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Wild Yeast Research Paper

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Due to revelations about the nature of wild yeast, curious brewers have a new ingredient to explore. In the near future, yeast obtained from wasp guts might make the leap from the lab bench to the beer hall.

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The next time you reach for a newspaper to squash a reviled bug, think about this: wasps and other insects do a lot more for humans than ruin our picnics. Insects also provide essential environmental services, such as, pollinating crops, and in the coming years, stinging insects might serve as the catalyst for new styles of beer. For beer nerds, it would be an opportunity to try something new, while presenting brewers with the chance to add a new dimension of their ancient …show more content…

Typically, they're loath to introduce wild strains of yeast to their product, because they tend to impart funky off-putting flavors. So when Sebastian Ibarra, an entomologist and instructor at Simon Fraser University, approached the chief brewer Condrad Gsomer at BrassNeck Brewery with news that his lab partners had isolated a beneficial strain of wild yeast found in wasp intestines, Gsomer became intrigued.

After all, Humans have experimented with fermentation for thousands of years, and it may be our greatest feat since the taming of fire. The discovery of yeast in wasp guts also speaks volumes about the appeal of alcohol to a broad cross-section of the animal kingdom, ranging from fig wasps to humans clinking beer steins.

The question is, can wild yeast extracted from wasp guts work also wonders for beer and where does that lead? At least two research labs based in North America are investigating this phenomena and both teams are willing to discuss their forays into flavor with wild yeast at the helm.
As for me, I'm an established freelance writer based in San Diego covering environmental issues in Southern California and beyond. Over the years, I've covered many aspects of the food web and I take a cook's delight in applying those lessons in the

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