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Researchers Test Space Beer
With space tourism becoming a real possibility in the near future, brewers are trying to figure out how to provide a good beer in space. To this end, a non-profit space research corporation Astronauts4Hire will begin testing an Australian brew created to be enjoyed in microgravity. From the article: "In the past, NASA has also sponsored studies on space beer, and whether or not the popular beverage can be brewed in space. Under current policies, however, alcohol remains forbidden on the International Space Station."
What do the bubbles do in zero-g?
I want to get free zero-g flights AND drink beer for my job
www.RacquetUp.org - Helping Detroit Youth
It better be some good abbey beer from Belgium.
I thought the article would be about how to formulate a beer that drinks well in space. Instead it seems to be about actually brewing in space.
I really don't see why you would want to do that. Even a simple brewing setup involves several bulky pieces of equipment. And five gallons of beer fermenting will release somewhere around 200 liters of CO2 (number pulled from the depths of my memory, could be wrong) which is obviously not something you want an excess of in space.
However, the observation that the yeast seemed to be more "efficient" in space makes sense to me. Fermentation in beer basically consists of three phases. During the first phase, the yeast consumes oxygen (aerobic respiration) as it reproduces in the wort. Once the yeast population gets high enough, they switch their metabolism to anaerobic and commence the fermentation proper. Finally, the yeast begin to aggregate together (it's called "flocculation") and form large globules which drop out of suspension and form a "cake" on the bottom of the fermenter. In a zero-G environment, these globules will instead stay in suspension and the yeast will remain in an active state for a longer period of time.
At first I read the title as "Researchers Test Spacebar"...
The question is, if you brew a beer in microgravity, where there isn't really a sense of what's "up" and what's "down", how do you know if you've brewed an ale or a lager?
Those who fail to understand communication protocols, are doomed to repeat them over port 80.
Being a homebrewer making beer isn't that hard, if they really wanted to know how well it works have NASA go to the local homebrewing store (yes they do exist) buy a basic kit, teach the astronauts how to make beer on Earth and then have them do it in space.
Also the yeast is fermenting in a liquid so I don't see how it would make fermentation difficult for the yeast.
There are Russians on the space station.
Russians!
Ruskys!
That is why we don't want Vodka on the ISS.
Have you ever drunk with a Russian?
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Because vodka is more complicated to produce than beer.
Making vodka is like brewing beer, except you have the added step of distillation.
Although, if you're going to be transporting it in a gravity well, vodka's a better bet since you get more bang for your weight.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
I want to be the guy who gets a space DUI. Totally worth it. "But occifer I warrz just going to the neerest lagraaange points derp."
'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
Yes, extremely complicated.
1) Take a bottle of ethanol.
2) Label it "vodka".
3) ???
4) Profit!
Then we can have drunk assholes in space too! Boy, that'll be great. We'll have drunk husbands beating their drunk wives. Hopefully this will cause some catastrophic events up in space too. I can't wait for the first head on collision. Fucking shit, why don't they bring some guns up there too, while they're at it? Nothing mixes better than guns and alcohol! Weeehawwww.
As long as we're doing the overused meme thing...
In Soviet Russia, vodka makes you!
Trust us Aussies to be at the forefront of getting smashed/pissed/sh!t-faced (pick your colloquialism) in space.
Perhaps micro-gravity will make Fosters drinkable? Nah. That will never happen. There's a reason we export Fosters and don't drink it at home.
The beer was produced as a joint venture between Saber Astronautics Australia, a new space engineering firm, and the Australian 4 Pines Brewing Company, located in Manly, a suburb of northern Sydney. :) i live near Manly and never seen or heard of Australian 4 Pines Brewing Company... publicity stunt?
Typical aussies
It's not a typo if you understood the meaning!
NASA Scientists also mention that "Space Brownies were invented in the '60s by Earth-bound hippies and no further research is needed in this area. Thank you."
This is the NSA, we're gonna geet U h@x0r5! Also, what is a h@x0r5?
Shouldn't we be spending our time developing Synthehol?
I found Mary Roach's Packing for Mars to be fascinating, informative, and it made me ROFLMAO about every third page.
On page 296 she writes "Beer is a no-fly, because without gravity, carbonation bubbles don't rise to the surface. 'You just get a foamy froth,' says Bourland. He says Coke spent $450,000 developing a zero-gravity dispenser, only to be undone by biology. Since bubbles also don't rise to the top of a stomach, the astronauts had trouble burping. 'Often a burp is accompanied by a liquid spray,' Bourland adds."
So we must assume that Astronauts4Hire have either not read the book, or didn't want to let the facts spoil their publicity ploy.
Mary Roach described herself on NPR as "having the mind of a twelve-year-old boy." The book is indescribably marvelous to those of us who are similarly gifted with youthful imagination.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
Trick about that one is, it's probably true.
I bet most russkies were made because of vodka.
IwonderifIcangetNASAtotestminetoo,itseemstobebroken.
Oooooh, space *beer*. Nevermind.
Would you rather be the first person to view the earth from space with a nice high, or the first person to float around in your own piss and vomit? NASA has always been ahead of the curve. Maybe they could point the way toward sensible attitudes about drugs.
To this end, a non-profit space research corporation Astronauts4Hire will begin testing an Australian brew created to be enjoyed in microgravity. From the article: "In the past, NASA has also sponsored studies on space beer, and whether or not the popular beverage can be brewed in space.
Why does that make me feel that we're getting closer to this?:
"Clevon is lucky to be alive. He attempted to jump a jet ski from a lake into a swimming pool and impaled his crotch on an iron gate. But thanks to advances in stem cell research and the fine work of Doctors Krinsky and Altschuler, he should regain full reproductive function again."
How many of the astronauts would be considered flight crew? So long as they're "flying", it would seem they'd be covered by 14 CFR 91.17, which is the 0.04% and 8 hour bottle-to-throttle rule. Oh, IANAL, but IAAP and wondering how many of the FAA regulations apply.
Doesn't add up to me
I'll fork up good money to be a space tourist, but I'll knock back a few brews to reduce my clarity.
Maybe if I was blasted off into space in a typical rocket, I wouldn't mind having a few BEFORE takeoff for nerves, but why would I want to muck up my memory and perception of my limited time in space when I get there?
Have you ever seen a Russian drink a glass of water?
ResearchersTestSpaceBar. Success.
As a distinguished space captain once said, "All I need from a crew is their complete loyalty. If I had that then they could drink beer in their underpants for all I care."
Just make sure you don't invite those muthafuckers that try and weasel their way out of their round.
.
Well christ I found out what your problem was. Using an Australian Beer! Good grief why not just drink your own piss? Go for a decent European beer and problem solved!
...they start testing 'space blackjack' and 'space hookers'.
And died, ironically.
...no one can hear you barf.
Coopers is infinitely better than that popular Dutch crap in the green bottle.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Alcohol may lower calcium which may make a problem of losing calcium in space worse.
How sad when there's this many comments and not one mention of either the Vomit Comet OR Fizzy Lifting Drinks.
What a waste of time and money
Why do you hate science?
We seem to have a science fundie here!
Have you ever seen a Russian drink a glass of water?
Well ... since Vodka is Russian for water....
They call the plane that does the 0g roller coaster the Vomit Comet. This is where they want to test the beer for drinkability? Will they use Ale or Lager yeast and how will they decant it? It will need a filter and wont be very clear. A couple cans of Foster's 5.1% will make the trip to Mars go faster.
On the second flight of the Space Shuttle (STS-2), there was a problem with the fuel cells which resulted in hydrogen gas in the crew's drinking water. Due to their inability to eliminate the gas from their digestive systems, the crew did not drink sufficient water and became so dehydrated that during entry they were light-headed. In a post-flight debriefing, they admitted that they were significantly impaired, and were glad for the mindless repetition during their training, because it allowed them to function when they were having trouble thinking.
Temperature. Now telling an ale from a Steam gets harder as they can be brewed at the same temperature.
Yes, I know a joke was being made and a rather funny one at that.
Wouldn't any microbrew be compatible with microgravity?
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
So are we gonna start hearing about micro(g)brewing now?
I'm happy with "popular" because Grolsch is not something that would be categorized as popular, but Heineken is definitely popular. I chose my words carefully, your correction is unnecessary and unhelpful.
What does "overpriced" even mean? I realize there is a dictionary definition, but the concept is annoyingly arbitrary.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire