Could non-Saccharomyces yeasts contribute on innovative brewing fermentations?

Abstract

With the advances in the production of beer worldwide, more challenges arise each year in the search for new approaches to the development of distinctive beverages. Attempts to obtain products with more complex sensory characteristics have led experts and brewers to prospect for non-conventional yeasts, i.e., non-Saccharomyces yeasts that may provide a new range of perspectives in terms of techniques and approaches. Besides the widespread use of Dekkera/Brettanomyces for the production of sour beers, other species are emerging for presenting unusual metabolic features that include the production of fruity esters, and a distinctive enzymatic apparatus. Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Torulaspora delbrueckii stand out as the most promising yeasts in brewing processes. Such new tendencies in the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts comprise the production of low-alcohol beers, functional beers, and bioflavoring approaches. This is a little explored field in brewing practice, still requiring extensive research with practical application. In this sense, this review aims to present the main points for the application of non-conventional yeasts in beer production, and thus contribute to future advances in the topic.