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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."
I want to get free zero-g flights AND drink beer for my job
www.RacquetUp.org - Helping Detroit Youth
What do the bubbles do in zero-g?
You've seen this right? the part your asking starts about a min in
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.
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.
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?
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!
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."
that's a blob of water with air blown into it.
beer is carbonated/under pressure - bottom line - you need a gizmo to drink it:
NASA did a couple experiments with carbonated beverages:
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast21sep_1/
By dispensing the drink into a collapsible bag inside the bottle, the pressure around the fluid can be constantly controlled, thus preventing the carbonation from coming out of solution too quickly. The image on the right shows the dispenser being used aboard the space shuttle. Note the tape stuck to the top-right corner of the dispenser that reads "50" -- astronaut humor. Image courtesy BioServe.
Similar technology should prove effective for carbonated space beers. Unfortunately it doesn't lend itself to the traditional frosty glass mug! Instead, beverages are dispensed into a special bottle (pictured above) that screws onto the dispenser. The bottle itself, which contains a collapsible bag, is internally pressurized. The pressure around the bag is slowly released as the beverage enters, maintaining the drink under constant pressure and producing a palatable soda or beer.
here's a piece about a space keg:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn276-beer-balls.html
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."