Month: August 2010

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Role of Yeast in Production of Alcoholic Beverages


Microscopic image of Mackeson Triple Stout at work, courtesy micro.magnet.fsu.edu

Posted at Hiawaii.edu Author not credited

Introduction

Although there is a distinction between beer, wine and liquor as well as other lesser known alcoholic beverages, they share one thing in common. They are the fermentation products of yeasts, mostly Saccharomyces cerevisiae or in the case of beers, usually S. carlsburgiensis. Yeasts, as you recall, are not mycelial. They are unicellular fungi that reproduce asexually by budding or fission. The reaction by which alcoholic beverages are produced is generally referred to as fermentation and may be summarized as:

Yeast + Glucose è Alcohol (Ethanol) + CO2

This reaction is also important in baking bread, but the desired product is then the carbon dioxide rather than alcohol. The production of alcohol occurs best in the absence of oxygen. However, from the yeast’s point of view, alcohol and carbon dioxide are waste products, and as the yeast continues to grow and metabolize in the sugar solution, the accumulation of alcohol will become toxic when it reaches a concentration between 14-18%, thereby killing the yeast cells. This is the reason why the percentage of alcohol in wine and beer can only be approximately 16%. In order to produce beverages (liquor) with higher concentrations of alcohol, the fermented products must be distilled.

What’s the Difference Between Beer and Wine?
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Burgers and Booze: Beer on Tap at Burger King?


Do you REALLY want this guy pouring beer for you?

Posted @SodaHead.com. Author not credited

As if there are not enough places to drink in New York City. Now Burger King is opening a Whopper Bar in Times Square.

The express-type concept, meant to combat the growth of McDonald’s McCafes, was first introduced in 2008 and is slowly expanding around the world with spots open already in Miami, Orlando and Memphis, Tenn.

Though the Times Square location’s liquor license is still pending, officials tell The New York Times that they hope to start pouring brewskis by mid-August.

No word yet if you get a bottle opener with your kid’s Happy Meal.

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In a Country Where 1 in 4 Beers Sold Is a Bud Light, Microbrews Are Showing Promising Growth

Written by Stephen Wishnia for Alternet

Independent craft brewers have established a significant niche over the last generation in the beer market, in an industry where six companies make 90 percent of the beer.

In a country where one out of every four beers sold is a Bud Light, and more than 80 percent of all beer sold comes from two giant corporations, indie brewing is showing promising signs of growth and staying power.

A few of the many beers from Stone Brewing

Independent craft brewers have established a significant niche over the last generation. Since 1980, the number of commercial breweries has risen from less than 100 to about 1,600, including brewpubs. Independent craft brewers now account for about 7 percent of U.S. beer sales, and the Boston Beer Co. (Samuel Adams) is now the leading American-owned brewer.

This situation might inspire the corporate majors to colonize the indies, as they did in the music business of the 1990s and more recently, with the corporate acquisition of several leading health-food brands and body-care products such as Burt’s Bees lip balm and Tom’s of Maine toothpaste. Yet so far, that doesn’t seem to have happened. The majors have created a few brands aimed at the craft-beer market, most notably MillerCoors’ Blue Moon, and Anheuser-Busch owns part of four of the top 20 craft-beer brands, according to store-sales figures for the year ending June 13 from SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market-research firm. Beyond that, however, they have not made many inroads–or tried that hard, say several professional observers.
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Club Update: Saratoga Thoroughbrews

Hi All,
First up is a reminder that our club will be meeting at OSB at 7pm this Thursday, August 5th.  We will be judging style category 16, but also feel free to bring whatever you wish to share.

Second, there will be 2 beer-themed events in Old Forge/Beaver River Station; the first will be on the 21st of August, the second on Labor Day.  Accommodations are available for those wishing to spend a night or 2.  Contact Ken Carman for more info:  kencarman@earthlink.net , or go to:  https://professorgoodales.net/archives/6236 for a full rundown of the events and how to get there…which isn’t easy, but should be worth the trip!

The competition/fundraiser previously scheduled for Sept 25th at the Local is being moved/rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict.  Details are (quickly) being worked out, but the tentative date is now Oct 2nd, and the location will possibly be The Madison Brewery in Bennington, VT.  This will be a BJCP/AHA event, involving both homebrewers and commercial breweries.  More info to follow as soon as everything is finalized.  Entries will be EITHER 2 cases OR 1 5 gallon keg due to this also being a fundraiser, and kegs will be returned as quickly as possible to entrants not in attendance.

The 15th annual Knickerbocker Battle of the Brews is almost here!!  I will be making a call for judges and stewards in the next week or 2, but those interested in volunteering in other capacities as well should contact Chris Gersey at:  knickerbockerbattleofthebrews@gmail.com .  There are many jobs that need doing in the weeks and days leading up to the competition, including: pickup of entries from drop-off points, logging in of entries, setting up the morning of the competition, and clean up afterwards.  Also, anyone wishing to assist in the obtaining of prizes for the raffle, as well as steward and judge “goodies”, should contact Steve Breault as soon as possible:  steve.breault@gmail.com .

There is still no word as to the start date for the next judges course.  As soon as I hear from George DePiro, I will pass this on.

Finally, a big thanks to all who participated in the fund raiser at OSB last weekend!  The club raised $940, AFTER all expenses!!  Special thanks to Dan, Kim, and Dave behind the bar for all their help during the event, and for their donations of prizes to the raffle, Chris Gersey for setting up and manning the jockey box to keep the cold beer flowing, Paul and Wendy Krebs for their delicious pizzas (41, I think!), Paul Fetterroll for manning the grill, Rick McCarthy for his help with the 50/50 raffle, Adam Schmichael and the Adirondack Pub and Brewery for the donation of several kegs of beer and assorted shirts and glassware for the raffle,(Rick and Adam also provided homebrew) John Fura for all his help during the event, John Beale,  the Troy Brew Club, and Les Swinton for their donation of beer, Ben Haynes for the pork whick lasted 45 minutes!,and especially to Jim Azotea, who organized the event, coordinated the volunteers, bought the food, brewed the beer, and then played screaming guitar for 2 full sets with The Full Version Band!  The band was rockin’ the house despite the oppressive heat/humidity of about 120 people packing the OSB taproom.  Sorry if I missed anybody…thanks to all!

Cheers,

Greg

I did get a chance to stop by for the fund raiser, and here are some of the pictures I took. Please excuse the quirky camera I have. I’m still figuring it out. And apologies for taking so long. Obviously: no Staples in Beaver River… I rely on those for processing, and once I saw what I had: GACK! Greg’s there and a very hazy pic of a sample being poured. Maybe when I judge in November I can get better pics and do more for the cause. If anyone does make it to the Station for one the beer tastings I’ll obviously be cover that to. I have to: I’m the “server!”

Ken Carman

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Todd Snyder and several western NY clubs are banding together to try to bring the NHC to Niagara Falls in 2014.
Continue reading “Club Update: Saratoga Thoroughbrews”