That reminds me of a story I read about a lambic brewer in Belgium who needed to replace an again brewery roof. They ended up building a roof over the existing, but dilapidated, one because of the wild yeast that was had grown in it over the decades. His concern (legitimate) was removing the old roof and replacing it would cause the flavor of the brew to change.
One can easily see how such an event 2 or 3 hundred years back might produce a more mystical explanation but based on a very empirical observation.
That reminds me of a story I read about a lambic brewer in Belgium who needed to replace an again brewery roof. They ended up building a roof over the existing, but dilapidated, one because of the wild yeast that was had grown in it over the decades. His concern (legitimate) was removing the old roof and replacing it would cause the flavor of the brew to change.
One can easily see how such an event 2 or 3 hundred years back might produce a more mystical explanation but based on a very empirical observation.