News
Introducing Helio Gazer: Your NEIPA. Thiolized.
08.15.22
Check out the video above for creative insights about Helio Gazer from the brewers at Surly and NoDa brewing.
What makes Helio Gazer unique?
What makes Helio Gazer different is its thiol output. During our internal test trials, we referred to it as an “amped up” version of Cosmic Punch. Helio Gazer and Cosmic Punch behave identically since they share the same parent strain, but Helio Gazer produces nearly 20x more thiols through biotransformation. It was designed solely for intensely aromatic, thiol-driven hazy IPAs.
What’s the difference between Cosmic Punch and Helio Gazer?
The primary difference is application. While Cosmic Punch uses an activated IRC7 gene, Helio Gazer uses patB—the same as Star Party and Lunar Crush. Simply put, Helio Gazer is thiol dominant and created solely for intensely aromatic, robust IPAs. Even in heavily hopped beers, Helio Gazer’s Thiolized abilities unleash distinctive thiols that will stand out among competing aromas, while Cosmic Punch excels as a house strain with a more complementary thiol expression.
Learn more about the origin of Helio Gazer and our Thiolized series.
Intense tropical thiols made with Helio Gazer
A familiar strain with enhanced Thiolized abilities created specifically for hazy, juicy IPAs.
Progressive brewing
Helio Gazer’s enhanced Thiolized ability produces nearly 20x more thiols than Cosmic Punch, presenting a new option for layering in even more intense, complex thiol character to your beer. Boost tropical aromatics and flavors for a new perspective on IPAs.
Strain snapshot
- Boost your thiols 200x above sensory threshold
- Optimize raw ingredient potential
- Create distinctive thiol character
- Access hidden thiol precursor in regional malt and hops
- Save on raw ingredient costs
- Utilize grape-derived products
Some technical points
When brewing with Helio Gazer, expect the same fermentation behavior and sturdy haze as British V and Cosmic Punch. Here are a few tips when implementing this strain into your recipe design.
Produces sturdy haze
- In the whirlpool, try new hop products — extracts, cryo hops
- Consider reducing dry hop load to make thiols more noticeable
- Wheat/oats have little to no thiol precursor
- Add mash hopping to pack in thiol precursors
Fun fact: Scientists use nomenclature rules to indicate when they are referring to genes or proteins. For example, Irc7 and PatB refer to the protein, and IRC7 and patB refer to the genes.
Our engineered strains undergo thorough characterization and evaluation to confirm that the process of gene editing and the resulting application of the engineered strain to beer fermentation is safe for the intended use. The β‑lyase PatB expressed in Helio Gazer is derived from S. hominis, a bacteria that is abundant on your skin and is a natural protectant against harmful bacteria. The levels of thiol compounds released by PatB in beer are within the natural range found in Sauvignon blanc wine and tropical fruits like grapefruit, guava, and passion fruit. We engineered Helio Gazer using CRISPR/Cas9 and have confirmed through molecular biology techniques that the patB was targeted to a very specific site in the genome and no off-target effects occurred. After the gene editing has occurred, the CRISPR/Cas9 machinery is removed. The benefit to expressing patB in brewing yeast is that brewers have an option to remove the yeast, and thus remove the enzyme. Naturally, the yeast will settle, autolyse, and degrade the PatB post-fermentation. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at info@omegayeast.com.