Yeast & Fermentation

In Ehingen-Berg, beer ferments in open vessels. Berg Brauerei calls this its signature technique: the fermentation tank has no lid, the foam rises visibly, and the brewer skims the yeast off the top. It's a method that has disappeared almost everywhere in large-scale operations.

Most beers from the Alb are bottom-fermented. Bottom-fermenting means the yeast works at low temperatures and settles at the bottom once fermentation ends. This gives the beer a clean taste without fruity undertones. The region's Hefeweizen, by contrast, are top-fermented, bringing notes of banana and clove.

Fermentation is followed by lagering. Zwiefalten promotes its Helles 1521 with extended maturation time, according to the brewery. The longer the beer rests in cold tanks, the rounder it becomes, as sulfur notes and residual yeast fade away.

Some breweries also bottle unfiltered beers. Here, some yeast remains in the glass, giving the beer a hazy appearance and a softer taste — what many know as Zwickel or Kellerbier (cellar beer).

One distinctive feature of the Alb has less to do with yeast than with location. The plateau's climate is harsh, and cellars are often cut into the rock. This saves on cooling energy and is one reason traditional lagering persisted here so long. In Ehingen and Zwiefalten, such cellars remain part of the breweries' character today. There, the beer rests quietly until it's served at the inn or bottled, and brewers deliberately give it that time.