On October 4th and 5th I'm going to be in
San Diego, attending White Labs' 4th annual Yeast
and Fermentation Workshop and Webinar for Distillers. The two day
workshop will cover a broad range of topics related to yeast, such
as, basic biology, how to select strains for specific distillates,
and the sensory impact of yeast on distilled spirits. The first day
of seminars will be at White Labs, and the second day's practicum
will be held at Ballast Point Spirits.
Lee Medoff of Bull Run Distillery in Portland took the class last
year and I talked with him to get his impression of the class. Lee
has worked as a brewer, vintner and distiller for quite some time and
told me he was interested in picking up some tips about low nutrient
cane sugar fermentations for rum. Lee said that he particularly
liked the hands on yeast hydration and culturing lab. And, in his
opinion, one of the best parts of the workshop were the unstructured
times he could talk one on one with the White Labs staff and the
other distillers, trading tips and best practices. Like with any two
day workshop there were a couple of topics he wanted more of. But,
when he returned to Bull Run, Lee brought back some new yeast
protocols that required some trial and error to get just right for
his distillery. However, he seems to feel that the workshop helped
him improve his fermentations for rum. Lee told me that since he has
taken the class, he has recommended it to all of the members of the
Oregon Distillers Guild. That sounds like a resounding recommended to
me and I'm excited that I can attend.
For anyone interested in improving their yeast management and or
learning about good fermentation practices particular to the needs of
distillers, this sounds like the workshop for you. To find out more
details about the class call White Labs at 1-888-5-Yeast-5 or check
out their website.
