We can say that life was at least interesting for brewers before the Industrial Revolution of the late 19th century. Time consuming practices including delivery of kegs by way of wheelbarrow (full keg weighs aprx 170lbs) and refrigeration techniques that included filling chambers 25 feet tall full of ice that put 1,150 lb/sq ft of pressure on the holding floor.
It become increasingly easier to brew beer for the masses after the Civil War. Delivery of beer by refrigerated rail car helped fuel brewery expansion. New techinques in architecture allowed brewery buildings to maintain a lower overall temperature which saved money spent on ice and saw more brewers begin trying their hand at bottom fermenting lager beers which require lower temperatures during fermentation and storage. The life span of the brewery was also increased as steel and brick construction lowered the potential for destruction by fire. Louis Pasteur also gave brewers a leg up by providing information on yeast reproduction and its role in the creation of alcohol.
The industry was booming despite the looming shadow of prohibition and taxation following the Civil War. But technological advances would also cause a dramatic decrease in the number of breweries as we approach the turn of the century.
