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The Polish brewery, Lech Browary Wielkopolski is one of the more modern in Europe
Lech Browary Wielkopolski with its annual output of 4 million hectolitres per year ranks third in the Polish beer market just after ¯ywiec (Heineken Group - 6 millions hectolitres) and Tyskie Browary Ksi¹¿êce (also part of Kompania Piwowarska- SAB Miller - 6 million hectolitres).
Founded in 1872, the grand opening of the new brewery in Poznañ took place on the 16th of May 1980. Big scale commercialisation started in 1992 with an easily recognisable image for the company with its flagship brand "Lech Premium" with the green colour, symbolising purity, happiness and youth.
In 1995, SAB acquired the majority stake in Lech Browary Wielkopolski. Four years later it merged with Tyskie Browary Ksi¹¿êce (also owned by SAB Miller) to create one of the biggest and most modern brewing companies in Poland: Kompania Piwowarska SA.
Kompania Piwowarska SA reports the highest and most intensive growth among all key players in the Polish beer industry. Within just three years activity, Kompania Piwowarska has increased its market share from 19.0% in 2001 to 31.4% in 2002.
Dry yeast for special beer
Lech Browary Wielkopolskie have used Fermentis Saflager W-34/70 since April 2004 to produce the Frisko's beer. This special beer developed by Plznensky Prazdroj for the Czech market, is aimed at consumers who like the taste of beer without bitterness and offers exceptional taste and a unique apple flavour.
The use of Fermentis dry yeast was recommended to avoid both flavour contamination (mainly hops) from the recycled yeast and to improve flexibility in the brewery for the production of a brand produced in a small quantity at irregular intervals.
As explained by Mr. Przemyslaw Makowski, Research & Development Coordinator, in charge of this project at Lech, 'results obtained with Saflager W-34/70 are very successful. The fermentation characteristics of dry yeast are similar to those using self-propagated yeast, coming from Weihenstephan in Germany. Dry yeast gave similar gravity and suspended cell concentration and the flavour profiles of the beer have been successfully validated through tasting panels and market evaluations'.
In addition to this, Mr. Makowski recognises that the use of Saflager W34-70 brings a new solution for the production of special beer in the brewery as it avoids disrupting the main process. Dry yeast can be stored on site for many months, is always available off the shelf and can be used when required to pitch directly into the fermentation vessels.
Fermentis dry yeast has proven over the manufacturing of various batches of Frisko's, to produce consistent beer quality and to provide increased plant flexibility and productivity. Confidence in Fermentis dry yeast has been reinforced and the brewery is already thinking of using dry yeast for their main production to resolve the issue of limited capacity in the propagation plant during the summer-high season.