While hops might be the pin up boy for brewing at the moment, anyone who has attempted homebrewing knows that yeast is a vital, and often overlooked, ingredient in beer.

A new book, Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation, is a resource for brewers of all experience levels. The authors adeptly cover yeast selection, storage and handling of yeast cultures, how to culture yeast and the art of rinsing/washing yeast cultures. Sections on how to set up a yeast lab, the basics of fermentation science and how it affects your beer, plus step by step procedures, equipment lists and a guide to troubleshooting are included. While primarily aimed at homebrewers, anyone who has a serious interest in beer would benefit from developing a better understanding of yeast.

The book is written by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff. Jamil is well known to any homebrewer hosting podcasts on [amazon-product]0937381969[/amazon-product] [amazon-product]0937381926[/amazon-product]The Brewing Network and has been a frequent visitor to Australian brewing and beer conferences over the last two years.He was co-author with John Palmer on the excellent Brewing Classic Styles, also for homebrewers but with a wealth of general beer information for the non-brewing beer lover. Chris White earned his doctorate from the University of California and founded White Labs Inc. in San Diego in 1995. The company’s focus is liquid yeast cultures for homebrewers and professional brewers.

Yeast is available through the Brewers Association and Amazon.