rooster59 Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 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 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TheDark Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 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 ???? 3 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tug Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 Noooooooo!!! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chickenslegs Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 Would be fun if they started using He instead of CO2. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ravip Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 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. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin612 Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Too many covid 19 cases in the USA, supplies will be back to normal once Coronavirus goes away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bluespunk Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 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. 3 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 What beer? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mauGR1 Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 The horror ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post VocalNeal Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forethat Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 23 minutes ago, chickenslegs said: Would be fun if they started using He instead of CO2. They can't, as it's impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Surelynot Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 Good. Proper beer should be flat, warm and very hoppy. 5 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 8 minutes ago, Surelynot said: Good. Proper beer should be flat, warm and very hoppy. Or Guiness? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Surelynot Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 31 minutes ago, VocalNeal said: If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left? Something beginning with p 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post transam Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 Aaaaaaaaaah, fond memories of Real Ale from the pump.................???? 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rookiescot Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 52 minutes ago, VocalNeal said: If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left? English mild beer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matzzon Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko kok prong Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Don't worry Trump has a great team,some really great people working on it already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazes Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 I wonder if Little Greta could suggest some sources of CO2 to help the beer industry at this critical time? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fondue zoo Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Middle Ages beer, now I just need a giant turkey leg. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TheDark Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 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. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anterian Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 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. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasmus5150 Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Can't they just put their beer into their Soda Stream - and make new bubbles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Monday Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Beer is not all naturally carbonated, especially mass produced swill Asian countries have to offer. https://www.analoxsensortechnology.com/blog/2019/04/24/howarebubblesinbeerformed/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post NanLaew Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 1 hour ago, VocalNeal said: If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left? Aussie p!ss. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JCauto Posted April 19, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 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! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatOngo Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 (edited) 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, 2020 by PatOngo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazes Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 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".... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETERTHEEATER Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 1 hour ago, VocalNeal said: If one takes the fizz out of US beer what is left? Schlitz. The beer that made Milwaukee infamous.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyril sneer Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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