Repitching brewing yeast has long been a subject of nuanced dialogue within the brewing community, and a topic that resonates deeply with our team at Lallemand Brewing.
The practice of reutilizing brewing yeast is well established in certain
regions, while emerging as a novel pursuit in others, paralleling the dissemination of advanced educational resources. When executed carefully, the act of repitching yeast emerges as an economic benefit for brewers, saving the brewer money and keeping brew schedules on track.
An incontrovertible truth regarding repitching brewing yeast is that it requires effort from both the yeast producer and the brewer alike. In essence, for a yeast strain to merit the “repitchable” designation, the yeast producer must ensure genetic stability across successive generations, coupled with adherence to the most stringent quality and microbiological standards. It’s important to remember that not all yeast performs the same; some exhibit slower growth rates, while others are higher flocculators, for example. Once a high-quality stable yeast is in the hands of the brewer, more work needs to be done to ensure consistent beverage with repitched yeast.
In this newsletter, we will look at what it takes for a yeast manufacturer to
produce a “repitchable yeast” as well as what the brewer must do to ensure
consistent beer with repitched yeast. Here at Lallemand, we have made
significant improvements in our production processes to ensure the genetic
stability and high quality of our dry brewing yeast products. This progress
is supported by continuous research in the areas of yeast propagation and
drying technology.
We will take a look at the latest data from a repitching research project in conjunction with Nottingham University as well as hear from industry experts about repitching approaches, best practices and some tips and tricks for repitching both at home and commercially.
