Contribution to the Knowledge of the Origin of Zeilithoid Production in Český Rudolec

Abstract

In the middle of the 19th century, the administrator of the manor in Český Rudolec F. G. Rietsch invented a material which, by mixing it in water and fermenting it, made it possible to produce a beer of good quality even under unfavorable or diffi cult conditions. This invention, called Getreidestein - zeilithoid (grain stone) was patented for 15 years; subsequently it was put into practice and over two decades produced in Český Rudolec. The product was designed primarily for the production of beer on ocean liners or in remote overseas destinations, as well as for military crews and forts. Its spreading in Europe, the traditional homeland of beer, was not considered.