ADVERTISEMENT

Video Tip: A Broadening View of Biotransformation and Beer Aroma

Biotransformation is an expansive, complex process. Laura Burns, R&D director of Omega Yeast, puts the topic into context, raising questions about the conventional wisdom and zooming in on certain precursors that exist in beer’s ingredients.

Laura Burns Jun 29, 2022 - 2 min read

Sign up for a free account to skip pre-roll ads.

Before Laura Burns spent five years in production and quality assurance at breweries in Nashville and Chicago, she earned her doctorate as a specialist in yeast cell biology and genetics. Now, she puts that deep expertise and experience to work at Omega Yeast, where she and her team have done significant and ongoing research on the interaction of yeast and hop compounds, and how precursors and biotransformation can unlock more intense, desirable aromas in beer.

In this 53-minute video course, Burns delivers an easy-to-follow yet detailed master class on how to take better advantage of yeast and fermentation to crank up the volume on your hop aroma. Among other topics, she covers:

  • choosing yeast strains for biotransformation
  • various hop compounds—such as thiols and terpenes—and how they manifest in beer aroma
  • mash-hopping and its effects on biotransformation
  • malt as a source of thiol precursors for bigger aroma
  • how labs engineer thiolized yeast strains
  • cold-side hopping and effects on haze and foam
  • considerations for re-pitching yeast
  • getting provocative aromas from everyday brewing ingredients
  • thiols as a way to build more stable aroma

And more.

Want access to more video courses like this one? All of our subscriptions come with a 100-percent money-back guarantee. Get your All Access Subscription to tap into a library of more than 70 full courses on a diverse range of brewing topics. If you don’t love it, we’re happy to refund you.

ARTICLES FOR YOU