ABSTRACT
The flavor, aroma, and overall characteristics of any alcoholic beverage (particularly beer) is, in large part, determined by the yeast strain used (further details in Chapter 8), the wort composition (details in Chapters 9, 11, and 15), and the fermentation conditions employed. Yeast properties such as flocculation, fermentation ability (including the uptake of wort sugars, amino acids, small peptides, and ammonium ions), osmotic pressure, ethanol tolerance, and oxygen requirements (details in Chapter 8 and later in this chapter) have a critical impact on fermentation performance. Proprietary strains, belonging to individual breweries, are usually (but not always) jealously guarded and conserved.
