The Big Switch: Saint Arnold Brewing Co. to Introduce “Movable Yeast” Series

HOUSTON, July 6, 2010 – Saint Arnold Brewing Company (www.saintarnold.com), the oldest craft brewery in Texas, today announced plans for a series of special brews that offer a twist on their year-round beer recipes. The first quarterly release in the so-called “Movable Yeast” series, will be Saint Arnold Weedwacker, a re-yeasted version of Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer, which has quietly become the brewery’s biggest seller.

The concept behind the Movable Yeast series is to focus on the flavor contribution of yeast. Each release will be created by brewing a regular batch of a Saint Arnold beer and then splitting the wort (unfermented beer) into two 60 bbl fermenters. One fermenter will be pitched with the yeast normally used in that beer and the second fermenter will be pitched with an alternative yeast and the beer given a different name.

Saint Arnold Weedwacker will be Fancy Lawnmower Beer fermented with Bavarian hefeweizen yeast. This yeast contributes esters to the beer resulting in clove and banana flavors. Like a hefeweizen, Weedwacker will not be filtered. It is scheduled for release to selected Texas restaurants and bars on Monday, August 16, 2010.

“People spend a lot of time talking about the malt and hops used in beers, but yeast is discussed little and probably understood even less. We thought this would be fun, tasty and educational,” said Saint Arnold Brewing’s founder and brewer Brock Wagner. “We’re hoping that bars and restaurants will offer both beers at the same time so that people can compare the flavor differences. I think it will be enlightening, plus both beers will be very tasty!”

Yeast is the engine behind fermentation, converting the sugars from the malt into alcohol. Yeast also produces the CO₂ for carbonation as well as producing esters and other flavor and aroma compounds. In the world of beer, everything that brewers produce is beer; the two subgroups, ales and lagers, are differentiated by the type of yeast. In addition, there are many different strains of yeast within these two categories, each with its own specific characteristics and flavor profile.

Saint Arnold Weedwacker will be followed in mid-November by Saint Arnold Altared Amber, Amber Ale wort pitched with Belgian Trappist yeast. In mid-February 2011, Saint Arnold plans to release Saint Arnold Bitter Belgian, Saint Arnold Elissa IPA wort pitched with Belgiat Trappist yeast. In mid-May 2011, Saint Arnold Brown Bitte is due, which will be Saint Arnold Brown Ale wort pitched with Alt yeast.

A limited supply of 60 barrels (approximately 20,000 12-ounce servings) of each beer in the Movable Yeast Series will be available only on tap. Wagner expects each to remain available for two to three weeks after release.