Affects of Alcohol on the Body & Fermentation

Introduction

As part of this coursework our AS biology class went on a visit to ‘The

Coors Brewery’ in Burton. The

Coors Brewery is a well- established working brewery with 298 workers, making and shipping millions of pounds of beer each day. We were given a tour around the factory in order to gain a better understanding of the brewing process, and the different elements that contribute to the overall end product. The trip aided this coursework as the information it provided about the beer they produce helped me understand the effect on the people that buy their product, the impact it has on their lives and their bodies. That is why my main aspect is the affect alcohol can have on a person. I will focus on the damaging changes that the alcohol specifically has on the liver due to the toxins it produces when trying to break down the alcohol. The evidence of liver disease shows a clear positive correlation between people who drink excessively and liver failure, thus showing that alcohol is significant to liver disease.

My secondary aspect is fermentation and is significant to the brewing process as it is the stage in which wort (the name given to beer before it is alcoholic) is converted into alcohol. The actual process occurs when sugars are converted into alcohol using yeast during anaerobic respiration, meaning it does not require oxygen.
Firstly, the yeast metabolises the sugars from the original extracted grains. The sugar is then the substrate that breaks down the wort into ethanol, producing carbon dioxide. The word equation for this reaction is: Sugar (glucose or fructose) -> alcohol (ethanol) + carbon dioxide (+ energy) Ref 8

Yeast is a microorganism and is responsible for the different types of beer like ale or lager. The yeast used to make ale is called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and is commonly used as it is easy to culture. The yeast used to make lager is called Saccharomyces uvarum and originated as hybrid yeast.

Ref 14

Temperature effects the beer and is involved in the two different methods of fermentation, which add different textures and tastes to the beer. These are bottom and top fermentation. Bottom fermentation produces a pale coloured beer, often lighter and contains fewer units of alcohol. These characteristics are developed when yeast is injected at lower temperatures, between 6-8 degrees, and left to mature at zero degrees. Top fermentation is when beer is fermented at much higher temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees. This type of fermentation makes the beer fruitier and has a stronger aroma, with a darker colour. Ref 15

Considerations to be taken into account

Main Aspect- Effects of Alcohol on the body

Economic: Beer is highly taxed to pay for health care and other services. The government have put a high tax on alcohol to feed money into hospitals that may have to care for patients with alcohol poisoning, and police services that may have to deal with unruly behaviour caused by drunkenness. The tax at the moment on beer is 13.71%, although it increases on spirits and other different types of alcohol. Ref 16

The predicted cost of alcohol misuse upon the police force and the NHS is predicted to be 4.6 billion in London alone in the year 2000. Ref 17

Social: If people are drunk they may be anti-social and behave in a negative manner. People may also become alcoholics. Alcoholism often causes people to become a recluse and cut off from the world, making them incapable of doing daily tasks. A high level of dependency is placed upon alcohol and the person may develop depression.

Secondary Aspect- Fermentation

Economic & Environmental: Carbon dioxide released in fermentation is no ...