News Microbes

The ancestor to modern brewing yeast has been found hiding in Ireland

Found in Patagonia and elsewhere, Saccharomyces eubayanus has now been identified in Europe

photo of someone pulling a pint of beer

Breweries in Germany shifted from producing ale to producing lager in the 1500s, thanks to the rise of a hybrid yeast called Saccharomyces pastorianus, whose ancestor has now been found in Europe.

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By Darren Incorvaia

In 1516, the duchy of Bavaria in Germany imposed a law on its beer brewers meant to reserve ingredients like wheat and rye for the baking of bread.