# Powdered beer? Are they serious? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [March 21, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425 "2023-03-21T03:52:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/1 "2023-03-21T03:52:49Z")
I’m not a beer drinker, but I just heard about this on the BBC via PBS. A German company is test-marketing this, in part to reduce the company’s carbon footprint in shipping. It has to be reconstituted and chilled before it’s palatable enough to drink, according to the interviewee. Anyone else heard of this? I could see this being useful for people who, for instance, cook with beer but don’t want to buy a large amount at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/2 "2023-03-21T03:59:14Z")
What do they suggest one use for reconstituting this potion? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/3 "2023-03-21T04:02:12Z")
Plain tap water! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/4 "2023-03-21T04:07:38Z")
You just know that some yutz is going to make it with vodka. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.E](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.e/32/8932_2.png) [@Mr.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.E)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/5 "2023-03-21T04:10:31Z")
Here’s an article from (the notoriously unreliable) Daily Mail: > **[POWDERED beer created by German firm could slash the cost of a pint](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11802427/POWDERED-beer-created-German-firm-slash-cost-pint.html)** > > Neuzeller Klosterbräu in eastern Germany, which has been brewing for nearly 500 years, said it will put the powder on sale this year. I’m very curious how they expect to be able to produce a beer that is both alcoholic and carbonated with just powder and water. Ethanol and Carbon Dioxide are both compounds that are notoriously resistant to being reduced to powder, so I suspect there’s trickery afoot. My guess is if you really want “a beer with the complete beer taste including alcohol and carbon dioxide and a head of foam” you’ll have to provide your own carbonation and alcohol along with the water. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/6 "2023-03-21T04:11:09Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > What do they suggest one use for reconstituting this potion? Beer? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/7 "2023-03-21T04:12:48Z")
Step #1. Get a big bowl of water. Step #2. Add powder. Step #3. Flush. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.E](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.e/32/8932_2.png) [@Mr.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.E)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/8 "2023-03-21T04:14:58Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I could see this being useful for people who, for instance, cook with beer but don’t want to buy a large amount at a time. Oh and as it happens, powdered beer is nothing new. You can buy dehydrated beer powder for cooking from a variety of sources online. But none of them claim the ability to be reconstituted into beer simply by adding water. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/9 "2023-03-21T04:16:43Z")
It sounds like it’ll mostly be delivered in bulk to bottlers. The consumer may not even know it was once a powder. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/10 "2023-03-21T04:19:54Z")
Sharp’s, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/11 "2023-03-21T04:20:13Z")
Not unless they label it “Coors”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/12 "2023-03-21T04:54:01Z")
> [@Mr.E](#): > > Ethanol and Carbon Dioxide are both compounds that are notoriously resistant to being reduced to powder, so I suspect there’s trickery afoot Alcohol powder is already a thing: > **[Alcohol powder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_powder)** > > Alcohol powder or powdered alcohol or dry alcohol is a product generally made using micro-encapsulation. When reconstituted with water, alcohol (specifically ethanol) in powder form becomes an alcoholic drink. In March 2015 four product labels for specific powdered alcohol products were approved by the United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) which opened the doors for legal product sales. However, as of 4 January 2016, the product is not yet available for sale and legaliza... As for carbon dioxide, I think Pop Rocks demonstrate that CO2 can be embedded in a solid. It probably doesn’t take much. It possible that the beer solids themselves could be used as the storage medium. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/13 "2023-03-21T05:24:59Z")
I remember a Martha Stewart parody recipe for dehydrated water. There was also a SNL skit where the Coneheads indulged in “Dry Beer” after such a product was launched with much fanfare. “Dry”, of course, meant the flavor. [Bud Dry | Beer Wiki | Fandom](https://beer.fandom.com/wiki/Bud_Dry#:~:text=However%2C%20with%20the%20introduction%20of,was%20discontinued%20in%20December%202010). ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/14 "2023-03-21T06:15:59Z")
@JaneDoe42 you need to have hubs try this and give us a report (he’s a home brewer of some repute) ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/15 "2023-03-21T06:52:06Z")
I was reading about powdered alcohol just a few days ago due to a Wikipedia rabbit hole. It’s encapsulated with a chemical similar to the active ingredient in febreeze air freshener. I’m not sure what effect that will have on the smell! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/16 "2023-03-21T10:31:18Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Alcohol powder is already a thing: I remember there being a minor stink about it from the usual conservative, pearl clutching sources. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/17 "2023-03-21T12:58:49Z")
I know this is cafe society and all but let’s put our skeptic hats on. The source for this seems to be an [interview with Radio Arabella Bayern in August of last year (2022)](https://www.radioarabella.de/brau-revolution-das-bierpulver-kommt-904390/). It says the product should be available by “mid-September.” I’m assuming that came and went with no product released, or it was released and nobody cared. The “German Firm” appears to be [monastery brewery with about 40 employees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuzeller_Kloster_Brewery). Based on the translation of the summary (I can’t find the actual interview, nor do I know German), the managing director describes the product as being “alcohol free” unless you mix it with alcohol. [Powdered beers have been pitched before](https://www.thrillist.com/news/powdered-beer-is-a-thing-now-but-it-comes-with-a-catch). They don’t seem to have caught on, outside of the aforementioned beer powder “spice.” This feels like a slow news day attempt by the Daily Mail to drum up some RO. “They’re coming for you beer next in the name of environmentalism!” Or something. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/18 "2023-03-21T13:00:13Z")
I’ve made powdered beer a few times in the past. It’s super simple, just 12 easy steps (heh, ironic): 1. Start with malt powder (the same stuff I used as a kid to make delicious chocolate malts!) 2. Mix with water. Bring to a simmer and brew for awhile. Add hops for flavor. 3. Check ‘specific gravity’ to determine desired % of alcohol that will be produced from malt sugar. I like around 6%. Add sugar content as necessary. 4. Add yeast. 5. Pour in sterilized covered bucket for initial fermentation. 6. After a week or so, pour into sterilized container with a valve that lets out CO2 but does not let in O2. 7. When fermentation process is complete, pour back into sterilized bucket. 8. Add carefully measured amount of powdered sugar to start secondary fermentation to create carbonation. 9. Carefully siphon into many sterlized bottles. 10. Seal bottles with bottle cap installer. 11. Store in cool dark spot for a couple months. 12. Start trying a bottle here and there after just a couple weeks because you can’t wait two months. See? Easy-peasy! ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/19 "2023-03-21T13:01:30Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Not unless they label it “Coors”. Wrong! Everyone knows how Coors is made: 1. Bucket of normal beer. 2. Thirsty horse. 3. Place empty bucket under horse. Seriously, if you want to reduce the carbon footprint of beer, just drink from your local micro-brewery or brew-pub. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425/20 "2023-03-21T14:23:36Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Seriously, if you want to reduce the carbon footprint of beer, just drink from your local micro-brewery or brew-pub. Cheers! 🍻 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powdered-beer-are-they-serious/981425.md?page=2)