Crafting the perfect lager takes time, patience, and skill. With 35 years of brewing experience, Doug Hasker has mastered all three. Doug began his career at Gordon Biersch, brewing traditional German-style lagers using liquid yeast from Weihenstephan. Today, he works alongside Jacob Bauch at Puesto Cervecería in San Diego, where they brew legendary Mexican lagers that pair perfectly with high-end Mexico City-style tacos.
Puesto is more than a restaurant. It’s a celebration of Mexican culinary tradition, elevated through craft brewing. Doug and Jacob specialize in producing world-class Mexican lagers designed to complement Puesto’s bold flavors. Their flagship beer, Puesto Clara (a traditional Mexican lager), has become a crowd favorite, accounting for 50 percent of all beer sales at the restaurant. The secret to their consistency and operational efficiency? A strategic switch to Fermentis Active Dry Yeast more than a decade ago.
The switch to Active Dry Yeast: A game changer for brewery operations
In 2010, Doug made a decision that would transform his brewing process. He switched from liquid yeast to Active Dry Yeast and was amazed by the results. SafLager™ W-34/70 proved to be a game changer for his operations.
Not only did SafLager™ W-34/70 provide unparalleled ease of use, but it was also a perfect match for the famous Weihenstephan yeast profile he had worked with for years. “It emulated the Weihenstephan yeast so accurately,” says Doug. “And it’s so much easier than using wet yeast.”
The operational advantages were immediately clear. Active Dry Yeast delivered multiple benefits:
- No propagation required – eliminated labor-intensive yeast management and reduced production time
- Minimal cold storage – freed up valuable tank space and reduced energy costs
- Consistent performance – reliable fermentation batch after batch, regardless of production timing
- Instant readiness – pitch immediately when tanks become available, no lead time needed
For a fast-paced restaurant brewery like Puesto, these benefits translated directly into smoother production schedules and more reliable fermentation outcomes.
Active Dry Yeast: Ready when you are
“Fermentis yeast makes a difference in our operations every day,” says Doug. “It’s our workhorse. It makes brewing smoother, and we get what we need out of our fermentations. Plus, it’s ready to use when we’re able to get a tank in, which in our operations can be at a moment’s notice.”
This flexibility is critical in a restaurant brewery environment. Unlike traditional production breweries with fixed schedules, Puesto’s brewing operation must adapt to fluctuating demand and tank availability. Active Dry Yeast from Fermentis gives Doug and Jacob the ability to pitch yeast immediately when a tank becomes available, without the lead time required for liquid yeast propagation or the risk of viability loss during storage.
SafLager™ W-34/70 and SafAle™ US-05 are now the backbone of Puesto’s award-winning lagers and IPAs, delivering the crisp, clean flavors that their customers love. The team also chose SafAle W-68™ for the latest addition to their lineup: a traditional German-style Hefeweizen that was a hit this past summer.
The yeasts behind the beers
SafLager™ W-34/70: The foundation of great lagers
A famous lager strain from Weihenstephan in Germany, SafLager™ W-34/70 is widely used in the brewing industry and trusted by brewers worldwide. SafLager™ W-34/70 is a strong and robust yeast that allows brewers to craft neutral beers with a good balance of floral and fruity aromas. It’s known for imparting clean flavors and producing highly drinkable beers.
This versatile lager yeast performs reliably across a wide range of fermentation temperatures and brewing conditions, making it ideal for both traditional lager styles and modern craft interpretations. Its neutral fermentation profile allows the malt and hop character to shine through, which is exactly what Doug and Jacob need for their Mexican lagers.
SafAle W-68™: Authentic German wheat beer character
Also originating from Weihenstephan, SafAle W-68™ is the ideal wheat yeast strain for brewing classic Weissbier. This historical wheat yeast strongly contributes by producing the quintessential esters (banana and tutti-frutti notes) and phenols (clove and pepper flavors) expected of the style. The yeast also reliably offers medium attenuation, which delivers a silky texture and creamy fullness to the mouthfeel.
SafAle™ US-05: Clean, crisp American ales
SafAle™ US-05 is an American brewers’ yeast that produces neutral and well-balanced ales. It forms a firm head and presents an excellent ability to stay in suspension during fermentation. This strain is ideal for creating clean and crisp American-style beers, as well as highly hopped beers like the IPAs that San Diego is famous for.
Innovation meets tradition at Puesto
Puesto’s commitment to quality is evident in every sip, and Fermentis Active Dry Yeast is the secret ingredient that allows the team to create, perfect, and consistently replicate their award-winning recipes.
“One of the areas where we are able to innovate here at Puesto is in our IPAs,” says Jacob. “Coming from San Diego, having a great IPA isn’t an option. It’s a requirement.” The team uses SafAle™ US-05 as their foundation, then experiments with rotating hop varieties and different malt bills to keep their IPAs at the forefront of drinkers’ minds.
This combination of consistency and creativity defines the Puesto brewing philosophy. By relying on proven Active Dry Yeast strains from Fermentis, Doug and Jacob free themselves to focus on recipe development, ingredient selection, and the sensory experience they want to deliver to their guests. The yeast performs predictably every time, which means the brewers can push boundaries elsewhere in the brewing process.
For Doug, the switch to Fermentis Active Dry Yeast more than a decade ago was about more than convenience. It was about gaining control over his fermentation process, reducing variability, and ensuring that every glass of Puesto Clara or IPA met the high standards that customers expect. After 35 years in the industry, he knows that great beer starts with great yeast.
If you’re a brewer looking to craft the perfect lager, IPA, or any other beer style, get in touch to see what the Fermentis range of Active Dry Yeasts for beer can do for you!
For more information about how Fermentis can help you brew better, more consistent, and more flavorful beer, drop us a line at fermentis.com/contact/