The microbiology of malting and brewing

Brewing beer involves microbial activity at every stage, from raw material production and malting to stability in the package. Most of these activities are desirable, as beer is the result of a traditional food fermentation, but others represent threats to the quality of the final product and must be controlled actively through careful management, the daily task of maltsters and brewers globally. This review collates current knowledge relevant to the biology of brewing yeast, fermentation management, and the microbial ecology of beer and brewing.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae-Oenococcus oeni interactions in wine: current knowledge and perspectives

Winemaking can be summarized as the biotransformation of must into wine, which is performed principally by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains during the primary or alcoholic fermentation. A secondary fermentation, the so-called malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a biodeacidification that is often encouraged, since it improves wine stability and quality. Malolactic fermentation usually occurs either spontaneously or after inoculation with selected bacteria after alcoholic fermentation. The main organism responsible for MLF, the lactic acid bacterium Oenococcus oeni, develops in physicochemically harsh conditions, which may lead to MLF failure. Furthermore, yeast that ferment must before or together with O. oeni can prevent or stimulate the progress of MLF. These phenomena are part of the interactions observed between yeast and bacteria. The mechanisms that govern yeast bacteria interaction are reviewed and the consequences for winemaking are discussed. In the light of recent advances, future prospects are also presented.