Lesson 8 - Yeast Management
This lesson will explore the methods that are used to measure yeast’s concentration and to assess its health. We will then go on to describe how this knowledge underpins the methods used to store and handle yeast in the brewery.
Preface
Brewing yeast is unquestionably a valuable asset; possibly the most valuable one that a brewery has because no yeast means no beer. In this lesson, we will find out how to safeguard it, and the methods used to confirm that this is being done correctly.
We are used to measuring many things in a brewery. Most of these are physical parameters, and we can easily understand why they need to be measured and how the values relate to processing specifications.
Malt and hops are natural products, like yeast, and so the parameters used to assess them have a biological basis; however, malt and hop specifications are fixed when brought into the brewery and provided they are stored and used properly should not cause unexpected results.
Yeast is different; it is a living organism and a complex one at that. As we have seen in previous lessons, it has a key impact on every batch of beer made, and it has the potential to change throughout the process.
It is therefore apparent that we need to take special precautions to make sure that yeast is always present at the correct concentration and in the right condition so that it performs in the way we brewers expect it to.
We need to understand what these precautions are and make sure that we have a brewery plant that is capable of meeting the needs of yeast at different stages in the process.
Fundamental to all of this is the need to have methods to assess yeast condition and quantity.