A look at the brewing industry in america 100 years ago (the mbaa award of merit lecture).

Halcrow, R.M.

Abstract
The development of the brewing industry in the USA during the second half of the last century and the organisational history of the Master Brewers Association of the Americans are outlined. A first step towards the development of a brewing industry in the USA was the commercial production of lager beer by Frederick Laver (1844). Increased German immigration lead to a spread of the brewing trade and beer consumption became increasingly popular. Technical advances in malting and mashing allowed greater production and responded to different requirements of equipment and adjuncts used (e.g. decoction mashing, infusion mashing). Further milestones were the introduction of mechanical refrigeration, wort coolers, pure yeast culturing, bunging equipment and carbonation systems. The use of closed fermenters, beer filters and pasteurisation prolonged the shelf life of beer. Hindering aspects like taxation, prohibition and other problems, e.g. with leaking bottle stoppers are also mentioned.
Keywords : beer brewing industry history