The Yeast Family Tree

Research teams from White Labs and a Belgian genetics laboratory only recently created the first genetic family tree for brewing yeasts by sequencing the DNA of more than 240 strains. The tree makes it easy to visualize possible relationships among varieties considered British or American, for instance, and in turn the relationship between them and strains found in the wild. (White Labs Founder Chris White will talk about “Unlocking the Genetic Code of Brewing Strains” at the National Homebrewers Conference in June, and it will surely be one of the most revealing of dozens of presentations.)