Watertight: Yeast Growth Project

Motivation:
This project was just one of many steps taken in scientific research into water revitalization that are necessary to help people better understand and us better explain the phenomenon.

Yeast fermentation (which is an important process step in breweries [1] and bakeries[2],[3]) involves numerous highly complex processes made up of manifold individual steps.

At GRANDER®, we have learned from empirical studies that breweries relying on GRANDER® water revitalization in their production processes experience positive changes in various quality criteria of the beer produced and the maintenance of machines used. This research project aimed to produce results that would gradually help us understand all of the reasons for these improvements.

Short description and objective:
The Yeast Growth Project was a commissioned research project and is part of the second pillar of the ‘Watertight’ research strategy. The main objective of the project was to find out whether the GRANDER® treatment (‘revitalization’) of the water has an impact on the growth of yeast strains used, in particular, in beer brewing. Throughout the study, the bacteriological contamination of the water (CFU number) was measured and compared among the different samples. The overall goal was to better understand how GRANDER® water revitalization influences the process water used in production processes in breweries and bakeries.

Design and method:
In an effort to avoid all bias, GRANDER® did not commission the research project itself. Instead, an unaffiliated third party – i.e. an institution other than the research facility carrying out the research – was commissioned to handle project development and quality assurance. GRANDER® was not involved in any phase of the study. The researchers were unaware of whether the research assignment was funded by the manufacturer of water revitalization devices or other interested parties (consumer protection agency, etc.). GRANDER® was revealed as the funding client to the research facility commissioned only after the project had been completed.

In the course of the study, various water samples were collected, measured, documented, and handed over to the commissioned research facility situated close by for further testing. The samples were unmarked, i.e., the researchers did not know which samples contained revitalized water and which contained regular water. Measuring yeast growth was the primary concern throughout the project. In a preliminary project, a yeast strain and the main parameters of the study were selected. In the course of the main project, yeast growth curves in various media containing revitalized or regular water were compared. Samples were tested six times overall in order to be able to evaluate the statistical significance of the results.

Summary of results: 
The results showed that, despite fears to the contrary, GRANDER® water revitalization did not negatively affect the growth of yeast. Also due to the sterile conditions continuously maintained throughout measuring, no significant changes in bacterial growth large enough to be measured were observed (as had been expected).

Yeast growth demonstrated comparable curves regardless of the media used (one group was contained in revitalized water, the other group in regular water). However, the growth rates of the various samples differed considerably. It can be concluded from the study that water revitalization does not cause any further changes with regard to yeast growth and particularly does not affect the growth of the cultures bred in any negative way.

Client: Grander GmbH, Johannes Larch, head of research at GRANDER®

Carrier organization: Research Institute AG & Co KG
Partner organizations: Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), AQA GmbH, civil engineers
Countries: Austria
Project duration: December 2018 – July 2019
Publication: 
Funding: Grander GmbH – commissioned research without third-party funds

Sources:

[1] Memminger Brewery | GRANDER® water revitalization reference report
(see statement at timestamp 1:00)
https://vimeo.com/230566439#t=59s59

[2] Reference report on GRANDER® water revitalization | Rieß Bakery in Bechhofen
(see statement at timestamp 0:50)
https://vimeo.com/200347962#t=49s

[3] Baking with GRANDER® water - feedback of business customers | Part 1
(see statement at timestamp 1:10, German only)
https://youtu.be/tI3OQGxi-2c?t=70