Beer may lack fizz in Europe amid carbon dioxide shortage

apnews.com ^ | Today | AP

[1_Inch_Group]

LONDON (AP) — No beer at this time of year?

A British trade group says there’s a shortage of carbon dioxide in Northern Europe, sparking fears that drinks may lack fizz just as thirsty soccer fans fill pubs for the World Cup.

Gavin Partington, director-general of the British Soft Drinks Association, says the shortage is due to the closure of several production sites for various reasons, including seasonal maintenance. But industry publication Gasworld says the situation is worse this year because normal maintenance has coincided with technical issues at chemical plants that also produce carbon dioxide.

[1_Inch_Group]

Wait...what? Thought we were all gonna die from too much CO2?

Burn the Priuses (Priuii?)...Save the Beer!

[outofsalt]

CO₂ is a product of fermentation and does not need to be added to beer. Sodapop, yes, but not beer.

[Jamestown1630]

This was very confusing to me - I drink bottled or canned beer; but I think they’re referring to draft beer:

http://www.draft-beer-made-easy.com/carbonation.html

[Eagles6]

I like it!

[rktman]

Maybe their fermentator is broke. Either that or nazis stole it. Aren’t they once again responsible for any and all evil taking place?

[LeoTDB69]

Wait indeed!

Chemical plants that produce carbon dioxide? Fine them, sue them! This needs to be outlawed immediately. It’s bad enough we have to deal the companies that openly and brazenly bottle dihydrogen monoxide.

[a fool in paradise]

Break out the emergency beer rations in cans!!!

[bgill]

I thought muslim countries didn’t allow alcohol.

[Pelham]

Yeast shortage. There can be no other answer.

[Pontiac]

That (your link) was supposed to be easy?

[IndispensableDestiny]

This was very confusing to me - I drink bottled or canned beer; but I think they’re referring to draft beer:

Pressurized carbon dioxide is used to move the beer from the keg to the tap. Running out of CO2 is as bad as running out of beer.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, I guess if you’re running a pub it’s good stuff to learn.

(If you just want a beer, I suggest your neighborhood likker store ;-)

[Fungi]

Bingo!! Saccharomyces cerevisiae does its thing for beer and champagne. AP is fake news for the uninformed. How did they not know this, or was it intentional?

[Jamestown1630]

I love beer; but maltose doesn’t seem to agree with me.

I’ve switched back to wine.

(hic)

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

We did it with hand pumps back in the day.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You don't add CO2 to beer.

Not unless you really messed up the batch.

[Lazamataz]

Beer may lack fizz in Europe amid carbon dioxide shortageM

Well then!

I insist that all humanity pump billions of pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere!

If it saves ONE BEER, it's worth it!

[TexasM1A]

Just use nitrogen like they do with Guinness.

[Pontiac]

Actually I did understand the article.

It has been a long time since I read about partial pressures.

It was a nice refresher. Digging up long ignored concepts.

Thanks

[Jamestown1630]

See IndispensableDestiny’s Post 11.

It’s not about the beer - it’s about getting it out of the keg in shape.