The Sweet and Sour Science of Vegemite
Where would we be without Vegemite on toast? Not in Australia, anyway. So we should thank the chemist who created it!
When imports of Marmite to Australia were disrupted following World War 1, chemist Cyril Callister was tasked by his employer, Fred Walker, to create the Vitamin B spread that we all love as a replacement. It’s made from spent brewer's yeast—a waste product from the brewing industry that is rich in vitamin B. Vegemite was first available for sale in 1924.
In 2016, some University of Queensland researchers investigated whether the yeast in Vegemite could be used to brew beer—sounds like a perfect circle, right? Use the waste product of brewing beer to make a sandwich spread, use sandwich spread to make beer! They found that Vegemite on its own didn’t have the active yeast required to progress fermentation, but it was indeed a useful supplement that aided the fermentation process when added to a solution that contained glucose and some viable yeast. So keep an eye out for Vegemite beer at your local hipster micro-brewery!