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Japanese “space beer”

Posted: May 30th, 2008, 3:35pm CEST by Al
The Seattle Times: Japanese brewery to make beer from space barley

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
The Associated Press

TOKYO — Japanese beer-lovers can anticipate an out-of-this-world brew: suds made with barley descended from grains that traveled in outer space.

The “space beer,” to be test-brewed by Sapporo Breweries Ltd., will come in a pilot edition of 100 bottles to be ready in November, said company spokeswoman Momoko Matsumura.

The beer will be made with barley — to be harvested this weekend — descended from seeds that spent five months in 2006 aboard the International Space Station.

“We’re really looking forward to tasting it when it’s ready,” Matsumura said.

The barley project started when Sapporo teamed up with Okayama University biologists working with the Russian space team. The team took 0.9 ounce of barley into space for storage inside the space station from April to September 2006.

The project is part of biological studies of the adaptability of plants to environmental changes and the impact from stresses such as space travel.

Sapporo planted 0.14 ounce of the barley grains that returned from space at its research farm northeast of Tokyo in March 2007.

The seedlings were harvested last November. The company expects to harvest 100 pounds of the third-generation grains on Saturday for use in the space beer.

Sapporo isn’t planning to sell the special brew, at least for now, and hasn’t decided how it will distribute the planned 100 bottles, Matsumura said.

So far, scientists have not found any difference between space barley and the Earth-confined version, she said.

That’s interesting and all, but I can’t help thinking that this could be part of the plot of a bad 1950s science fiction movie.

I’d like to see them devise a way to brew beer in space. Perhaps a modified Mr. Beer?

I’ll use this as an opportunity to segue into a link to one of my favorite sites: Astronomy Picture of the Day

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Japanese “space beer”

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Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

Posted: May 30th, 2008, 5:35am CEST by Al
We finally got some warmer weather here in Western Maryland. And, with all the rain we’ve been getting, the hill that is my backyard was starting to get overgrown. Sadly, the manual mower that I’ve been using for the last two years just isn’t up to the job, so I broke down and bought an electric mower.

So, after work this evening I took on the lawn, and the lawn won. Well, not really. But after I was done it seemed like the perfect time for a “lawnmower beer” and a comfy chair on my deck.

As a beverage, I chose Leinenkugel’s summer seasonal: Summer Shandy. The label proclaims it to be “beer with natural lemonade flavor”. I’m not sure what “natural lemonade flavor” is supposed to be; isn’t that lemon flavor? Besides sugar, what could anyone possibly be putting in their lemonade? The label also says it is “Weiss beer with lemonade”.

They say:

Get a taste of the freshest flavor under the sun - Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. A shandy is a lemonade flavored beer, a European favorite during the warmer months. And the light, crisp flavor makes it a great summer refresher. Each batch is carefully brewed using the finest wheat, malted barley and just a hint of real Wisconsin honey. Then, our brewmasters mix in fresh lemonade and citrus flavors to create an adventurous taste that’s perfect for those lazy days of summer.

Well, anyway, it pours a very light color and very cloudy. Plenty of head, which quickly settles down and an aroma vaguely reminiscent of lemon dish soap.

Mouthfeel is light, and the underlying beer is very unobtrusive. I was expecting some tartness and even some sweetness from the lemon, and I didn’t get it. The flavor seems to be more like lemon zest than lemon juice.

My wife also tried it. Her impression: “It tastes like someone tried to make Crystal Light® using beer.”

I’m disappointed with this one.

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Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

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Utica Brewery Burns in Toxic Fire

Posted: May 30th, 2008, 3:22am CEST by Ron
Just hours ago, a fire broke out at the historic F.X. Matt Utica Brewery in upstate New York. The fire is believed to have started in the bottling portion of the plant where a machine is used to put plastic on six packs.

The roof and the 3rd floor have collapsed. Worse, the fire is burning plastics and other materials creating toxic fumes. Five blocks surrounding the brewery have been evacuated. Also troubling is a vat of ammonia which has the potential of exploding if the fire reaches it.

The building has many large cracks in it and firefighters fear it may collapse. The fire hasn’t yet spread to the main brewery next door.

The fire broke out just as the weekly Thursday evening Saranac Music event was getting started.

At least two people have been injured and have been sent to the hospital.

The FX Matt Brewery is primarily known for Utica Club and the Saranac line of beers, but they are also a large contract brewer for Brooklyn Brewery, Samual Adams, and many others.

Look at the Observer-Dispatch for more coverage, photos and video.

Update: As of 11:30 PM, Thursday night, May 30 2008, the fire was not yet under control. The ammonia tank has not exploded which could level all of the buildings.

Update - 4-June-2008: The brewery is operational, although canning and bottling operations will need to be outsourced for a time. (via Dowd’s Brews Notebook)

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Utica Brewery Burns in Toxic Fire

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