The Buzz about Fermentation is as Silent as the "P" in Alcohol

Have you ever eaten a hotdog…a char-broiled, foot-long with diced onions and catsup or perhaps smothered in sauerkraut with mustard…or however you “like your dogs”…and enjoyed it? Ever heard someone say, “If you knew how they were made, you would never eat another one”? Yet, chances are many reading this not only have eaten those dogs, but truly enjoy…if not love…them. Well, what if we were to take a look at alcohol in much the same way. Is it possible that one could say, “If you knew how alcohol was made, you would never take another drink”?

Alcohol is a naturally occurring compound composed of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. The chemical formula for the alcoholic beverages most consumers drink--ethanol--is C2 H5 OH. In a proverbial

“nutshell,” alcohol is created via a process called fermentation when naturally existing organisms called yeast act upon the sugars in organic compounds as they are broken down in the natural process of decomposition. When left to their own devices, yeast continue to live and produce alcohol until the concentration of alcohol in the mixture reaches a point of approximately 12%, at which point the alcohol content causes the mixture to become toxic, killing the yeast. Beverages with an alcohol content in excess of 12% (24 proof) are created by distilling the naturally produced "mash" or "wort" to its desired strength.

After ingesting organic matter, yeast digest the sugar and produce alcohol, which is the byproduct of this digestive process. In essence, yeast ingest the sugars in organic compounds and excrete alcohol as a waste product. Yes, you read correctly, alcohol is essentially “yeast piss.” So the next time a friend asks if you want to stop by the One-Eyed Jack for a couple drinks after work, remember the process on which John Barleycorn relies to produce your favorite wine or beer or spirits.

Whether you are a connoisseur of top shelf fare or restricted to the dregs from the bottom of the barrel, do not forget to tip your hat as a sign of gratitude to the lowly yeast, for as we have all heard before, "one man’s trash is another man's treasure."