Chemists, big people in a big world

Chemical process of fermentation

If you've ever watched foorball or sports event you know what beer and alcohol are, it's a beverage people drink to get drunk off of or get a buzz. But what is alcohol really? and how is it made? Alcohol is the bacterial waste products of yeast when they break down glucose. So really when you drink alcohol you drink a micro organism's crap. Alcohol has been around since 2000 b.c. In egypt alcohol was first discovered when they found out if you crush up grapes and leave the fruit extracts or juice sitting out in a warm space it creates a intoxicating beverage. 500 years later the first version of beer was created when people used the same process but by using germinating cereals (malt) instead of grapes. In modern day  brewers have this down to a science. The process that turns fruits and grains to alcohol is called fermentation. Fermentation is the simple process in which living cells can get energy by breaking down glucose and other simple sugars in the absence of oxygen. Humans also undergo this process but it is different. When humans jog, run, or work out their musles can't get oxygen quick enough. As a result the body breaks down glucose (a 6 carbon sugar)  into two three carbon sugars. This happens because in the absence of oxygen the body needs energy quick and there is'nt enough time to fully break down glucose. when glucose is patially broken down in this process it create Lactic acid ( the 2 three carbon molecules) Yeast undergo's the a simillar deal when being used to make alcohol, but slightly different. when yeast is in the absence of oxygen it to breaks down glucose into smaller molecules. This is where the process is different. Instead of breaking the glucose up into two lactic acid molecules the yeast breaks glucose up into two, 2-carbon sugar molecules called eathonol alcohol, and carbon dioxide. Glucose + yeast = ethonol alcohol + carbon dioxide The  other part is that this reaction must take place in the absence of oxygen otherwise the product will be ethanoic acid. Also once the percent of alcohol reaches about 10% the alcohol starts to damage and destroy the yeast. Because of this the mixture must be disstilled to get a higer concentration of alcohol to make the hard liquors like rum, whiskey, and scotch. In Conclusion I hope that this page has allowed you to understand that the alcohol in adds that you see every where and the alcohol people drink is the result of a chemical reaction. That in turn showss how chemistry is related to people's lives.

Ethanol alcohol molecule

The byproducts of fermentation

This is yeast which is used to make glucose to alcohol.

Bibliography

www.encyclopedia.com/html/f1/fermenta.asp www.gcsechemistru.com/rc13c.htm www.exploratorium.edu/.../bread_science.html www.darkpillar.net/images/alcohol.jpj www.iconbazaar.com/.../intoxicants/alcohol.html

Back to Chemex