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Fossil fueled beer? 45 million year-old yeast used to craft new ale
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by Tina Kells | September 25, 2008 at 02:17 pm
1319 views | 24 Recommendations | 16 comments
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You may want to call the Fossil Fuels Brewing Company's beers the mother of all ales; the company is crafting its German Lager and Pale Ale from 45 million year old yeast.
In a story straight from the movie Jurassic Park, Fossil Fuels Brewing Company extracts its special ingredient from ancient Burmese amber. But instead of the key to resurrecting dinosaurs, the amber contains a dormant yeast that hails back to the dawn-of-time.
That 45 million year-old yeast is now the cornerstone ingredient in a selection of modern era beer.
Trapped inside a Lebanese weevil covered in ancient Burmese amber, a tiny colony of bacteria and yeast has lain dormant for up to 45 million years. A decade ago Raul Cano, now a scientist at the California Polytechnic State University, drilled a tiny hole into the amber and extracted more than 2,000 different kinds of microscopic creatures.
Activating the ancient yeast, Cano now brews barrels (not bottles) of pale ale and German wheat beer through the Fossil Fuels Brewing Company.
"You can always buy brewing yeast, and your product will be based on the brewmaster's recipes," said Cano. "Our yeast has a double angle: We have yeast no one else has and our own beer recipes."
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (16)
at 18:41 on September 25th, 2008
really easy!
mmcneer has contributed a photo to this story.
at 21:03 on September 25th, 2008
Cool
Grovlam has contributed a photo to this story.
at 21:46 on September 25th, 2008
Tina Kells, I like this story. It's good stuff.
What a waist I think.
at 22:41 on September 25th, 2008
great story, I would love to try the beer
at 02:42 on September 26th, 2008
I was in a bistro near the Opera in Paris. The beer tasted great and I was coming from Africa on the way to Brazil!
duque2008 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:31 on September 26th, 2008
Sounds like it would go well with a nice steak.
at 04:42 on September 26th, 2008
I'm pleased that my photos wer thought to be good enough to use for this story.
DatsEvolution has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:45 on September 26th, 2008
Tina Kells, I like this story. It's good stuff.Beautiful amber pictures!
at 04:47 on September 26th, 2008
Tina Kells, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 07:54 on September 26th, 2008
Oh ok. It is an interesting story. I'm a fan of any kind of beer. :)
at 08:39 on September 26th, 2008
I'll drink to that !
at 10:50 on September 27th, 2008
Tina Kells, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 15:55 on September 27th, 2008
Cheers - I'd drink that
at 01:15 on September 30th, 2008
Tina Kells, I like this story. It's good stuff. Very interesting news, and a nice break from morbid stuff. Thanks, Tina.
at 12:49 on October 1st, 2008
Bet it tastes great! How strange to think that an ingredient would be so old!!
karenc2510 has contributed a photo to this story.
at 18:41 on October 20th, 2008
I'm so glad I don't like beer