How does yeast produce alchohol?

Basically it's a byproduct of respiration in the yeast.

 

Glucose --> carbon dioxide + ethanol + energy

 

C₆H₁₂O₆ --> CO₂ + CH₃CH₂OH + Energy

 

Is that what you needed?

Why does the yeast not produce 6CO2 and 6H20 like most respirating beings?

(Without having checked the conversions) I'd guess that the way yeast does it releases more energy per unit energy invested.

ed84c said in post # :

Why does the yeast not produce 6CO2 and 6H20 like most respirating beings?

 

Yeast can metabolize glucose by either of two pathways, either with or without oxygen. Without oxygen, it can't process glucose as completely, and that's when the yeast produces alcohol. It does make CO2 when it uses oxygen. Here's a link with more information.

By the way, yeast makes cakes and bread rise by producing CO2 using oxygen in your oven. I imagine if you sealed it real good you'd have some sort of wonderous beer cake.

It'd have to be an electric oven though.

 

Mmmmm beer cake.

I make beer bread and it`s quite nice! beer cake doesn`t seem that far fetched, no idea what it might tastes like though?

it might be worth getting a bottle of Newcastle brown ale and trying it

 

also, I heard many years ago, that you`ll get roughly the same weight in alc as you do in CO2 when something ferments. that applies to both aerobic and anaerobic fermentation (malolactic fermentation however does not, it does improve the taste and gives the drink the Fizz while it`s in the bottle though).

 

and they do make bread from Newcastle brown lol. simply great 'a tel' ya. (In a yorkshire accent)

Yeast can metabolize glucose by either of two pathways, either with or without oxygen. Without oxygen, it can't process glucose as completely, and that's when the yeast produces alcohol. It does make CO2 when it uses oxygen. Here's a link[/url'] with more information.

 

 

Respiration without oxygen = anaerobic respiration

 

Respiration with oxygen = aerobic respiration

how would i go about making my own alcohol? it's for an experiment i swear *shift eyes*

how would i go about making my own alcohol? it's for an experiment i swear *shift eyes*

 

I made ginger beer at college which actually contains alcohol, its quite fun... heres a link if your interested...

 

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/science/english/bio/projects/microbio.html

 

Enjoy