes such as taste, stability and foam can be affected. Here, the various options for nutrient supplementation and their influence on yeast physiology and performance, as well as beer characteristics are considered.     

STRAIN SPECIFIC RESPONSE OF BREWER'S YEAST STRAINS TO ZINC CONCENTRATIONS IN CONVENTIONAL AND HIGH GRAVITY WORTS*

The effect of zinc on a variety of yeast strains is extensively documented in the literature. However, due to the varied experimental protocols employed in each study there is little opportunity to directly compare the strain specificity of this ion. In the present study, the response of six yeast strains (three Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ale type) and three S.cerevisiae (lager type)) to altered zinc concentrations, in both high (1080 OG) and conventional (1048 OG) gravity worts, was investigated. Varying the initial wort zinc concentration in both gravities had an effect on the ethanol production, rate of fermentation, cell number and sugar uptake of all six strains studied. The extent of the response was found to be dependent upon the zinc concentration, the strain employed and wort gravity employed.     

The Loss of Hydrophobic Polypeptides during Fermentation and Conditioning of High Gravity and Low Gravity Brewed Beer

The object of this study was to investigate the loss of hydrophobic polypeptides, which are important for foam quality and stability in finished beer. Loss of hydrophobic polypeptide due to fermenter foaming occurs during transfer of fermented wort since a gradient of hydrophobic polypeptides towards the surface is created during fermentation. Due to higher polyphenol levels in high gravity (20°Plato) wort, more hydrophobic polypeptides are lost due to cold break (cold trub) precipitation compared to low gravity (12°Plato) wort. Another important factor affecting the loss of hydrophobic polypeptides could be proteinase A activity during fermentation, especially in high gravity fermentation where the yeast is exposed the higher stress. During high gravity fermentation, where osmotic pressures are higher, ethanol levels become greater, and nitrogen‐carbohydrate ratios are lower, more proteinase A is released by the yeast. This release of proteinase A into fermenting wort could have implications for the foam stability of the finished product.     

The Dynamic Changes of Proton Efflux Rate in Saccharomyces pastorianus Strains During High Gravity or Very High Gravity Brewing

The changes in the proton efflux rate (PER) during fermentation of normal gravity (NG), high gravity (HG) and very high gravity (VHG) wort by a lager yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus) were monitored using an optimized PER test method. The values of the proton efflux rate in S. pastorianus decreased with increasing initial wort gravity. Moreover, the difference in the proton efflux rate values at the beginning of the fermentation was lower than at the end of fermentation from normal gravity to very high gravity brewing. These results demonstrated that the proton efflux rate in S. pastorianus was inhibited in the later stages of high gravity and very high gravity brewing. Furthermore, the changes of the proton efflux rate in S. pastorianus under the high ethanol concentration conditions appeared to depend on the concentration of ethanol in the fermentation liquid. A better negative correlation (P > 0.001, r = ?0.95) between the ethanol concentration at >4% (w/v) and the proton efflux rate was found. The changes of the proton efflux rate in the cells treated with exogenous ethanol confirmed that higher concentrations of ethanol could significantly inhibit proton efflux in S. pastorianus. This study offers a possible way to monitor and explain the performance of yeast in the complex environment of high gravity and very high gravity brewing.     

高浓高温对啤酒酵母发酵性能的影响

以啤酒酵母S-6为实验菌株,研究了主发酵温度和原麦汁浓度对啤酒发酵的残糖、酒精度、风味物质和絮凝性等性能指标的影响。结果表明,原麦汁浓度一定时,主发酵温度对高级醇和乙酸酯的含量影响较大,主发酵温度由10 ℃提高至16 ℃时,高级醇含量提高了10%～20%,乙酸酯含量提高了8%～16%,但CO2累积质量损失、残糖、酒精度和絮凝性基本不受温度的影响;主发酵温度一定时,原麦汁浓度对酵母絮凝性影响较大,原麦汁浓度越高,酵母絮凝性越低,将高浓（18 °Bx）发酵液稀释50%至常浓（12 °Bx）,残糖、酒精度和高级醇的含量与常浓发酵液基本相同。该研究为选育高温高浓发酵低产高级醇同时强絮凝性酵母菌株提供了重要依据。     

Altered Patterns of Maltose and Glucose Fermentation by Brewing and Wine Yeasts Influenced by the Complexity of Nitrogen Source

Maltose and glucose fermentations by industrial brewing and wine yeasts strains were strongly affected by the structural complexity of the nitrogen source. In this study, four Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, two brewing and two wine yeasts, were grown in a medium containing maltose or glucose supplemented with a nitrogen source varying from a single ammonium salt (ammonium sulfate) to free amino acids (casamino acids) and peptides (peptone). Diauxie was observed at low sugar concentration for brewing and wine strains, independent of nitrogen supplementation, and the type of sugar. At high sugar concentrations altered patterns of sugar fermentation were observed, and biomass accumulation and ethanol production depended on the nature of the nitrogen source and were different for brewing and wine strains. In maltose, high biomass production was observed under peptone and casamino acids for the brewing and wine strains, however efficient maltose utilization and high ethanol production was only observed in the presence of casamino acids for one brewing and one wine strain studied. Conversely, peptone and casamino acids induced higher biomass and ethanol production for the two other brewing and wine strains studied. With glucose, in general, peptone induced higher fermentation performance for all strains, and one brewing and wine strain produced the same amount of ethanol with peptone and casamino acids supplementation. Ammonium salts always induced poor yeast performance. The results described in this paper suggest that the complex nitrogen composition of the cultivation medium may create conditions resembling those responsible for inducing sluggish/stuck fermentation, and indicate that the kind and concentration of sugar, the complexity of nitrogen source and the yeast genetic background influence optimal industrial yeast fermentation performance.     

Comparing the Impact of Environmental Factors During Very High Gravity Brewing Fermentations

The impact of the initial dissolved oxygen, fermentation temperature, wort concentration and yeast pitching rate on the major fermentation process responses were evaluated by full factorial design and statistical analysis by JMP 5.01 (SAS software) software. Fermentation trials were carried out in 2L‐EBC tall tubes using an industrial lager brewing yeast strain. The yeast viability, ethanol production, apparent extract and real degree of fermentation were monitored. The results obtained demonstrate that very high gravity worts at 22°P can be fermented in the same period of time as a 15°P wort, by raising the temperature to 18°C, the oxygen level to about 22 ppm, and increasing the pitching rate to 22 × 10⁶ cell/mL. When diluting to obtain an 11.5°P beer extract, the volumetric brewing capacity increased 91% for the 22°P wort fermentation and 30% using the 15°P wort. After dilution, the fermentation of the 22°P wort resulted in a beer with higher esters levels, primarily the compound ethyl acetate.     

The Effects of Osmotic Pressure and Ethanol on Yeast Viability and Morphology

The selection of a brewing yeast strain with the required fermentation and recycling characteristics is critical. The yeast strain will influence the rate and extent of fermentation, the flavour characteristics and the overall quality and stability of the finished beer, and consequently, the economic viability of the brewery. Since high gravity worts can have a deleterious effect on yeast fermentation performance, it is imperative that the strain selected be suitable for this environment, which includes a capacity to withstand high osmotic pressures and elevated ethanol levels. Under controlled in vitro osmotic and ethanol induced stresses, there was a decline in mean cell volume in both lager and ale yeast strains. Whilst significant reductions in viability were observed in the lager strains, the ale strains studied were not affected. Cell surface investigations revealed shrinkage of the yeast cells and crenation of the outside envelope under both stresses, although exposure to ethanol had a more marked effect on the yeast cell surface than sorbitol‐induced elevated osmotic pressure.     

THE EFFECTS OF INCREASED MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM CONCENTRATIONS ON YEAST FERMENTATION PERFORMANCE IN HIGH GRAVITY WORTS*

The response of e number of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ale) and Saccharomyces uvarum (caris-bargenaia) (lager) strains to altered starting levels of magnesium and calcium in 12°P (1048 original gravity) or 20°P (1080 original gravity) wort were investigated. In general, the same trends were observed in all 6 strains, however the extent of the response to adjusted levels of magnesium and calcium were found to be strain dependent. The results indicate that an increased ratio of magnesium to calcium causes an increase in the initial fermentation rate, the rate and yield of ethanol produced and an increase in vitality at the end of fermentation, in all strains employed. Upon increasing the calcium to magnesium ratio it was found that the initial fermentation rate was decreased, resulting in an increased attenuation time in the case of the lager strains. It was also noted that increasing the calcium to magnesium ratio led to a decreased ethanol production, maltotriose uptake, and in the case of the lager strains, maltose uptake was also adversely affected under these conditions. Altering the calcium and magnesium levels had no effect on the viability of the yeast or on glycogen levels .     

Effect of Sugar Catabolite Repression in Correlation with the Structural Complexity of the Nitrogen Source on Yeast Growth and Fermentation

Biomass and ethanol production by industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were strongly affected by the structural complexity of the nitrogen source during fermentation in media containing galactose, and supplemented with a nitrogen source varying from a single ammonium salt (ammonium sulfate) to free amino acids (casamino acids) and peptides (peptone). Diauxie was observed at low galactose concentrations independent of nitrogen supplementation. At high sugar concentrations altered patterns of galactose utilisation were observed. Biomass accumulation and ethanol production depended on the nature of the nitrogen source and were different for baking and brewing ale and lager strains. Baking yeast showed improved galactose fermentation performance in the medium supplemented with casamino acids. High biomass production was observed with peptone and casamino acids for the ale brewing strain, however high ethanol production was observed only in the presence of casamino acids. Conversely, peptone was the nitrogen supplement that induced higher biomass and ethanol production for the lager brewing strain. Ammonium salts always induced poor yeast performance. The results with galactose differed from those obtained with glucose and maltose which indicated that supplementation with a nitrogen source in the peptide form (peptone) was more positive for yeast metabolism, suggesting that sugar catabolite repression has a central role in yeast performance in a medium containing nitrogen sources with differing levels of structural complexity.     

Screening for new brewing yeasts in the non‐Saccharomyces sector with Torulaspora delbrueckii as model

This study describes a screening system for future brewing yeasts focusing on non‐Saccharomyces yeasts. The aim was to find new yeast strains that can ferment beer wort into a respectable beer. Ten Torulaspora delbrueckii strains were put through the screening system, which included sugar utilization tests, hop resistance tests, ethanol resistance tests, polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting, propagation tests, amino acid catabolism and anabolism, phenolic off‐flavour tests and trial fermentations. Trial fermentations were analysed for extract reduction, pH drop, yeast concentration in bulk fluid and fermentation by‐products. All investigated strains were able to partly ferment wort sugars and showed high tolerance to hop compounds and ethanol. One of the investigated yeast strains fermented all the wort sugars and produced a respectable fruity flavour and a beer of average ethanol content with a high volatile flavour compound concentration. Two other strains could possibly be used for pre‐fermentation as a bio‐flavouring agent for beers that have been post‐fermented by Saccharomyces strains as a consequence of their low sugar utilization but good flavour‐forming properties. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

THE EFFECT OF YEAST TREHALOSE CONTENT AT PITCHING ON FERMENTATION PERFORMANCE DURING BREWING FERMENTATIONS

The effect of yeast trehalose content at pitching on the fermentation performance during brewing fermentations was studied using a commercial strain of lager yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (AJL 2155). Pitching yeasts with different trehalose contents were obtained by collecting cells in suspension after 96 h and 144 h of fermentation in EBC tubes in 10.8°P brewers wort at 14°C. The trehalose content of the pitching yeast had no effect on growth, specific gravity and ethanol production during the subsequent fermentation. A high trehalose content of the pitching yeast, however, sustained cell viability during the initial stage of fermentation, increased the carbohydrate utilisation rate and increased the production of isoamyl alcohol and isobutanol. For these aspects of fermentation performance, the trehalose content of the pitching yeast may prove useful in evaluating the vitality of pitching yeasts within the brewery .