Chr. Hansen’s latest culture for sour beer streamlines brewing, elevating an unpredictable process for consistent, flavoursome and efficient outcomes in every brew

Imagine a process where kettle-soured beer could be brewed in just 16 hours, consistently, and predictably, preserving the bright, refreshing flavours modern sour beers are known for. Chr. Hansen brings 145 years of fermentation experience to the sour beer space with the introduction of Harvest LB-1, the company’s addition to the SmartBev™ range. Harvest LB-1 is a freeze-dried, direct-inoculation culture of Lactobacillus plantarum designed to optimise production, while offering producers great results in every brew.

Harvest LB-1 lends new consistency to the sour beer making process

Traditional kettle-souring is a production method that can be hard to control, leading to inconsistent results, greater risk of wasted batches, and difficulties with scalability. With direct and co-inoculation of Harvest LB-1, kettle-soured beer brewing becomes more straightforward and predictable, enabling producers to avoid the off flavours that may arise in uncontrolled, slower fermentations. In just 16 hours, producers can yield reliably clean and refreshing flavours from a culture that ensures transparency of strain origin, a histamine-free brew, and a two-year shelf life between purchase and use for better planning and optimised flexibility.

Dedicated to crafting excellence in every brew

“Our favourite attribute is that [Harvest LB-1 works very quickly] and gives us a consistent, clean flavour profile,” says Ryan Jackle, Head Brewer at US-based Wise Man Brewing in North Carolina, all while being “very easy to use.”

Will Brown, Brewing Leader of Colonial Brewing Company in Melbourne, Australia, also reports , implementing Harvest LB-1 [and BACTIV-AID™] for kettle sours gave him “full confidence in these products to [help us] reach our specifications in a short timeframe while remaining cost-effective”

Nathalia Edwards is Chr. Hansen’s Commercial Development Manager in Fermented Beverages, “The sour beer space is growing, and it is a great opportunity for breweries to reach new consumers who don’t consider themselves beer-drinkers. Consumers become more interested in beverages that offer refreshing, tart, and complex flavours. Ideal for warmer weather and light-hearted occasions, these beverages are influenced by classic European beers but offer a fresh experience, as well as the low sugar and alcohol content that our increasingly health-conscious consumer base is after.”

To find out more download the Harvest LB-1 Technical Sheet and contact Sue Mills at sue.mills@imcd.com.au from IMCD today!