When Chris White, Ph.D. opened international yeast company, White Labs, in 1995, he knew the best way to help people understand how big of a role yeast plays in beer is to have them actually see, taste and smell the difference.

In 2015, we added a 20 BBL brewhouse in our San Diego facility to provide wort for yeast propagation and brew beer for our 32-tap Tasting Room, but instead of having four 20 bbl fermenters, we have a wall of 16, 5-bbl fermenters! Our collection of 16, 5-bbl fermenters allows us to showcase each yeast strain by brewing one base wort, splitting the wort into different fermenters, and then pitching different yeast strains in each fermentor to create a fun flight that shows off the flavor, aroma and appearance each yeast strain has on the final product!

By showcasing these flights, we are staying true to the homebrew spirit of small-scale experimentation and the finished beers allow our customers—from homebrewers to professionals and the general beer geek—to see the importance of yeast strain selection.