Interspecific hybridization of lager yeast strains

Abstract

The process of making beer is a task that has been around for centuries, utilizing many different ingredients and processes. Finding faster ways to produce and maximize results is always a good thing. This article talks about a hybrid interspecific yeast, Saccharomyces pastorianus; which is the offspring of cross breeding two other strands of Saccharomyces. This hybrid was tested for many different properties and compared to its parental strains to see whether or not it is beneficial to use. Saccharomyces pastorianus hybrid inherited many properties from both parents that increased its ability to thrive. When tested against the parents, Saccharomyces pastorianus showed to ferment faster and produced a beer with alcohol content higher than that of its parental strands. These discoveries can lead to improving brewing practices.