Yeast & Fermentation

Cold-fermented has carried special meaning in Sapporo since 1876. When the first beer went on sale, it was marketed as brewed in the cold, German-style. This refers to bottom-fermentation: the yeast works at just a few degrees above freezing and settles to the bottom at the end.

The advantage lies in flavor. At low temperatures, yeast produces fewer fruity byproducts, and the beer turns out clear and smooth. It then matures for weeks in the cold, during which cloudy particles settle out. This maturation period is called lagering, and it gave lager beer its name.

In Hokkaido, winter supplied the cold. The fermentation cellars of the Kaitakushi Brewery were cooled with ice collected during the cold season. Refrigeration machinery only later took over this job, without changing the basic principle.

Today, fermentation happens in stainless steel tanks. The small breweries like to showcase their techniques. Abashiri Beer says it uses the decoction method, in which part of the mash is drawn off, boiled, and returned to the batch. It costs time and energy but produces a rounder, maltier flavor.

Otaru Beer brews Pilsner, Dunkel, and Weissbier, covering both bottom- and top-fermented yeast. Top-fermented means the yeast works at room temperature and floats on top. Taste both types side by side and the difference is obvious: the Weissbier smells of banana and clove, while the Pils barely shows any fruit. This variety is recent, having grown only after licensing rules were relaxed.