The reinheitsgebot

[James L]

I was thinking, these pilsners/lagers and kristall that are made in germany, how can they be considered to be made using the German purity law if they do not rely on the yeast to carbonate the bottles? Is forced carbonation allowed in the Reinheits? or is there some other natural way to carbonate the bottles while leaving no sediment (residual carbon dioxide in the lagered beer)? Its always something that has intrigued me..

[Kevnlis]

I believe they take the stored CO2 that is given off during the fermentation and lagering phases and reintroduce it at the bottling stage. So technically they have not added anything to the beer...

[Iron-Haggis]

I'm sure exceptions can be made in regards to forced carbonation. When the Reinheitsgebot was first introduced it did not include yeast either. Anyway Reinheitsgebot does not exist as a law anymore, it's against EU constitution.

[warra48]

Yep, they can be naturally carbonated while they lager, or they can also be krauesened, with part of a fresh batch of beer at full krauesen, to bulk prime them, when they are bottled. That, of course, still fits within the Reinheitsgebot.
Whether or not it is against EU regulations is another issue. However, if it's on their label, it would have to fit within the old regulation, simply because otherwise it would be a breach of various other laws/regulations as to misdescription of their product.