Activate® Yeast for Bourbon and Whiskey

Activate® Yeast for Bourbon and Whiskey is the world’s most efficient yeast for the profitable production of a high-quality tasting whiskey and/or bourbon. Our advanced yeast strains can ferment nearly 100% of all sugars to produce bourbon and whiskey in 40-48 hours, while naturally generating the glucoamylase enzyme required to convert starch into fermentable sugars.

Customer Performance Benefits 

Activate® Yeast for Bourbon and Whiskey produces spirits in low pH conditions, in which microbes cannot survive 

  • Reduce Operational Costs: Shorter fermentation times lead to lower operational expenses 
  • Improve Asset Utilization: Notable process efficiencies resulting in fixed (equipment) and variable (energy) costs savings 
  • Increase Profitability: Produce more bourbon or whiskey with higher yields and expanded production capabilities via shorter cycle times 

Production Advantages 

1) High Quality, Smooth Tasting Bourbon and Whiskey 

Our yeast achieves industry-leading yields, while producing a premium bourbon or whiskey 

2) Superior Sugar Conversion Capabilities 

Capable of converting all grains into fermentable sugars via the natural expression of required glucoamylase enzymes 

3) Efficient Bourbon and Whiskey Fermentation Process 

Conversion of nearly all sugars into bourbon or whiskey within 40-48 hours

Yeast Specifications

Yeast Solids (percentage) : 20-22%

Viability of Yeast (cells per mL) : 10 Billion

Bacteria Levels (per mL) : < 10,000

Lactobacillus Levels (per mL) : < 10,000

Product Storage Recommendations

Activate® Yeast for Bourbon and Whiskey is provided as a stabilized liquid cream yeast (20-22% solids). The product is stable for up to 3 months from date of manufacture when stored at refrigeration temperatures (4°C, 40°F).

Regulatory Compliance

Activate® yeast was certified by an independent scientific expert panel in accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines to be GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe), as a processing aid in the production of alcohol for human consumption.

Protocol for Use

The recommended dosage of Activate® Yeast for Rum is 1L (or ~0.25 gallons) of liquid cream yeast per a 500-gallon vodka or gin fermentation. Please consult your technical support representative for details related to your process.

The ideal fermentation temperature range for Activate® Yeast for Neutral Grain Spirits is 30-32°C (86-90°F) and the ideal pH range is 4.0 to 5.5. The yeast should be supplied sufficient nitrogen to provide a robust and complete fermentation. It is advisable to supply nitrogen, at levels of 500-1500 ppm urea or 200-700 ppm of ammonia.