Alcohol
What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a compound made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It is produced when sugars are fermented by yeasts. During fermentation, the yeasts grow by feeding on the sugars (e.g. glucose) and produce alcohol and gas (carbon dioxide) as by-products.
C6H12O6 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + Energy
Glucose Ethanol Carbon Dioxide
Fermentation is a process which has been used for thousands of years to produce alcoholic drinks and some foods, e.g. bread and yogurt. In breadmaking the gas makes the dough rise, and the alcohol evaporates in the oven. In wine or beer making, the gas bubbles off and the amount of alcohol produced is controlled by the amount of yeast and the duration of fermentation.
Fruits such as grapes and apples are commonly used to make alcoholic drinks such as wines and ciders, and cereals such as barley and rye form the basis for beers and spirits, like whisky or vodka. Spirits are made by distillation and so have a higher alcohol content than wine or beers. The alcohol content of different drinks varies widely Shown in diagram below. Other substances provide the flavour associated with the individual drink. For example beer draws some of its flavour from barley and hops, whisky from the malted grain.
A convenient way of measuring alcohol intake is in units of alcohol. Each unit contains 8 grams of pure alcohol (ethanol).
The Statistics Relating Alcohol In Drinks
Beverage
Alcohol Content (%)
Beers (lager)
3.2 - 4.0
Ales
4.5
Porter
6.0
Stout
6.0 - 8.0
Malt Liquor
3.2 - 7.0
Sake
4.0 - 16.0
Table wines
7.1 - 14.0
Sparkling wines
8.0 - 14.0
Fortified wines
4.0 - 24.0
Aromatized wines
5.5 - 20.0
Brandies
40.0 - 43.0
Whiskies
40.0 - 75.0
Vodkas
40.0 - 50.0
Gin
40.0 - 48.5
Rum
40.0 - 95.0
Aquavit
35.0 - 45.0
Okolehao
40.0
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3.2 - 4.0
Ales
4.5
Porter
6.0
Stout
6.0 - 8.0
Malt Liquor
3.2 - 7.0
Sake
4.0 - 16.0
Table wines
7.1 - 14.0
Sparkling wines
8.0 - 14.0
Fortified wines
4.0 - 24.0
Aromatized wines
5.5 - 20.0
Brandies
40.0 - 43.0
Whiskies
40.0 - 75.0
Vodkas
40.0 - 50.0
Gin
40.0 - 48.5
Rum
40.0 - 95.0
Aquavit
35.0 - 45.0
Okolehao
40.0
Tequila
45.0 - 50.5
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Drink
Alcohol Content
Manhattan
.15 oz. (34 ml)
Dry Martini
.00 oz. (30 ml)
Malt liquor -12 oz. (355 ml)
0.71 oz. (21 ml)
Airline miniature
0.70 oz. (21 ml)
Whiskey Sour/Highball
0.60 oz. (18 ml)
Table Wine - 5 oz. (148 ml)
0.55 oz. (16 ml)
Beer - 12 oz. (355 ml)
0.54 oz. (16 ml)
Reduced Alcohol Beer
0.28 oz. (8 ml)
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What happens to alcohol in the body?
After ingestion, alcohol is quickly absorbed from the stomach and distributed through the body including the brain. Alcohol is absorbed more slowly if consumed with food. Once absorbed, the alcohol is metabolized in the liver to provide energy. The rate at which this happens depends on age, gender, body weight and liver size. Before it can be metabolized by the liver, blood alcohol rises and as this happens a person's judgment is gradually impaired, and there is a loss of co-ordination. Alcohol is metabolized more slowly by women than by men, and women are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol consumption.
When the blood level reaches about 100mg of alcohol per 100ml blood, definite symptoms of intoxication appear. This is equivalent to 50 grams of pure alcohol - which is about 6 units. On average one unit of alcohol is metabolized per hour.
Harmful And Social Effects Of Alcohol
When you drink, you have to accept that:
* Alcohol might make you lose your inhibitions
That might put you in a bad position, where your safety is at risk.
* Drinking might make you feel more confident
You might feel braver than normal, making you vulnerable to other bad things like being beaten, raped or robbed, especially if you are alone at night.
* Alcohol makes you feel good and happy
The good feeling you get from alcohol will pass if you get sick. Alcohol is a poison and alcohol poisoning is no joke. Big drinking sessions are potentially fatal if your blood alcohol level shuts down parts of your brain.
When you gamble with alcohol, it's not only yourself that you are putting at risk.
* Alcohol is often involved in accidents such as drownings, falls and house fires.
* Other people such as your friends, family, the police and hospitals may be affected.
* Lost inhibitions may make you do things you wouldn't normally do, like: pick fights with your mates, go with someone who you didn't want to, get talked into committing crimes or driving drunk, or saying things you didn't mean to say.
Long-term risks
Over time, alcohol can do pretty bad things to your body.
Dependence on alcohol can be both physical and psychological - that is both your body and your brain.
* Physical dependence happens when your body becomes so used to coping with alcohol in its system that it suffers withdrawal when you are not drinking.
* Psychological dependence is when alcohol gets into your head and becomes the most important thing in your life. It's pretty sad.
Sensible drinking levels
The UK Department of Health advises that there are no significant health risks at levels of consumption of between 3 and 4 units a day or less for men, and for women between 2 and 3 units a day or less. Consistently drinking more than these levels per day is not advised, and is linked with a progressive increase of risks to health.
Maximum Drinking Levels
Ethanol As A Fuel
Ethanol is not only used for bevrages but it is also used for fuel as well.
Ethanol is an important alternative to unleaded gasoline fuel. It is is a high-octane fuel with high oxygen content (35% oxygen by weight) and when blended properly in gasoline produces a cleaner, and more complete combustion.
How Ethanol Is Produced
Milling: The corn first passes through hammer mills, which grind it into a fine powder called meal. The meal is then fed to the mashing system
Mashing: The meal is mixed with water and alpha-amylase, and passes through cookers. The action of heat liquefies the starch, and enzymes begin the process of breaking down the starch to sugars. The mash from the cookers is then cooled and pumped to a fermenter.
Fermentation: Yeast is added to the mash to convert the sugars to ethanol and carbon dioxide. Using a continuous process, the fermenting mash is allowed to flow, or cascade, through several fermenters, until the mash leaving the final tank is fully fermented.
Distillation: The fermented mash, now called "beer", contains about 10% alcohol, as well as all the non-fermentable solids from the corn and the yeast cells. The mash is then pumped to the continuous flow, multi-column distillation system, where the alcohol is removed from the solids and water. The alcohol leaves the top of the final column at about 96% strength, and the residue mash, called stillage, is transferred from the base of the column to the co-product processing area.
Dehydration: The alcohol from the top of the column passes through a patented dehydration system (a molecular sieve dehydrator), where the remaining water is removed. The alcohol product at this stage is called anhydrous (pure) alcohol or ethanol.
Rectification: The ethanol can be further purified (or 'rectified') to produce industrial and beverage grade alcohol.
Why Alcohol As fuels
* Alcohol fuels burn cleaner than regular gasoline and produce less carbon monoxide.
* Alcohol fuels have high octane.
* Local production of fuel, from Hawaii-grown crops, supports agricultural jobs.
* Supporting local business keeps dollars in the state and contributes to a healthy state economy.
* Production of fuels in state provides energy self-sufficiency.
