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Wild Yeast Brews Up New Flavors for BC Beers
12 Jul
Summary
- Researchers are using wild yeast foraged across British Columbia for brewing.
- This innovation aims to reduce costs for the struggling brewing industry.
- Wild yeast can produce unique flavors, reducing reliance on hops.
Researchers from Langara College and the University of British Columbia are investigating the potential of brewing beer with wild yeast gathered from British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. This project, funded by Genome B.C., aims to support the province's brewing sector by offering new flavor profiles and reducing production costs.
Dr. Stephanie Cheung, a project lead, explained that traditional brewing relies on a limited range of commercial yeasts. The new research demonstrates how wild yeast strains can impart distinct flavors, such as tropical fruit notes, without the need for hops. This approach could mitigate challenges faced by brewers due to drought impacting hop crops and tariffs on imported hops.
Two Lower Mainland breweries, Parallel 49 and Barnside Brewing, are supporting the initiative. Barnside Brewing, which already uses its own hops and grain, sees value in local sourcing for unique tastes. The researchers plan to establish a platform for wild yeast discovery and characterization for breweries, with a prototype expected this year.
