A Comparison of Yeast Cell Counting Methods

Yeast is essential to the beer and wine industries as it converts carbohydrates into CO² and alcohol in a process known as fermentation. Accurate yeast cell counts are crucial for initiating and monitoring the fermentation process. The standard yeast counting method recommended by the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) involves a hemocytometer and a microscope. Although it is a simple procedure, it is labor-intensive and prone to user-to-user variability. Flow cytometry is another option but requires expensive equipment, more reagents, and extensive training. The LUNA-II YF™ Automated Yeast Cell Counter from Logos Biosystems was developed to be a simple and reproducible solution for yeast cell counting. This application note compares the three methods.