VLB SERVICE
Pure yeast and starter cultures for different types of beer During beer production the yeast ferments the sugar of the wort to alcohol and CO2. In this process, a large number of by-products are produced by the yeast that give the beer its characteristic flavor. Traditionally, strains of the genus Saccharomyces are used in the beer industry. The main differentiation is between the bottom fermenting, e.g. for Pilsner type beer, Lager and Export, and the top fermenting yeast, e.g. for Porter, Wheat Beer, Alt and Kölsch. (BF) The collection of pure culture yeasts and their characterisation for the use in breweries, distilleries and diverse fields of beverage production at the Institute for Fermentation and Biotechnology (IfGB) in Berlin looks back on more than 100 years of tradition. After the large-scale destruction of the institute buildings in World War II, it was Prof. Dr. Siegfried Windisch (1913–2000), who restarted collecting different yeast strains for the brewing industry. Today, various microorganisms are collected at VLB Berlin and preserved by the Biological Laboratory of the VLB Research Institute
The yeast bank is part of VLB's Biological Laboratory
for Biotechnology and Water. They provide a wide choice of pure cultures for the development and production of a broad spectrum of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented beverages based on different raw materials like wort (distinct beer types including Sour beer and Berliner Weiße), tea (e.g. Kombucha), or different sweetened bases (e.g. Water Kefir, Hard Seltzer, Kwaas): Our services The strain collection of the VLB Biological Laboratory offers more than 100 different yeast strains and other functional microorganisms for their use in brewing, spirits and beverage industries. These mainly include: • Bottom fermenting yeasts for breweries, e.g. Lager beers, Pils and Bock beers • Top fermenting yeasts for breweries, e.g. Ales, Wheat beers, Alt and Kölsch • Spirits, wine and champagne yeast strains • Pure culture yeast strains for specific products, such as low alcohol beers or specialty beers e.g. Berliner Weiße • Lactic acid bacteria for acidification of mash and wort • Microorganisms for the production of non-alcoholic fermented beverages, e.g. Kombucha and Water Kefir VLB provides comprehensive services regarding yeast cultures and starters as well as the development of special products offering professional advices:
Photos: ew
• Isolation, identification and characterization of microorganisms • Third party storage – exclusive storage and management of individual strains • Purity check or purification, respectively, of your brewery yeast • Lyophilization of cultures • Customized screenings and implementation of test fermentations including accompanying analysis • Product development
VLB's yeast bank offers more than 100 different yeast strains and other functional microorganisms for beer production
Yeast distribution worldwide The pure yeast cultures are delivered as liquid concentrate in aluminium bottles, as agar slant or as dry yeast on filter paper. Contact: Dr. Martin Hageböck biolab@vlb-berlin.org +49 030 450 80-157 www.vlb-berlin.org/en/yeast
Brauerei Forum International – May 2020
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