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Analysis of the difference between brewing yeast and beer yeast

0 Author 2025-05-06 11:06:01

There is a certain correlation between brewing yeast and beer yeast in biological classification and application scenarios, but there are also differences. The specific analysis is as follows:

1、 Biological classification

Saccharomyces cerevisiae
The scientific name is S. cerevisiae, which belongs to the type species of the yeast genus and is the scientific name of a single species. It is widely used in the production of wine, bread, Baijiu and Ale beer.

beer yeast
Usually refers to yeast used in beer brewing, which may include two species:

S. cerevisiae: the same species as brewing yeast, but using specific strains (such as high fermentation, alcohol tolerant variants).

S. pastorianus, formerly known as S. carlsbergensis, is a hybrid of S. cerevisiae and S. eubayanus, adapted to low-temperature fermentation (10-15 ° C).

2、 Application differences

characteristic	brewing yeast (S. cerevisiae)	beer yeast (S. pastorianus)
Fermentation type	Top fermentation (ale beer, wine)	Bottom fermentation (lager beer)
Temperature range	15-25 °	8-15 ° C
The product has rich flavor	esters and phenolic substances (fruity and pungent)	pure flavor, and prominent malt aroma
Typical uses	wine, bread, Baijiu, Al Beer Lager beer	part of industrial fermentation

3、 Confusion points of terminology

Commercial naming: Commercial "beer yeast" may include two types. For example, ale yeast is labeled as "brewing yeast", while lager yeast may be individually labeled as "lager yeast" or "S. pastorianus".

By product application: The yeast slurry after beer fermentation can be processed into nutritional supplements, where "beer yeast" refers to by-products, non live bacteria.

4、 Key conclusions

Homology: Traditional ale beer yeast and brewing yeast are the same species, with only different strain characteristics.

Species differences: Lager beer yeast is an independent species that adapts to low-temperature fermentation.

Scope of terminology: "Brewing yeast" is an academic name, while "beer yeast" focuses more on application scenarios and may cover different strains of bacteria.

Understanding these differences can help in selecting suitable strains for brewing, such as using the S. cerevisiae strain that produces ester flavors for IPA production, while S. pastorianus is needed for brewing Pearson.