The popular literature implies that yeast requires oxygen (it doesn’t) and that yeast cannot bud without oxygen (it can).
Through it flies in the face of popular wisdom, yeast does not go through a respiration phase in the early stages of fermentation. A careful look at yeast metabolism and reproduction reveals a common misunderstanding and points the way to more sophisticated applications of oxygen in the brewery.
Interesting. I think it's worth noting that if pitch rate is high enough, the requirement for oxygen is minimal or nil in any case. What IS known is that while yeast is multiplying, the oxygen levels in your wort go down. It seems logical that implies it's a requirement for growth/reproduction, but I suppose we could be shifting into issues of correlation vs causation?
O2 is insurance downstream for stronger cell walls and more vital cells, especially when you're repitching over muktiole generations (common practice for pro brewers). You can overpitch to compensate but at least in beer it can lead to perceptible flavor differences. I don't think it matters much in distilling. I oxygenate every beer batch and do not for distilling washes.
