Ancient Yeast Used To Brew Modern Beer

Kozar_The_Malignant writes "Yeast trapped inside a 45 million year old weevil, trapped inside amber has been extracted, activated, and used to brew beer. According to the report, the beer has 'a weird spiciness at the finish.' The brewer, Raul Cano, a scientist at the California Polytechnic State University, attributes this to the yeast's unusual metabolism. 'The ancient yeast is restricted to a narrow band of carbohydrates, unlike more modern yeasts, which can consume just about any kind of sugar,' said Cano. Cano brews barrels of Pale Ale and German Wheat Beer under the Fossil Fuels Brewing Co. label."

I'm proud of slashdotters

[jollyreaper]

I'm proud that slashdotters have avoided the obvious Bea Arthur joke.

Finally!

[Anonymous Coward]

  Something that applies to "News for Nerds. Stuff that matters."!! :)

The cages

[Kingrames]

Apparently they are having some difficulty with the beer, having broken out of its electric fences, it's been chasing around the lab technicians.
Hopefully they won't figure out how to open the doors.

Head

[arizwebfoot]

What kind of head do you get from yeast that old?

--
Oh Well, Bad Karma and all . . .

Mmmm. Beer.

[Setherghd]

I feel a great disturbance in the Keg. As if millions of ancient yeast suddenly produced vast amounts of alcohol, and were suddenly consumed. I fear something terrible has happened.

*burp*

Re:Transforms less sugars, eh?

[not already in use]

I also wondered about the brewing profile. At what level does it attentricate? What about its level of galoration? Have you considered, perhaps, that yeast this old could cause a problem with the bipalipation process? Yeah, so what. I made it all up. I don't know shit about brewing beer.

Re:Head

[chill]

It depends on how many you can convince her to drink.

Re:wishful thinking?

[Anonymous Coward]

You know what else has a spore state! Shrooms man!
Shrooms must have been huge 45 million years ago! ..and I bet there was mycelial networks the size of Russia.

Re:Ressurrecting a 45-million-year-old life form

[Anonymous Coward]

Considering how disruptive it can be to introduce species from other geographic regions, I can't imagine that bringing back specimens from millenia ago is going to be very prudent.

Interesting...that's exactly what Dr. Ian Malcolm keeps saying!

Which CalPoly?

[Change]

There are two California Polytechnic State Universities, one in San Luis Obispo and one in Pomona. Dr. Raul Cano [calpoly.edu] is at CalPoly SLO. I guess their new slogan can be "Learn by brewing"...

Re:Ressurrecting a 45-million-year-old life form

[geminidomino]

Who cares what he says.

Never trust people who come back from the dead, that's what I always say... From snarky scientists to pacifistic carpenters, zombies will lead you wrong every time!

Re:Ressurrecting a 45-million-year-old life form

[penginkun]

I can't imagine that bringing back specimens from millenia ago is going to be very prudent.

Well, at least not at this juncture.

Re:Transforms less sugars, eh?

[jd]

Early man had ADD. Assuming this applies to all ancient life, this yeast will not attentricate in the presence of shiny things and pretty colours. Bipalpation will not been a problem, as most elections produce a one-sided Government. Galoration will occur at a rate of one gallon a gallon. Gatoration can be expected to be snappy.

Re:Biological Warfare

[Atrox666]

I think they used the biological testing technique of the "Double dog dare". ..besides undergrads will drink anything with alcohol in it and it's not like you'll ever run out.

Re:Ressurrecting a 45-million-year-old life form

[ByteSlicer]

Nah, what could possibly go wrong? I for one, want my pet raptor...

Re:wishful thinking?

[Fluffeh]

I suspect we'd be limited primarily to species that have a spore state.

It's not so much that it has a spore state, as much as it comes with SecuROM DRM.

Sorry, was that in poor taste? :P