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Yeast flavour project to ‘benefit Scotch innovation’
A new study looking into the impact of yeast strains on flavours has yielded “promising characteristics” for whisky-making.
More than 20 strains of yeast have been tested
Researchers from Heriot-Watt University and the Port of Leith distillery secured funding from Innovate UK for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme.
The KTP scheme will see the researchers test more than 20 strains of yeast, an ingredient essential to the production of Scotch whisky.
The two-year research and development programme has already identified brewing strains of yeast that have the “ability to maintain the balance between alcohol yields and flavour”.
“The objective of the research is to determine how the choice of yeast contributes to the complexity of flavours found in Scotch whisky,” said Victoria Muir-Taylor, KTP associate distiller at Port of Leith Distillery and a graduate from Heriot-Watt’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling.
She said: “A huge amount of attention has been given to the type of cask used for maturation, but we want to focus on the early phases of the production process.
“We want to see what new characteristics we can bring out in a whisky from changing the yeast alone. We believe this is a key area for innovation.”
Until the mid-20th century, many whisky distilleries shared yeast with a local brewery or used a combination of a distiller’s yeast for alcohol and a brewer’s yeast for flavour and mouthfeel.
Since the 1950s, the most widespread strain of yeast used in Scotland has been M strains of S.cerevisiae.
MX, a new super-strain, has recently been introduced due to its “quicker and more efficient impact on fermentation”. Mauri yeast is also still used.
‘Benefit innovation’
Ian Stirling, co-founder of Port of Leith Distillery, said: “There are 100s of commercially available yeasts and, while not all are suitable for whisky distillation, many can create unique and distinctive flavours in the new make spirit. Until recently, efficiency has tended to dominate the conversation about yeast.
“However, we’ve already seen a few companies conducting experiments with some wonderful results reaching the market. However, Scotland still lags behind the US in terms of innovation in this area.
“We have now reached the halfway point in our two-year research and development programme, in which we are experimenting with a wide range of yeasts and fermentations, drawing ideas from different sectors of the drinks industry.
“We want to find new flavours and styles that we can draw through to our distillate. There are a huge number of variables to consider such as how long you ferment for and at what temperature, but we firmly believe that this research will be beneficial for the industry as a whole.”
Muir-Taylor added: “We will be sharing the results of this project with the industry at large to benefit innovation and the continued growth and development of the Scotch whisky industry.
“As one of Scotland’s key exports, it is essential that we continue to push boundaries.”
The KTP will release its findings to the public once complete in September 2020.