Beer may lose its fizz as CO2 supplies go flat during pandemic

By Stephanie Kelly and Lisa Baertlein

 

FILE PHOTO: A pint of beer is poured into a glass in a bar in London, Britain June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

 

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dwindling supplies of carbon dioxide from ethanol plants are sparking concern about shortages of beer, soda and seltzer water - essentials for many quarantined Americans.

 

Brewers and soft-drink makers use carbon dioxide, or CO2, for carbonation, which gives beer and soda fizz. Ethanol producers are a key provider of CO2 to the food industry, as they capture that gas as a byproduct of ethanol production and sell it in large quantities.

 

But ethanol, which is blended into the nation's gasoline supply, has seen production fall sharply due to the drop in gasoline demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gasoline demand is down by more than 30% in the United States.

 

The lack of ethanol output is disrupting this highly specialized corner of the food industry, as 34 of the 45 U.S. ethanol plants that sell CO2 have idled or cut production, said Renewable Fuels Association Chief Executive Geoff Cooper.

 

CO2 suppliers to beer brewers have increased prices by about 25% due to reduced supply, said Bob Pease, chief executive officer of the Brewers Association. The trade group represents small and independent U.S. craft brewers, who get about 45% of their CO2 from ethanol producers.

 

"The problem is accelerating. Every day we're hearing from more of our members about this," said Pease, who expects some brewers to start cutting production in two to three weeks.

 

In an April 7 letter to Vice President Mike Pence, the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) said production of CO2 had fallen about 20% and could be down by 50% by mid-April without relief, CGA CEO Rich Gottwald said in the letter. Meat producers are also feeling the pinch, as they use CO2 in processing, packaging, preservation and shipment.

 

Orion Melehan, CEO of Santa Cruz, California-based LifeAID, a specialty beverage company, said two of his production partners are looking for alternative CO2 sources.

 

"It does have us up at night figuring out what our options are," Melehan said. "It highlights the laws of unintended consequences."

 

A spokeswoman for National Beverage Corp, whose products include LaCroix, said the company sources from a number of national CO2 suppliers and does not anticipate a supply issue.

 

Coca-Cola Co, SodaStream owner PepsiCo Inc , wine and beer seller Constellation Brands Inc and several bottling companies did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Walker Modic, environmental and social sustainability manager for Bell's Brewery, said the Comstock, Michigan-based brewing company had "not experienced any curtailments or changes in the source of our CO2."

 

Denmark-based Carlsberg Group said that the company is "almost self-sufficient."

 

"We, in line with our sustainability program, create our own CO2 and capture it during the brewing process," spokesman Kasper Elbjorn.

 

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York, Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles and Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-19

 

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This is a good example how one thing leads to another and then another in the high efficiency world. 

 

Fortunately for us, who live in Thailand, this is not a problem as we can not buy our beers anyway ????

 

Noooooooo!!!

Would be fun if they started using He instead of CO2.

Beer may lose its fizz as CO2 supplies go flat.

Now this is an absolutely serious matter. All the resources available on this planet should be launched to focus on solving this issue ASAP, before any serious mishap happens. 

Too many covid 19 cases in the USA, supplies will be back to normal once Coronavirus goes away.

36 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Dwindling supplies of carbon dioxide from ethanol plants are sparking concern about shortages of beer, soda and seltzer water - essentials for many quarantined Americans.

None of those things are essential. 

What beer?

The horror !

If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left?

23 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Would be fun if they started using He instead of CO2.

They can't, as it's impossible.

Good. Proper beer should be flat, warm and very hoppy. 

8 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Good. Proper beer should be flat, warm and very hoppy. 

Or Guiness?

31 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left?

Something beginning with p

Aaaaaaaaaah, fond memories of Real Ale from the pump.................????

52 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left?

English mild beer.

Wow! This is really an important part of everything happening in the world right now! I have an even better one. I forgot where I put my blue pencil yesterday. Can´t the whole country help me to look for it?

Don't worry Trump has a great team,some really great people working on it already.

I wonder if Little Greta could suggest some sources of CO2 to help the beer industry at this critical time?

Middle Ages beer, now I just need a giant turkey leg.

3 minutes ago, blazes said:

I wonder if Little Greta could suggest some sources of CO2 to help the beer industry at this critical time?

As real men only attack those who are more powerful than they are, going after teenage girls doesn't reflect a lot of power. 

 

That's it from me. I just can't understand that kind of behaviour.

Surely, by definition, this should not affect the craft brewers of artisan beers. hen I used to brew my own exploding bottles was always a risk. 

Can't they just put their beer into their Soda Stream - and make new bubbles?

 

 

Beer is not all naturally carbonated, especially mass produced swill  

Asian countries have to offer.

 

https://www.analoxsensortechnology.com/blog/2019/04/24/howarebubblesinbeerformed/

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left?

Aussie p!ss.

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

None of those things are essential. 

I have observed that our politics have lined up quite well up until this point in time.

The idea that "beer is not essential" is where we must part ways. Bloody communist!

2 hours ago, Tug said:

Noooooooo!!!

Nevermind! There's always Lao Khao or Ya Dong if your hands start shaking, they aren't fizzy!

 

 

Edited April 19, 20206 yr by PatOngo

31 minutes ago, TheDark said:

As real men only attack those who are more powerful than they are, going after teenage girls doesn't reflect a lot of power. 

 

That's it from me. I just can't understand that kind of behaviour.

 

HOW DARE YOU challenge my 'behaviour"....

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left?

Schlitz. The beer that made Milwaukee infamous....

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

Good. Proper beer should be flat, warm and very hoppy. 

open a bottle of chang and leave it outside the fridge overnight