Back to search

BIONÆR-Bionæringsprogram

Kveik – Original Norwegian Farmhouse Brewing Yeast: Innovative product development, product stability and potential new uses

Alternative title: Kveik - originale ølgjær fra norske gårder: innovativ produktutvikling, produktstabilitet og nye anvendelsesområder

Awarded: NOK 4.6 mill.

Project Number:

321682

Project Period:

2021 - 2025

Funding received from:

Location:

Kveik, an old Norwegian word for yeast, is a traditional brewing yeast, which has been used for generations on small farms in Norway and passed on as mixed cultures. Kveik cultures are known for having desirable properties in brewing. However, to commercialize kveik as readily available, user-friendly and stable brewing cultures, more research is needed on brewing characteristics, robustness in industrial production and stability. Due to some of their unique properties, kveik cultures may also have large potential for other uses. OriginalKveik is a project initiated by the start-up company Kveik Yeastery (KY). KY will primarily work with Austmann, a craft brewery, and Nofima, a reseach institute with large capabilities in food analysis, such as sensory, chemical and microbiological analysis as well as molecular microbiology. The goal of the project is to build up a knowledge bank about a selection of kveik cultures. Brewing properties, inlcuding fermentation times and flavour formation, will be central. Another very important aspect is the stability in composition and performance of dried cultures. A smaller part of the project will include studies on other potential uses for kveik. This part of the project has cooperation with other craft enterprises (Eik&Tid, Det Norske Brenneri, Åpent Bakeri) and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. The first year of the project will focus on production of many different beer varieties, produced with different kveik and at different temperatures. Important questions are: How short fermentation times can be achieved and what role does temperature play? How do the different conditions influence the flavour? Stability studies will be initiated by exploring so-called metagenomics, i.e., the sequencing and analysis of total DNA in a sample, by using the latest developments in DNA sequencing technology.

Kveik Yeastery (KY) is a start-up company with a goal to commercialise and sell the original so-called kveik cultures for beer brewing. Kveik are traditional brewing yeast cultures, preserved for generations on small Norwegian Farms as mixed cultures. Kveik is already known for being unique for some important properties in brewing, e.g. fast fermentation times and a wide spectrum of flavour formation. However, more research is needed on the properties of the kveik cultures for brewing, their robustness in industrial production and stability in terms of composition and performance. In addition, due to some of their unique properties, kveik cultures may have large potential for other uses. With the OriginalKveik project, KY wants to build up a knowledge bank about the cultures, which they now have available, where brewing properties and sensory properties regarding beer production will be central. KY will work with Haandbryggeriet, a well-known Norwegian craft brewery, and Nofima, a reseach institute with large capabilities in food analysis, such as sensory, chemical and microbiological analysis as well as molecular microbiology technology (e.g. genomics). Beer brewed with kveik will be thoroughly analysed for sensory and chemical properties. The stability of the mixed cultures after cylcles of production and drying will be assessed with DNA-based methods (metagenomics) and by performance in beer brewing, measured as chemical profile, if needed validated with sensory analysis. In co-operation with other partners (Det Norske Brenneri; Åpent Bakeri; HINN), kveik will also be investigated for other potential uses: other alcoholic beverages, bread baking and bioethanol production.

Funding scheme:

BIONÆR-Bionæringsprogram