November 2, 2024

Taylor Daily Press

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Weird beer can taste really good.

Weird beer can taste really good.

Image credits: Beer in Space, Generative AI, DALL-E

How does brewer’s yeast behave in space? I went with this question Researchers from the University of Florida begin work.

Fermentation is an essential part of many of the products we eat—just think of bread and yogurt. If we ever go to space in the future, it would be useful to know if and how we can ferment there. Previously, for example, wine had to pass the space test. In general, food is like space. less delicious With the risk of consuming too few nutrients..

The researchers chose brewer’s yeast because people have been making beer for thousands of years and there is a lot of knowledge about it. They pounded barley into wort and divided it into 6 different tubes. They added a type of brewer’s yeast to each tube. Saccharomyces pasteurianus L. Three tubes served as a control, and the researchers placed three tubes in a device that simulated microgravity — partial weightlessness, as in space.

Microgravity had no negative effect on yeast cell numbers or viability. The fermentation rate actually increased due to the constant suspension: rotation prevents settling.

However, yeast exposed to microgravity produced fewer esters, the byproducts of fermentation that create both desirable and undesirable beer flavors. The researchers speculate that lower ester contents could actually lead to better overall quality.


Phys.org – Beer in Space: Researchers Study Microgravity’s Effect on Fermentation,
August 19, 2024