For thousands of years, the primary type of beer brewed was ale. Brewed in warm temperatures, the preferred temperature for the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ale would often become spoiled by bacteria. Beer brewers in the Bavarian region combated this by storing their product in the cold caves of the Alps to enjoy it year round. [9] The side effect of this storage technique was the evolution of Saccharomyces pastorianus, a hybrid yeast strain capable of fermenting beer in a much colder temperature than the traditional yeast utilized for the fermentation of ale.
Sometime during the 15th century, the Bavarian brewers realized that brewing their beer in the winter months led to a different product than brewing beer in the summer months. The beer brewed in winter months was purer and spoiled less frequently. Brewing in the winter months became increasingly more common as a result of this development. In the year 1553, summer brewing was outlawed entirely in Bavaria. [11]
This method of fermenting and storing beer in the cold, known as lagering, would spread from Bavaria to all parts of Europe, where differences in ingredients and brewing methods led to a number of varieties of lager. The city of Pilsen, located in the Bohemian region of what is now the Czech Republic, is famous world wide for its golden colored beer known as pilsner.
The spread of lager beer would continue outside of Europe in the 1800's, with German immigrants bringing their brewing methods and hops to the United States of America. The production of pale lagers, such as Budweiser, gained huge popularity in America. Lager beers remain the most consumed beer in the world, especially pilsner style lagers.
Sometime during the 15th century, the Bavarian brewers realized that brewing their beer in the winter months led to a different product than brewing beer in the summer months. The beer brewed in winter months was purer and spoiled less frequently. Brewing in the winter months became increasingly more common as a result of this development. In the year 1553, summer brewing was outlawed entirely in Bavaria. [11]
This method of fermenting and storing beer in the cold, known as lagering, would spread from Bavaria to all parts of Europe, where differences in ingredients and brewing methods led to a number of varieties of lager. The city of Pilsen, located in the Bohemian region of what is now the Czech Republic, is famous world wide for its golden colored beer known as pilsner.
The spread of lager beer would continue outside of Europe in the 1800's, with German immigrants bringing their brewing methods and hops to the United States of America. The production of pale lagers, such as Budweiser, gained huge popularity in America. Lager beers remain the most consumed beer in the world, especially pilsner style lagers.