Beloved for their clean, crisp, and ultra-drinkable profiles, lagers are the most widely brewed beer in the world. Craft your best lager with these six tips from the pitch! Download PDF - Tips From the Pitch-Lagers 1. Pitch Rate Matters Industry Standard is 1.5 - 2 million cells/mL/°Plato This refers to the rate of cells…
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The pH scale, that fundamental guide in brewing, was crafted in 1909 by S.P.L. Sørensen. He devised a method for determining the acidity or alkalinity of solutions on a scale from 0 to 14. His ingenious creation unveiled the significance of pH in biochemical reactions, particularly those brewing relies on. But what is pH? In…
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Non-Alcoholic and Low Alcohol Beer Non-alcoholic beer has been popular internationally for quite some time. More recently, the popularity of these beverages in the US has increased. This category spans beers ranging from <0.5% to about 2.5% ABV. Several methods are used to produce these methods. Not all of them are applicable to the craft…
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Tropical flavors. Fruit bomb beers. Unlocking bound thiols. These are buzz phrases often tossed around whenever the topic turns to biotransformation. In reality, the biotransformation of hop compounds by yeast strains in beer is a fascinating and multifaceted process embraced with great excitement and enthusiasm. Brewers are right to be intrigued, given the clear potential…
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WHAT IS THE GRODZISKIE STYLE? We are excited to be part of the revival of the iconic Grodziskie style, a 100% smoked wheat ale in the sessionable 2.5-3.3% ABV range, that defines Poland’s rich brewing heritage, with a yeast blend collected from the original Grodziskie brewery straight from the revived Grodzisk Brewery in the city…
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Introduction to Acetaldehyde Acetaldehyde is a natural byproduct of yeast fermentation and a precursor compound to alcohol. It is an “off-flavor” known to have the aroma and taste of green apple or pumpkin rind. It can be commonly referred to as “green” beer or unfinished beer. Factors influencing the acetaldehyde levels in beer are yeast…
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“Yeast cells need 100% of their essential vitamins and minerals (nutrients) to make it through a fermentation properly nourished and to be ready to work again another day, much the same way humans do.” At White Labs, we do countless experiments on nutrient levels, especially FAN (Free Amino Nitrogen). Yeast needs sufficient nitrogen to carry…
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Brewers regularly produce wort with varying strengths and chemical properties. Most brewing strains have evolved to thrive within a narrow range of growth conditions specific to certain styles. As brewers, we already choose strain parameters depending on the yeast strain, from attenuation ranges, flocculation characteristics, and preferred fermentation temperatures. Filter Through Our Yeast & Bacteria…
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Contamination is the Culprit Contamination is one of the quickest ways to spoil a great beer. Beer generally uses a pure single culture of yeast to help produce a consistent fermentation and flavor profile. However, there are many control points in the brewing process where contamination can occur. Preventing beer contamination and maintaining brand reputation…
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WLP655 Belgian Sour Mix 1 is a unique blend of Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. Beers produced with Belgian blends, such as WLP655, are often aged in bottles or barrels for several months, continuously evolving their sensory profiles. The impacts of different fermentation conditions on beer evolution are not fully understood. Our R&D team experimented…
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From the beginning, White Labs has focused on high cell counts, high viability, and high strain diversity. In 1995, we coined the term “pitchable” as a way to bring a new type of liquid yeast into homebrewing and integrated into our strain numbers (WLP = White Labs Pitchable). The term ‘starters’ originated before White Labs,…
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Yeast collection and reuse is a long-established practice in brewing. With proper yeast handling and repitching practices, brewers can effectively reduce yeast expenses by maintaining yeast health and reusing a single strain for multiple generations and many batches of beer. Brewing schedules are crucial to help maximize efficiency and ensure the yeast is not left…
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