by Mike Retzlaff
In the previous article of this series, some of the details of lager yeast were recounted. Saccharomyces pastorianus was identified as the yeast used for making lager beer. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the yeast used in brewing Ale.
Saccharomyces eubayanus was discovered in the Patagonian Andes in 2011. Genome mapping has determined that S. eubayanus and S. cerevisiae are the parents of S. pastorianus. However, it surely seemed like S. eubayanus was a deadbeat dad and skipped town after the event.
Subsequent discoveries of S. eubayanus have been made in North America, China, Tibet, and New Zealand. Now we have breaking news that for the first time in history, it has been found in Europe. In 2021, researchers at University College in Dublin, Ireland discovered and isolated two separate strains of S. eubayanus. These strains were found in soil samples taken only 17 meters apart in a wooded section of the University campus.
It seems that this deadbeat dad actually never left town. It is likely that further research will find strains of this species of yeast in other parts of Europe as well.
Crescent City Brew Talk 