Brewers say they are using 
Servomyces in every batch
(Servomyces is currently available in packages suitable for professional brewers. Packages suitable for homebrewers are planned for the future).

Sales have been brisk for a product sold by White Labs Inc. that revolutionizes the way professional brewers work with yeast.

The product, Servomyces, has met and exceeded sales expectations, said Chris Mueller, vice president of White Labs.

White Labs began selling Servomyces in North America in early 2001 in an agreement with Lallemand Inc., which developed the product in conjunction with scientists at Weinstephan University. White Labs is the exclusive distributor of Servomyces to North American brewers.

To educate brewers about the benefits of Servomyces, Lallemand executive James McLaren met with groups of interested brewers in Marin and Las Vegas in June, accompanied by White Labs executives.

Brewers learned that Servomyces was created as an all-natural product that would fit within Reinheitsgebot guidelines. For years, brewers in Germany knew that adding zinc proves beneficial for yeast. But the German Purity Laws, or Reinheitsgebot, restricts the use of nutrients.

So Servomyces began as an attempt to give brewers a nutrient that would fit under the Purity Laws. What they created, however, was something far more beneficial than they imagined.

Servomyces is a delivery system that supplies the brewer’s yeast with an optimum environment for peak performance. And it is economically priced so that it can be used in every batch.

In Europe the product is distributed live and added to the yeast slurry. In North America it is delivered dead and added in the last five to ten minutes of the boil.

"It is the most amazing product out on the market," Mueller said. "The vast majority of brewers who have tried it have made it a regular part of their brewing cycle. It offers greater consistency from beer to beer, creates cleaner tasting beers and saves brewers money."

Many brewers already know of the product’s benefits. Peter Crowley, master brewer at Rock Bottom Chicago, has used it longer than most, as he tested it before it went on the general market. Today, he is a devoted convert.

His fermentations are a lot faster, sometimes two days faster. Crowley also told us that there is a lot less sulfur production than there used to be with his light lagers, one of his most popular beers.

"I’m getting a lot more yeast growth with this stuff. I use it every time I brew."

If Servomyces just created better tasting beers — which it does — it would be a great product. But what makes it revolutionary, White said, is its potential to save brewers big money.

Why? If brewers shave just one day off of fermentation with each beer, they could increase their brewing capacity exponentially. Instead of pouring money into new fermenters, brewers could concentrate on buying more kegs, White said.

In addition to saving money, Servomyces can also help spur sales. Greater consistency in yeast means greater consistency in the beer, which could result in customer satisfaction and greater sales.

To try the product, call White Labs at 1-888-5-Yeast-5 or visit their web page at www.whitelabs.com. Tell them you read about it in The Yeast Bank.

White Labs offers a steep volume discount on this product. The normal price per package is $5.95. But brewers save $24 when they buy 20 packages for $95. Call 1-888-5-Yeast-5 for more information.