Enjoyed that. Great episode. Just wanted to clarify a bit about the 'genetics'. I always get nervous, and sometimes frustrated, when people start talking about 'genetics'. The genetics used to characterise/distinguish biological levels of organisation like strain, ethnicity, etc., are primarily based on neutral markers, i.e., DNA sequence that isn't coding for anything meaningful, biologically speaking, therefore free to mutate randomly and generate genetic diversity at a relatively high rate. Hence sufficient 'genetic' diversity to be able to characterise strains, ethnicities, etc. Biologically, it's mainly meaningless information. Most DNA is a genome is non-coding 'baggage'. Junk. All Saccharomyces yeasts are significantly more similar than different, biologically speaking. Ale and lager yeast - members of the genus Saccharomyces - are more similar than they are different. It's why we can make an ale or a loaf of bread with lager yeast. Why we can make a lager or pizza dough with ale yeast. The same yeast strain can behave very differently due to non-genetic (environmental) reasons, managed by the brewer, for instance. What I don't support is the yeast firms trying to hijack this 'strain' information to genetically engineer artificial complexity at any cost to make a profit. As far as I know White Labs don't support this business strategy either, because they have more integrity. Anyway, complexity in beer is actually a subtle affair, which is synonymous with a well balanced beer. Those who pursue complexity for the sake of complexity (just to sell something 'different') risk deviating from a well balanced beer. It isn't progress for beer at all. Often quite the opposite. This is what craft brewing has become for many competing breweries. What's clear is that craft brewing isn't populated by brewers with formal qualifications in brewing or related fields. Craft brewers not understanding why and how to repitch brewer's yeast, for example, is a dead giveaway. It's only an age-old practice perfected by brewers generations ago. In fact, it's not even possible - batch size remaining consistent - to over pitch healthy yeast. Tightly controlled pitching rates are a business decision at the end of the day. Understanding this - and applying it - can elevate home brew to the next level to produce a better balanced beer. It's not really something we can buy, it's something we have to make fresh ourselves. Just like a sour dough starter. Most home brewers are probably under pitching, in reality, due to poor advice based on business decisions made by yeast suppliers generally.
