Yeast

In short: Yeast is the microorganism that ferments the sugars in the mash into alcohol. Distilleries often guard proprietary yeast strains because they shape a spirit's flavor as much as the grain does.

Different strains produce different esters and congeners, so a house yeast is part of a distillery's identity. Pitch rate, temperature, and health all affect attenuation and the final flavor. Logging yeast strain and pitch data per fermentation supports both consistency and the traceability auditors and blenders rely on.

Why do distilleries guard their yeast strains?

Yeast creates most of a whiskey's congeners during fermentation, so the strain is as much a part of the house style as the mash bill. Heritage distilleries have propagated the same strain for decades because changing it changes the whiskey.

What yeast data belongs in the record?

Strain, propagation or lot, pitch rate, and fermentation temperature profile. When a fermentation behaves oddly or a flavor drifts, the yeast record is the first place to look.

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Related

• Fermentation
• Congeners
• Distillery production software