The process of brewing beer involves a number of steps including fermentation, which is the process of converting sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation is a key step in beer production and requires a range of conditions to be successful, including the presence of oxygen.
 
During fermentation, yeast cells consume sugar to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process requires the presence of oxygen, which is necessary for the yeast cells to grow and reproduce. Without enough oxygen, the yeast cells cannot produce the enzymes and compounds needed for fermentation.
 
However, too much oxygen can also be detrimental to the fermentation process. Too much oxygen can cause yeast cells to produce off-flavors and aromas, resulting in a less than desirable final product. Therefore, controlling the amount of oxygen during the fermentation process is important to ensure a high quality beer.
 
During alcoholic fermentation, yeast produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as by-products. Yeast cells are able to utilize the energy produced by this process to survive and reproduce. In the presence of oxygen, yeast will utilize the oxygen for cellular respiration to produce energy instead of producing alcohol, which is a less efficient process for yeast. This is why yeast can only produce alcohol under anaerobic conditions, ensuring that yeast produces alcohol rather than using oxygen for cellular respiration.
 
The nutrient content of the wort and the amount of oxygen consumed by the wort affect the functional requirements of the yeast. In an environment where the wort contains enough unsaturated fatty acids but not enough sterols, oxygen is required for sterol synthesis. Yeast grown in a low-oxygen environment will have a higher oxygen requirement during brewing because sterol synthesis will be limited, while yeast grown in oxygen-enriched conditions will have a lower oxygen requirement because these compounds have already been synthesized and the yeast is in an ideal fermentation state.
 
The best way to dissolve oxygen into solution is to inject pure oxygen through a sintered stone on the line during the milling process. Some brewing equipment can increase the solubility of the injected oxygen. The way to increase the solubility is to have a confined space where the oxygen is injected, then a less confined space, and finally another confined space. This design creates turbulence that prolongs the contact time and mixing time between the oxygen bubbles and the wort, thus increasing the rate of oxygen transfer into the wort. The amount of pure oxygen or air required to achieve sufficient dissolved oxygen depends on many factors and varies from brewery to brewery.
 
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