Thiolized yeast curious...but will I be thrown in jail??

Clarence · Sep 22, 2023

I don't get why we need this particular yeast anyway. Fermentis K-97, claims Fermentis, is their top yeast for liberating hop thiols and every other yeast lab or packager has their own favourite so why do we need yeasts that are genetically modified to produce the enzymes that some "natural" yeasts can produce anyway? Isn't the particular thiol dependent on which precursors are present in the hop rather than the yeast enzyme? Or have I got that wrong?
Aren't we getting a bit obsessed with biotransformation anyway? There are some lovely smelling hops out there. Why do we have to change the way they smell and taste (necessarily)? Sure, it's another string to the brewer's bow, but it seems to be very much the flavour of the month. Probably a here today and gone tomorrow fad. I haven't heard anyone talking about cleaving terpenes from their precursors for a few weeks now. So that fad has gone off the boil.
I fully understand how and why these techniques are a godsend in industry, allowing commercial brewers to get more from cheaper and older hops. I understand how and why we home brewers want to understand and experience all this, too, and to push it to it's limits, but let's see it for what it is: just another technique, not THE technique.

marshbrewer · Sep 22, 2023

Evil government. Gong back in time to build Victorian sewerage outflows then deliberately making it rain so they get used. Booooooo
Boooooooooooooo!!!

MashBag · Sep 22, 2023

hoppyscotty said:
Anyway think I’ll risk the creation of a new species and see if I can fashion up a way of keeping the yeast cool in transit and give it a go.

If it helps I get bacteria delivered temp controlled, in a silver bubble bag with and ice pack in it. Works well. A insulated lunch bag might be handy too...looks the last, just make sure lunch isn't illegal and there isn't any liquids.

AlBrew · Sep 22, 2023

hoppyscotty said:
Interesting. Would be interesting to see if they could actually follow through with an order and it’s not just a shop that has their entire stock uploaded.

Anyway think I’ll risk the creation of a new species and see if I can fashion up a way of keeping the yeast cool in transit and give it a go. Need to get me one of these….

How cool are we talking about?

Transatlantic baggage holds seem to be kept at somewhere between 7°C - 15°C, a thermos with some ice in it should be sufficient even on a West Coast 11 hour flight?
Might attract some attention on the xray however, maybe just a couple of cool packs would last.