Induction of flocculation in brewing yeasts by change in pH value.

Most brewing strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae flocculate following growth in beer wort. However, many do not flocculate in laboratory culture media, because their initial pH and buffering capacity do not correspond to the pH range within which these yeasts flocculate. Many, though not all, NewFlo phenotype brewing yeasts flocculate within a narrow pH range only; this is indicative of the existence of more than one NewFlo flocculation phenotype. Such strains may be flocculated by small alterations of pH to within the flocculation range. Induction of flocculation by pH change may be used to separate cells from media at any stage during fermentation.