is a yeast bank and supplier located in the hamlet of Odell, Oregon. Wyeast Laboratories, Inc, was founded by David and Jeanette Logsdon in 1985. The company takes its name from its location on Oregon’s Mount Hood, which the native inhabitants used to call Wy’East. David Logsdon was a homebrewer who once maintained the yeast and bacteria library at Mount Hood Community College. He helped two pioneering Portland microbreweries, Bridgeport and Widmer Brothers, manage their yeasts when they first opened. In 1987 he became the first brewer for the start-up Full Sail Brewery in Hood River. Wyeast was launched to supply yeast to homebrewers and to the emerging craft brewing industry. It initially offered only three strains—one ale yeast, one lager yeast, and one champagne yeast. Since then, the Logsdons collected yeast cultures from all over the world, and Wyeast currently maintains a collection of hundreds of yeast strains, offering about 70 strains to homebrewers and 100 to commercial brewers. Wyeast’s unique “smack-pack,” developed by Logsdon and introduced in 1986, revolutionized pitching for homebrewers by providing active liquid yeast in a small pouch surrounded by a larger pouch of liquid yeast nutrient. By “smacking” the pack, the inner pouch bursts and the yeast and yeast nutrient can combine. As the yeast begins to ferment, it creates a small starter, causing the package to swell. This indicates that the yeast is viable and ready to be pitched. Wyeast was also the first company to supply pure liquid yeast to craft breweries. It now supplies fermentation cultures not only to breweries in the United States but also around the globe. In 2009 Dave Logsdon sold his shares in the company to Jeanette Logsdon, the current owner.

Abram Goldman-Armstrong