The word €Breweries' have got extensive definition in the past few years with many flavors and cocktails being explored by many brewers. Fermentation is perhaps the most interesting part of brewing beer as there is always something fascinating about watching yeast in action. If you are being close to the process then it will contribute immensely to your enjoyment of brewing. No matter how well you do your part, it is the process of fermentation that turns the mix into beer. Yeast has a major role to play as ferment and bring the taste that adds to your enjoyment. If you are a part of a brewery then it is important for you to understand and appreciate what these microorganisms actually do inside your fermentor.

If you go through brewing literature or visit breweries Sonoma County, you would find that the yeast requires dissolved oxygen for a brief period of time after pitching. It is crucial for the cells to respire and grow. It implies that the yeast needs oxygen to bud and must respire to ferment the wort for the expected results. Of course, it is true that aerating or oxygenating wort is usually beneficial to fermentation, but it would not be technically correct to say that yeast requires oxygen to reproduce or yeast uses oxygen to respire during fermentation. It is generally a misunderstanding that can be cleared with some understanding of the process.

In the brewing literature, people find mentioned that yeast requires oxygen but in real it doesn't. It is also mentioned that yeast cannot bud without oxygen, but in real it can. These literatures actually bring a distorted picture of the truth.

Yeast synthesizes energy through two major biochemical pathways: respiration and fermentation. In both the processes, yeasts break down glucose to release energy and also carbon atoms which actually help yeast to bud and grow.

In respiration, the oxidized glucose is used for the breakdown to release energy. The process of releasing energy is completely dependent on oxygen. This is where the role of oxygen comes. In fermentation also, partially oxidized glucose is used to release energy. Fermentation by yeast can take place in both presence and absence of oxygen. However, when there is enough fermentable sugar available, yeast prefers fermentation no matter oxygen is available or not. There is also evidence that oxygen promotes cell growth through biosynthesis to reach a higher cell density in the wort.

This is the basic process that takes place in breweries Sonoma County, which only a few people are actually interested in for its scientific content.