Lager yeast didn’t just appear fully formed — its story was written across Europe. In this solo episode, Richard takes us on a journey through Munich and Copenhagen, two cities central to the history of lager brewing.
From tasting Augustiner Helles at the source, to unpacking the Hofbräuhaus origin hypothesis, to Carlsberg’s revolutionary work with pure yeast culture, and the global rise of 34/70, this episode explores how evolutionary bottlenecks and brewing traditions shaped the yeast behind the world’s most popular beer style.
We also look ahead — why Frohberg strains dominate today, and what the future might hold for the next chapter in lager yeast evolution.
Featured in this Episode:
Hutzler et al. (2023). A new hypothesis for the origin of the lager yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus. FEMS Yeast Research
Hutzler et al. (2019). Resurrection of the lager strain Saccharomyces pastorianus TUM 35. BrewingScience
Carlsberg: The Pursuit of the Perfect Beer