Friday, August 31, 2012

A Moment for Yeast

As we look to history, scientifically and socially, natural selection is the ultimate beta test.  The impressive trials and errors that leave some void and others valid.  Perhaps the void were the fair and square and the valid were, well more like a rhombus, a well-known trait by most bonifides (bone-a-feet-ees). 

But I regress, why is the obvious mentioned, perhaps the author has severe brain trauma or sheer incomprehensible genius, although unlikely.  What does this have to do with brewing? A reasonable question directed at the unreasonable, for no one would keep reading garrulous chatter if ‘twas not for the love of beer. 

For the love of YEAST

As brewers evolved so did our yeast, perhaps they had some sort of body snatching quality to cause mentioned humanoid to abandon society, with nothing left for shelter but a inhospitable lean-to shelter made from tattered malt sacks held together by post boil IIPA aftermath, gallons of barley wine to keep warm, and with only a mash paddle for defense against, well the zombies of course. Anyhow, our friend yeast, specifically Saccharomyces cerevisiae, your common Ale strain, is an impressive species of yeast.  There are more than 100 different strains sold on the market today.  Genetically very similar, as humans are to one other, but individually yeast exhibit very different characteristics from strain to strain.  Every beer one has ever drank relies on specific healthy strains to produce that beer, no brewer is shy about a recipe, but most are cautious about their yeast.  So respect the little guy next time you quaff a pint or sip a liter, for one time or another we have all experienced the benefits yeast has to offer.  So as you read this perpetual run-on sentence and wonder if the sanatorium is admitting today, remember the universe if infinitely large, but like-wise it is infinitely small, and the small things definitely count when it comes to your pint glass.

So, is loving a single cellular fungus that is approximately 10 microns long and 5 microns wide wrong?  Well we got an election coming up, don't we...

Cheers,

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