Hello, my name is Kristoffer Krogerus.
Here you’ll find my random thoughts on homebrewing and beer.
The blog began as a collection of my beer reviews, but now it has turned more into a collection of my homebrewing adventures.
Some facts about me:
- I graduated as a Doctor of Science in Biotechnology from Aalto University (Espoo/Helsinki) in 2019.
- I wrote my PhD Thesis at VTT on the creation and characterization of brewing yeast hybrids.
- I’m currently working at VTT as a research scientist, researching brewing yeast physiology.
- I’ve also done a lot of research on diacetyl formation and removal.
- My favorite beer styles are IPAs, IIPAs and Imperial Stouts.
- I like photography.
- I like DIY (do-it-yourself).
- I have an awesome and supporting wife ♥
- We have two cats.
June 13, 2014 at 5:06 am
Hi there, I wanted to reach out to you with a suggestion for content on your site: http://bit.ly/OhHoppyDays
I am promoting this visual guide to homebrewing and, after seeing your link earlier to Homebrew Finds, I thought your readers might enjoy this post.
If you decide to share, all I ask is that you credit the source and I can send visitors to your site as a thank-you if you are interested.
Thanks,
Aldo Baker
July 24, 2014 at 4:18 am
Curious to hear how the beer brewed with eubanyanus tasted. Email me!
July 15, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Hey buddy, wanted to let you know someone is using your Heady Topper pic on their blog: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-we-buy-employment-branding-ed-nathanson?trk=hp-feed-article-title-like
Cheers
December 19, 2015 at 11:54 pm
hey kristoffer-
any chance you might be interested in hybridizing a lager yeast? im opening a lager brewery in san francisco next year. we use wlp940. its great for my india pale lager, red lager, black, amber/malty, etc. but for the pils it just puts out a little too much in the way of fruity esters. it also eats up hop oils, makes it hard to do really hoppy pils and IPL.
my thought is that if we could cross it with “american” pilsner yeasts, hopefully we could tone down some of 940s fruitiness, while making it less hop-hungry like the american lager yeasts.
thoughts?
December 23, 2015 at 10:37 am
Hi Ant! Thanks for the interest and the offer. Unfortunately it would be a little tricky creating a cross between two lager strains, since they are already hybrids themselves. It probably wouldn’t be impossible to create such a cross, but I don’t think it would be worth the effort, time and resources. Rather, you might have more success trying out some more of the lager strains out there. What would be easier to do though is cross an ale strain with a lager strain, or the easiest option would be to cross two ale strains. But I guess that is not something you are interested in. Feel free to contact me at first name dot surname at gmail if you have any further questions.
Regards,
Kristoffer
January 1, 2016 at 4:58 pm
I would like to follow your blog but cannot find a link. ???
January 2, 2016 at 10:34 pm
Hi Dr. Kristoffer,
my name is Fábio and I also work with brewing yeast. Our group has been isolating yeast from cachaça (sugarcane spirit) production vats in Brazil, and we are using them in beer. I am very curious about your Conan hybrid, will you be sharing the yeast strain or intend to keep it for research purposes only?
January 7, 2016 at 4:03 pm
Sorry, I don’t have any link for following the blog. Here is the RSS feed in case it is of any help:
http://beer.suregork.com/?feed=rss
January 7, 2016 at 4:04 pm
Hi Fabio,
I’ll definitely share the strains once I’m done testing them (later during the spring)! 🙂
Kristoffer
July 13, 2016 at 7:29 pm
I created the retappd wordpress plugin that you have been using on your website. Would you consider rating or writing a review for the retappd wordpress plugin? https://wordpress.org/plugins/retappd/
Thanks
July 22, 2017 at 10:37 pm
Hey! Found you from the forums. If you are selling that conan hybrid yeast, sign me up! I would love to buy a sample.
July 26, 2017 at 4:47 pm
Hi,
I grow up and send out the Conan x WLP644 hybrid every now and then. Keep an eye on the forum thread on Homebrewtalk for any updates!
Kristoffer
January 12, 2018 at 2:08 am
I just discovered your fascinating blog. I was in Helsinki in September, and would have bought you a pint if I had read it earlier 😄
Cheers,
Scott
January 12, 2018 at 9:01 am
Thanks for the kind words! I hope you enjoyed Helsinki! I’ll take you up on that offer if you ever make it back.
February 12, 2019 at 3:54 pm
read your article about Suomen hiiva. I live in Canada and have been brewing sahti with kveik yeast. If still available, would I be able to purchase a little pure culture of Suomen hiivanfrom you to add to my yeast library?
February 18, 2019 at 2:13 pm
Hey Kristoffer,
Enjoying your site. I know its been a few years but found your site while preparing to brew a Sahti at our brewery. I’m looking for a source for the Finnish Baker’s Yeast. Can you point me in the right direction?
Thanks
Bob
February 18, 2019 at 4:28 pm
Hi Conrad! Sorry for the late reply! I’ll gladly send you some yeast when I have some more time. I’ll contact you by email in a couple of weeks. Remind me if I forget! 🙂
February 18, 2019 at 4:28 pm
Hi Bob! I’ll gladly send you some yeast when I have some more time. I’ll contact you by email in a couple of weeks. Remind me if I forget! 🙂
June 2, 2019 at 12:51 am
Hi Kristoffer, I’m glad I found your cool website – good information on brewing! Any chance you have a source for Soumen Hiiva? Really trying to brew a Sahti.
Thanks!
June 2, 2019 at 7:14 am
Thanks! I’ll reply to the email you sent.
June 26, 2019 at 5:35 pm
Hello,
I found your article on “THE MYSTERIES OF DIASTATIC BREWING YEAST” extremely fascinating. Do you have any insight into the effects of the sta2 and sta3 gene on attenuation? Additionally what primers did you use for regular and poor diastatic strains?
– AJK
July 7, 2019 at 5:41 pm
Hi Aras, STA2 and STA3 are homologous to STA1 (i.e. more or less the same gene). You can find the primers listed in the preprint in the article you mentioned!
November 25, 2019 at 12:51 am
Kristoffer,
I am an American homebrewer planning to brew a Sahti for my wife of Finnish descent.
I haven’t been able to find a source for the Suomen Hiiva Finnish baker’s yeast. Do you have any contacts four purchasing this yeast in the United States?
I would be happy to pay for shipping for send some beverages as trade.
Thanks,
Tyler
December 10, 2019 at 6:14 pm
Hi Tyler,
I could try shipping you a small sample if you are still interested. Send me an email (suregork at gmail)!
May 13, 2020 at 10:57 am
Hi. I’m interested in your conan/wlp644 hybrid. Is it possible for you to send some?
Cheers.
Nils Wåhlin
May 13, 2020 at 3:20 pm
Hej Nils,
I can send you a sample in June once I’m back from my paternal leave. Can you send me an email: suregork at gmail
November 24, 2022 at 5:24 am
Hello there! My name is Julius and I am an aspiring biochemist who has an interest in brewing beer! I have read various different journals on hybridization on different members of the Saccharomyces genus and also have read many of your blog entries, and I have a couple questions on what strains I should breed. I’ve read on various different platforms many commercial yeasts are infertile and cannot be read by standard methods, so if you have any background knowledge on this, do you know any strains to avoid? I am interested in the Wyeast 1968 ESB yeast. Do you have any experience with it in terms of breeding? Also, I am considering breeding these strains using the rare breeding method as to avoid possible issues with infertility. What are the limits to this method? Can I breed any two strains of Sacch if done so with his protocol? I apologize so dearly of my ignorance, I am a very recent student and I have so much to learn, but my passion for the brewing of beer and science holds no bar! I have much of the lab equipment needed, such as the ingredients to create lysine and uracil auxotrophs, alongside ways to create starvation medias. If you can send me any jouranls on rare-breeding that would be very good, as I want to better understand this method. Thank you for your wonderful blog and posts on HomebrewTalk.Com and have a great day!