Two types of yeast are used in brewing: top-fermenting or ale yeast, and bottom-fermenting or lager yeast. Lager yeast prefers cool temperatures – 7-9° C. It ferments for six to seven days before settling, as the name suggests, to the bottom of the fermenter. The fruits of its labour are Hofbräu Original, Hofbräu Dunkel, Hofbräu Maibock, Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier and Hofbräu Festbier. By contrast, the top-fermenting ale yeast prefers warmer temperatures, working best between 18 and 20° C. It ferments over four to five days and, true to its name, rises to the top along with the carbon dioxide bubbles. Its “babies” are Münchner Kindl Weissbier and Hofbräu Schwarze Weisse. Yeasts are single-cell organisms which self-propagate and strongly influence the taste of the beer. This is why Hofbräu München cultivates yeast in its own yeast propagation plant: that way, our brewmasters are able to guarantee that HB fans always find the taste they love, brew per brew, “Maß” per “Maß” or bottle per bottle.
