Carlsberg Laboratory
Private lab that isolated lager yeast and introduced pH.
The Carlsberg Laboratory is a private research facility in Copenhagen, Denmark, operated by the Carlsberg Foundation. J. C. Jacobsen, who also founded the Carlsberg brewery, established it in 1875 to push forward biochemical understanding, particularly in areas tied to brewing. The lab had two main divisions: one for chemistry and another for physiology. It is best known for two key achievements: isolating *Saccharomyces carlsbergensis*, the yeast used to ferment lager, and developing the pH scale, which measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The Danish chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen came up with this logarithmic scale while at the lab, after his work on how ion concentrations affect proteins led him to see that hydrogen ion levels were especially critical. In 1972, the institution was renamed the Carlsberg Research Center and moved under the brewery’s control.
- Founded
- 1875
- Founder
- J. C. Jacobsen
- Location
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Parent organization
- Carlsberg Foundation
- Renamed
- Carlsberg Research Center in 1972
- Departments
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Physiology
- Key yeast isolated
- Saccharomyces carlsbergensis
Lore & Background
The Carlsberg Laboratory was founded in 1875 by J. C. Jacobsen, the founder of the Carlsberg brewery, with the purpose of advancing biochemical knowledge, especially relating to brewing. It featured a Department of Chemistry and a Department of Physiology. In 1972, the laboratory was renamed the Carlsberg Research Center and was transferred to the brewery. The laboratory is known for isolating Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, the species of yeast responsible for lager fermentation, as well as introducing the concept of pH in acid–base chemistry. The Danish chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen introduced the concept of pH while working at the Carlsberg Laboratory. He studied the effect of ion concentration on proteins and understood the concentration of hydrogen ions was particularly important. To express the hydronium ion (H3O+) concentration in a solution, he devised a logarithmic scale known as the pH scale.
Reader's Guide
The Carlsberg Laboratory's significance lies in two major contributions to science and brewing. First, it isolated Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, the yeast species essential for lager fermentation, which directly advanced the brewing industry. Second, while working at the laboratory, chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen introduced the concept of pH, a logarithmic scale for measuring acidity and basicity. His work on the effect of ion concentration on proteins led him to understand the importance of hydrogen ion concentration, resulting in the pH scale. The laboratory was founded in 1875 by J. C. Jacobsen under the Carlsberg Foundation and originally had departments of chemistry and physiology. In 1972, it was renamed the Carlsberg Research Center and transferred to the brewery. Its legacy includes foundational knowledge in both biochemistry and brewing science.
Did You Know?
- It isolated Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, the yeast species responsible for lager fermentation.
- Chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen introduced the pH scale while working at the laboratory.
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