Vegemite Beer? – #365papers – 2017 – 8

#365papers for January 8, 2017

Kerr and Schulz, 2016, Vegemite Beer: yeast extract spreads as nutrient supplements to promote fermentation: PeerJ, 4:e2271 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2271

What’s it about?

Vegemite is a food spread that is made from brewer’s yeast extract. Apparently, it has been used as a source of yeast for illegal brewing. This paper looks at the use of vegemite for this and any other benefits vegemite may offer to brewing. It turns out that there’s no living yeast in vegemite, but it is a decent nutrient for yeast if it comes from somewhere else.

Why does it matter?

While vegemite (or related marmite) don’t actually have living yeast, it turns out that both are very inexpensive nutrient sources for brewing.

Why did I read this?

I want to grow up to brew beer. More generally, I’m interested in the process of brewing and alternative kinds of beers. The use of vegemite intrigued me.