Bioprospecting for brewers: Exploiting natural diversity for naturally diverse beers

Francisco A. Cubillos, Brian Gibson*, Nubia Grijalva-Vallejos, Kristoffer Krogerus, Jarkko Nikulin

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview Articlepeer-review

    84 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The burgeoning interest in archaic, traditional, and novel beer styles has coincided with a growing appreciation of the role of yeasts in determining beer character as well as a better understanding of the ecology and biogeography of yeasts. Multiple studies in recent years have highlighted the potential of wild Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts for production of beers with novel flavour profiles and other desirable properties. Yeasts isolated from spontaneously fermented beers as well as from other food systems (wine, bread, and kombucha) have shown promise for brewing application, and there is evidence that such cross-system transfers have occurred naturally in the past. We review here the available literature pertaining to the use of nonconventional yeasts in brewing, with a focus on the origins of these yeasts, including methods of isolation. Practical aspects of utilizing nondomesticated yeasts are discussed, and modern methods to facilitate discovery of yeasts with brewing potential are highlighted.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)383-398
    JournalYeast
    Volume36
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2019
    MoE publication typeA2 Review article in a scientific journal

    Funding

    The Academy of Finland (Academy Projects 276480 and 305453) is gratefully acknowledged for supporting the work of B. Gibson. J. Nikulin is supported by Fonds Baillet Latour. K. Krogerus wishes to thank the Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Svenska Kulturfonden—The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, and Suomen Kulttuurirahasto for their support.

    Keywords

    • beer
    • domestication
    • flavour
    • identification
    • isolation
    • yeast

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