The selection of a brewing yeast strain with the required fermentation and recycling characteristics is critical. The yeast strain will influence the rate and extent of fermentation, the flavour characteristics and the overall quality and stability of the finished beer, and consequently, the economic viability of the brewery. Since high gravity worts can have a deleterious effect on yeast fermentation performance, it is imperative that the strain selected be suitable for this environment, which includes a capacity to withstand high osmotic pressures and elevated ethanol levels. Under controlled in vitro osmotic and ethanol induced stresses, there was a decline in mean cell volume in both lager and ale yeast strains. Whilst significant reductions in viability were observed in the lager strains, the ale strains studied were not affected. Cell surface investigations revealed shrinkage of the yeast cells and crenation of the outside envelope under both stresses, although exposure to ethanol had a more marked effect on the yeast cell surface than sorbitol-induced elevated osmotic pressure.Key words: Cell viability, cell volume, ethanol, high gravity wort, osmotic pressure. -2863(9'8-32In brewing, yeast is recycled and the fact that it is cropped and repitched into subsequent fermentations is one of the differentiating features between brewing and the production of many other alcoholic beverages including Scotch whisky 37 . Consequently, the quality of yeast cropped will not only affect the overall performance of most fermentations but also the quality and stability of the resulting beer. It is important therefore that the factors which influence yeast performance in the brewing process, and particularly in high gravity brewing, are considered, to ensure efficient fermentation and the production of a beer of a consistently high quality and stability. Breweries, the world-over, are continually seeking ways to reduce capital expenditure, labour, utilities, effluent and other operational costs and at the same time ensuring that the quality of their beers remains consistently high. As a result, many are employing the process of high gravity brewing due to its many advantages 39 . Similarly, some breweries have not implemented this process due to its disadvantages 40 . Of significance, are the deleterious effects of this process on yeast fermentation performance 41,43 . Fermentations have been reported to be sluggish due to elevated ethanol levels and high osmotic pressure, resulting in yeast viability and vitality reductions 6 . Osmotic pressure is the force that develops between two solutes of differing concentration separated by a semipermeable membrane 20 . When yeast is exposed to wort it is subjected to an osmotic pressure. Very high osmotic pressures such as those encountered in high gravity worts, may distort yeast metabolism or decrease yeast viability. The extent of the osmotic pressure will depend on the concentration of solutes surrounding the cell 20,23 . It has been shown that increases in wort osmotic pressu...

The yeast vacuole has been shown to exhibit morphological responses to environmental conditions when exposed to worts of different gravity during fermentation. Marked effects of high gravity wort (20° Plato) on yeast morphology compared to more conventional wort gravity (12° Plato) were observed. High gravity worts caused vacuolar enlargement compared to conventional gravity wort. These results suggested that yeast cells experienced severe alterations with the vacuolar tonoplast when exposed to high osmotic pressure and elevated levels of ethanol.

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