Yeast Nutrition in Non-Malt Fermentations

Homebrewers are embracing hard seltzers and finding new ways to put their creative spin on an otherwise macro product. At the brewery scale, substantial post-fermentation processing is employed to clean up after yeast that has been stressed and pushed to the limit. Unfortunately, many homebrewers do not have access to such expensive equipment and advanced processes, so it is even more critical to find the right yeast and nutrient combination.

At Omega Yeast, we have performed in-depth trials to optimize yeast nutrition in solely sugar-based fermentations and produce a clear, colorless, clean hard-seltzer base. We will cover the basic components of a seltzer nutrient and describe several key differences between commercial yeast nutrients. We’ll cover optimization of nutrient dose rates and yeast pitch rates for hard seltzer fermentations ranging in alcohol-by-volume targets from 4.5% to 15%. The wrong yeast strain can perform poorly and yield incomplete fermentation and diacetyl or sulfur off-flavors. We’ll provide several suggestions for yeast best suited for non-malt fermentations. Lastly, we’ll share common ways to flavor and have a stable final product.

Learning Objectives

• Gain a solid understanding of the nutrients that yeast need for non-malt fermentations
• Learn how to optimize yeast pitch rate and nutrient dose for different ABV targets
• Explore what yeast are best suited for hard seltzer fermentations

About the Speaker

Chris Bernardo began his career as a systems administrator, but after a decade of being unfulfilled by the corporate grind, he began looking for a different job. Like many homebrewers, he took his love of brewing a step too far and found his way into the craft beer industry. Today, he works with the research and development team at Omega Yeast as the innovation brewer where he helps turn lab experiments into practical brewing knowledge.