Omega Yeast Launches Propper Seltzer, Yeast Nutrient for Brewing Hard Seltzers

Omega Yeast^®, known for custom propped liquid yeast pitches, announced the release of Propper Seltzer^™ (Nov 2020), a yeast nutrient for non-malt sugar-based fermentation.

Propper Seltzer nutrient is compatible with any strain of yeast including beer yeast, wine yeast, and distillers yeast, and was designed to make things easier for brewers looking to create their own hard seltzer.

“We set out specifically to formulate a blend for hard seltzer that allows our yeast to really be successful,” according to Laura Burns, PhD, Director of Research and Development for Omega Yeast. ​“Hard seltzer is here to stay,” said Burns: ​“now let’s make it craft!”

Hard seltzer fermentation differs from standard beer brewing because simple sugars – such as dextrose – do not provide yeast the essential nutrients that malt naturally does. Yeast need these elements in order to live, replicate and ferment.

In order to propel thorough fermentation in a simple sugar base, then, yeast need the addition of specific vitamins and minerals to replace what they typically get from malt. Omega Yeast’s R&D crew developed a nutrient blend that manages yeast’s nutrient requirements efficiently, resulting in healthy, fast, clean fermentations in shorter time.

Propper Seltzer is balanced to allow brewers to brew a hard seltzer without struggling against long or unpredictable fermentations, intrusive off-flavors, cloudiness or extensive yellowing.

Although you can use nearly any yeast strain with Propper Seltzer and complete fermentation in 7 days, it is particularly speedy with kveiks because of how quickly kveik ferment at high temperatures.

Recognizing their immense advantages for brewers, Omega Yeast was the very first yeast lab to make Norwegian kveik commercially available – introducing kveik to US Brewers in 2015.

Kveik are known for their versatile fermentation temperatures and high alcohol tolerance. Brewers ferment anywhere between 68 – 95°F (20 – 35°C) for an array of distinctive, tropical and fruity profiles that increase in intensity and speed of fermentation the higher in-range you ferment them. Lutra kveik specifically, unlike most kveik, remains shockingly clean even at high kveik temperatures, making it fast-fermenting AND a neutral canvas – and therefore perfect for hard seltzers.

Omega partnered up with Stephen Bossu, Co-Founder and Head Brewer of Hopewell Brewing Co., for a commercial test run which paired Propper Seltzer with Omega’s exclusive, ultra-clean Lutra^™ Kveik.

“Part of the reason we’re working with Omega and specifically this Lutra^™ Kveik strain is that it’s a super-quick, super-clean fermenter. So, we know that we’re not going to be tying up extra tank space, which allows us to continue brewing our year-round IPA and year-round pilsner,” Bossu says. ​“Seltzers for us are just another avenue to play around with some of those fruits that we find interesting and just have a great presentation, and this Propper Seltzer allows us to do that.”

Propper Seltzer is now available in multiple sizes: 5 gal, 7 bbl, 15 bbl and 150 bbl. Professional brewers can order directly from Omega Yeast (contact orders@omegayeast.com). Homebrewers can order the 5 gal size at local participating homebrew shops, online retailers, or directly at Omega Yeast’s ​“Propper” shop).