German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot)
According to the 1516 Bavarian law, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops. The text does not mention yeast as an ingredient, although yeast was at the time knowingly used in the brewing process. It is likely that brewers of the time preferred to see yeast as a fixture of the brewing process. Yeast produced in one batch was commonly transferred to a subsequent batch, thus giving yeast a more permanent character in the brewing process. A full understanding of the chemical basis of yeast and the fermentation process did not come until much later.
Source Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot
The text (translated) of the 1516 Bavarian law is as follows:
We hereby proclaim and decree, by Authority of our Province, that henceforth in the Duchy of Bavaria, in the country as well as in the cities and marketplaces, the following rules apply to the sale of beer: From Michaelmas to Georgi, the price for one Mass [1,069ml] or one Kopf [bowl-shaped container for fluids, not quite one Mass], is not to exceed one Pfennig Munich value, and From Georgi to Michaelmas, the Mass shall not be sold for more than two Pfennig of the same value, the Kopf not more than three Heller [Heller usually equals one-half Pfennig]. If this is not adhered to, the punishment stated below shall be administered. Should any person brew, or otherwise have, other beer than March beer, it is not to be sold any higher than one Pfennig per Mass.
Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, market-towns and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities' confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.
Should, however, an innkeeper in the country, city or market-towns buy two or three pails of beer (containing 60 Mass) and sell it again to the common peasantry, he alone shall be permitted to charge one Heller more for the Mass or the Kopf, than mentioned above. Furthermore, should there be a scarcity and subsequent price increase of the barley, the Bavarian Duchy shall have the right to order curtailments for the good of all concerned.
Given by Wilhelm IV.
Duke of Bayern
at St. Georg's day to
Ingolstadt Anno 1516, April 23
Source Pic: Barthel Beham, Herzog Wilhelm IV. von Bayern, 1533, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Alte Pinakothek Munich, URL: https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/en/artwork/jWLpk5XxKY, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Source Text and Pic: https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0001/bsb00018106/images/index.html?fip=193.174.98.30&id=00018106&seite=102, public domain, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
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