Review: Brettanomyces yeasts in beer technology

Abstract

Today, the use of non-standard types of yeast, which include Brettanomyces, is becoming increasingly popular in the food industry. They are tolerant to low pH, have a high-effective metabolism, and their ability to function in high concentrations of ethanol found application in the production of bioethanol. The most famous application of Brettanomyces is spontaneously fermented beer styles: lambic and gueuze. This beer is characterized by a long fermentation time (up to several years) and a rich, complex flavor with specific tones associated with a rich bacterial and fungal microflora. Volatile phenolic compounds in this beer, responsible for the main aromatic profiles associated with Brettanomyces: 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-ethylphenol, 4-ethylcatechol and their precursors 4-vinylguaiacol, 4-vinylphenol and 4-vinylcatechol. The proportion of ether in lambic beer is generally characterized by a low content of isoamyl acetate, a high concentration of ethylcaprylate and ethyl acetate and a significant amount of ethyl caprate.