OnTap Magazine

OT: When and howdid youfirst come across Fermentis and its products? OM: I started using them when I first began brewing at university. They are a very well-known brand amongst brewers. OT: What inspired you to leave South Africa and join the Fermentis team? OM: In most of the breweries I have worked in, we used Fermentis products, and as a result, I have gotten to know their products very well. The consistency of their products is what made me gravitate to Fermentis initially. Furthermore, I think that Fermentis is one of the most innovative beverage fermentation companies on the market. So when the opportunity presented itself to join and head up the experimental in France, it was a very easy decision. OT: What is the significance of this new campus and specifically its academy? OM: The campus was officially inaugurated this year. It was built to house the offices of Fermentis, but also includes the Fermentis Academy, which comprises of the experimental brewery, labs and a sensory lab. The academy’s main focus is research and development, where a controlled approach is taken to explore new products but also to better understand our products and how they relate to an ever-changing market. OT: What should South African brewers – whether commercial, craft or home – know about Fermentis? OM: Consistency is key. Fermentis does extensive research and quality control to ensure that every packet of yeast is exactly the same as the last. Furthermore, with the Fermentis direct pitch E2U™ concept pitching is simple and easy. I personally think those two factors could have a huge benefit in any sized brewery in South Africa. OT: What is exciting to you right now both with regard to the academy, as well as the company's developments in the yeast field more broadly? OM: There are a few new products being launched. Watch this space. We have done some really exciting trials in the brewery with some really incredible results, I cannot wait to see what products the industry is able to produce with them. Overall, NABLABs [non-alcoholic/low- alcoholic beer] are a very exciting topic; there are many ways available for brewers to produce them. We have focused on a fermentation approach. Recently we have produced some amazing NABLABs in our brewery using SafBrew™ LA-01 and kettle souring with SafSour LP 652™ and SafSour LB 1™. With these three products, I personally think you are able to produce a very well-balanced and flavourful beer. OT: Anything else you'd like to add? OM: We have a big teamof highly talented technical people working at Fermentis. They are there to help brewers innovate and decide on the best possible solutions for what they are trying to achieve. If you are looking at producing a new product or looking at improving existing products please contact us. F hermentis by Lesaffre – a company well-known in the world of fermentation – has moved to a new campus near Lille, France, which will play host to a myriad of research and collaborative initiatives. This campus is also now home to the Fermentis Academy, whose missions are applied research and education. On Tap spoke with Fermentis Head Brewer Olaf Morgenroth – who you can read more about in this issue’s World of Beer feature – about this new academy and what exciting products we should expect to see soon. ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2023 | 33