There is one big problem with the article - its unerstanding of lager and lagering. Bottom fermented beers or lagers did not emerge in the 1400s more like 1800s. Fermenting in cool cave does not lager make. See http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/history.html for information showing that it was ale (top fermented beer) in Germany until much later. Fermentation was not understood until Pasteur.