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 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. Agrobacter/E+/Getty Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Darren Incorvaia December 7, 2022 at 12:05 am 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.