Lab M Offers Specific Media Solutions for Brewing

Lab M's brewing industry range includes microbiological culture media for the accurate, fast, reliable detection and isolation of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces wild yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and a variety of other micro-organisms important in brewing processes.

The range, which comprises industry-specific, high quality dehydrated culture media, provides a complete microbiology solution for the modern brewing laboratory.

The range is headed by the widely used Lysine Agar (LAB201), a complex medium for the isolation and enumeration of wild yeasts in pitching yeast, made to the original formulation described by Morris and Eddy. The growth of pitching yeast is suppressed, as - unlike wild yeasts - it is unable to utilize lysine.

Two types of Raka Ray medium are available: Raka Ray No.3 Agar (LAB198) and Raka Ray No.3 (Hi-Gel) Agar (LAB199). These selective media are used routinely for the isolation of lactic acid bacteria from beer and brewing processes and are based on standard formulations recommended by the American Society of Brewing Chemists and the European Brewing Congress. The higher gel strength version is especially suited for surface inoculation.

Yeast & Mould Agar (LAB200) is specifically designed for the isolation of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces wild yeasts in the presence of pitching yeast. The medium is made selective for wild yeasts by the addition of copper.

Completing Lab M's Brewing Industry Media range is W.L. (Wallerstein Laboratory) Nutrient Agar (LAB079) for the isolation and enumeration of yeasts, moulds and bacteria in the brewing process, including Lactobacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, Pediococcus and Flavobacterium spp. The medium can be adapted to detect only bacteria by the addition of Actidione.