In North Carolina, a new species of yeast for brewing tasty beers has been discovered from an unusual source – bees and wasps. While yeast is key for brewing beer, it usually is bland and doesn’t add much flavor, until now. The discovery came as North Carolina State University researchers thought about how yeast is found in flower nectar which produces sweet aromas to attract bees and wasps.
Researchers transferred the microbes from a wild bee and a wild wasp to a petri dish where within days microbes started appearing. After separating the yeast from bacteria and growing the yeast on a new dish, they ran the DNA through a national database and a chemical test. The final yeast was added to some brews and they found the wasp yeast made ethanol and acid giving the beer a naturally sour taste, while the bumblebee yeast gave the beer a sweet honey taste. Local brewers are now looking at using these yeasts in their brews.