Better Brewing (BB)
We make yeast analysis fast, easy, and affordable to help you make your best beer. Turn your smartphone or tablet into a powerful yeast cell counter and automatically analyze yeast cell concentration, viability, and budding count – all in less than a minute.
How it works
10x faster than manual counting
Zero expert knowledge needed
More accurate than human counting
Step #1
Load the sample chamber with your diluted and stained yeast and put the chamber into the microscope.
Step #2
Connect the microscope with your mobile device and open the Oculyze app.
Step #3
Take five images moving the sample chamber into its predefined positions.
Step #4
Review analysis results directly in the app and calculate your required pitch rate.
Demo Video
A short demonstration of how to use Oculyze Yeast Cell Counter. Get to know the basics and how easy it can be to check your yeast concentration and viability.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our device has been thoroughly tested and has been validated by the VLB Berlin (Versuch- u. Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin). As written by the VLB Berlin “The results of the Oculyze system are closely comparable with those obtained using the microscopic Thoma chamber method … using the Oculyze system does not require laboratory equipment such as a microscope and does not require trained staff for the microscopic examination. Using the Thoma chamber everything has to be done manually (counting the cells and calculation of the results), while the Oculyze system automates the counting and calculation of the results. With the Oculyze system the cell concentration and viability can be analysed within one fast measurement. Finally we can say, that the Oculyze system offers a very good, fast and cost efficient alternative for the determination of the cell concentration and viability of bottom fermenting yeast strains without the need of complex laboratory equipment.” You can read the full report here.
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Our microscope has a magnification of ~400X and allows for the visualization of objects less than 10µm. If you measure in an undiluted sample, the optimal range is 8.5×10⁵ – 3.5×10⁷ cells/ml (0,85 Mio. – 350 Mio). However, if you have higher concentrations, you can always dilute your sample to fit within this range.
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Yes, the Oculyze app has a feature to analyze Brettanomyces bruxellensis (Brett) concentration.
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The automated solution is optimized for normal Saccharomyces Cerevisiae strains (i.e. bakers or brewers yeast) and does not check for bacteria. However, the app also has a manual count option available which will allow you to count anything you want, including bacteria like lactobacillus.
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Our advanced image recognition has been developed and improved constantly over several years. It is able to separate even strongly clustered cells.
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Our image recognition will automatically detect budding cells and handle them as recommended by leading experts in the field of yeast management. For concentration they are only included if they are at least half the size of the mother cell; smaller buds are ignored. For the viability calculations, budding cells are ignored if the mother and/or daughter cell are stained, as they often cannot metabolize the dye correctly.
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Methylene violet can offer some advantages; it performs better in growing phases of yeast cells (i.e. exponential and stationary) as well as for cultures with viabilities lower than 90%.
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Yes, there is an option to connect your existing laboratory microscope. For this setup you would require a microscope with a 40X objective lens, a hemocytometer (Neubauer/Thoma chamber) and a compatible camera which gets mounted to your microscope. For more information and individual support please reach out to us via our contact form.
Additional Information
Faster and more accurate results with automated cell counter – start saving time and costs now!
Knowledge of accurate cell count and yeast viability is vital in achieving consistent fermentation and quality products
How yeast affects beer quality
Cell counters for yeast cell counting