Science·Audio

Scientists breed yeast to try to make beer tastier

What gives beer its flavour? Why do so many lagers have fundamentally the same taste? And what are scientists doing to try to diversify the limited options when it comes to one of beer's fundamental ingredients?
Beer is pouring from a brass tap into a glass.
Brewers usually have had very few options in choosing the yeast to make lagers, but geneticists are trying to change that. (Petr David Josek/Associated Press)

What gives beer its flavour? Why do so many lagers have fundamentally the same taste? And what are scientists doing to try to diversify brewers' limited options when it comes to one of beer's fundamental ingredients?

Torah Kachur discusses those efforts and more with radio host Joan Weeks in this week's science column. She even speaks to a Belgian geneticist about efforts to get yeast to copulate and whether it involves music by Barry Manilow.   

Listen to the segment here.