It is often said that beer brewers make wort and yeast makes beer – this is true! In this article, our brewing experts will introduce you to the importance of beer yeast in the brewing process and the terminology used when talking about yeast.
Like the other three main ingredients of beer (water, malt, and hops), yeast is equally important, or even more important. Yeast is a living organism that contains the magical little microorganisms that turn our wort into beer. The most important thing is that high-quality, well-processed and sufficient yeast should be added to each beer to ensure the best fermentation and flavor development.
Despite this, many brewers underestimate the importance of putting in the right amount of healthy yeast.
Yeast Term
Liquid and dry yeast
This is the form of yeast you buy as a brewer. Liquid yeast comes in a liquid suspension, while dry yeast removes the liquid. Both are effective for fermenting beer.
Important note: To calculate the correct amount of yeast, please use the Yeast Pitch Calculator.
Cell counts
This refers to the number of yeast cells per billion (i.e., 15-150 billion counts).
Viability
This refers to the effectiveness of the remaining live yeast cells – their vitality and health. Yeast cells die as soon as they reproduce, which means the effectiveness of the yeast diminishes over time.
Attenuation
This is the percentage of sugar in the wort that can be converted into alcohol by yeast. In other words, it is the amount of work the yeast has to do before becoming too fatigued or going dormant.
Starter
A starter is a diluted sugar solution that activates the yeast and helps it replicate. Starters are primarily used for liquid yeast but can also be used for dry yeast.
How to Increase Brewer’s Yeast Amount
Buy and use more yeast
Using more packages of dry or liquid yeast will immediately increase your cell count and provide your yeast with more teammates to efficiently produce delicious beer.
Use a yeast starter
Using a yeast starter gives your small amount of yeast a chance to grow and multiply, providing them with more teammates to complete the task of making delicious beer.
To explain the yeast starter in more detail, we need to understand what it is… A starter can be as simple as a sterile bottle filled with fermentable wort and yeast to initiate fermentation, or it can be more complex, involving a stirring plate, flask, and stir bar.
Stir Plate
This device, used in conjunction with a stirring rod and a flask, continuously agitates the yeast starter, keeping the yeast in suspension and promoting gas exchange.
If you are new to brewing and want to expand your knowledge, please read the rest of our article. If you have any questions about beer brewing techniques or equipment, please contact us. We are happy to help! Contact Kate at info@ace-chn.com
