What is the purpose of yeast in nature?

[Grantman1]

Who in turn cultivate more and stronger yeast. Talk about a symbiotic relationship!

Agreed. And by evolving into strains that allow us to produce delicious beers, they have ensured their survival.

What does this mean? Yeast have domesticated us people.

 

[pelipen]

Agreed. And by evolving into strains that allow us to produce delicious beers, they have ensured their survival.

What does this mean? Yeast have domesticated us people.

You could probably say (some) yeast depends on us for existence. I once read that we have cultivated corn to the point where it's no longer capable of seeding itself like grass, and would die out if we didn't replant it.

I suspect if we didn't meddle, everything would have an FG around 1.000.

 

[robertfraser]

Agree with all of this, species perpetuation primarily.



Don't you find it odd that we benefit from their waste products? Similarly, Honey is regurgitated by Bees, Mold is used to flavor and enhance cheese - some of the most flavorful and enjoyable substances on earth are derived by the fermentation and/or breakdown of other substances using yeasts, molds and bacterias.

And let's not forget where mushrooms grow....

 

[sjohnv3]

So, is it coencidental that hops are bacteria free and a natural perservitive? I think everything has a pupose and if it does not then we just have not figured it out yet.

I love the quote listed below!

"beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" Franklin

So, let's all go get happy

 

[patthebrewer]

No purpose other than that of any other life form (you for instance), to grow feed and propagate to species. Man has just learned to tame them for our purposes like other life forms, i.e cattle, corn, grain, fish etc.

 

[Epimetheus]

Same as you and I. Take up time and space. It's our task to make the world better with it. And we know how to do that!

 

[zeg]

So, is it coencidental that hops are bacteria free and a natural perservitive?

No, it's not coincidental, but it doesn't have to be deep.

Hops are antibacterial for their own sake. Many plants have this property. Hops happen to be edible and have a pleasant (or at least acquirable) taste and bitterness that can balance sweetness. That is why they are used in beer. The reason we associate them with beer so strongly is simply that they've been used in that context for a couple dozen generations.

Before that, one would have mused about how miraculous it was that heather had such a nice flavor to pair with malted barley, but it was just a shame it didn't keep so well.