Beer tastes so much better when it comes from space.

In microgravity (space), yeasts react differently than they do on Earth, and the result is that they ferment much faster. Fermentation is important because it converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Depending on the type of beer, this takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks on Earth. This is the final part of the beer-making process. It can be done much faster, by sending it into space in a rocket.

Beer from space

Scientists University of Florida They conducted an experiment on Earth, simulating microgravity. They observed how brewer’s yeast behaved. These are the first steps in a large-scale study of processes in space. Beer seemed like a good idea to the researchers, because humanity has been brewing beer for centuries, so the process is well known. Live Oak barley was used to make wort, a liquid solution of extracted grain.

Six more samples were taken, all of which were loaded with Saccharomyces pastorianus. Three of them entered microgravity (or, more specifically, a so-called clinostat that simulates it). Yeast would take two weeks to ferment under Earth conditions, but in weightlessness it would take 21.2 hours.

ferment faster

It helps that beer is faster to make, but does it also taste better? Yes. The flavor profile changes because there are fewer esters in the beer. Esters provide compounds that define the flavor of the beer. The fact that space beer tastes slightly different may be due to a gene in the yeast being less active. Researchers think that microgravity could give the beer its great taste.

There are more processes that work much better in weightlessness: 3D printing and pharmaceutical crystals seem to form better there. Researchers in Florida are currently focusing mainly on fermentation processes, so yogurt, for example, could be the next food to be given the “space treatment.”

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