Get ready for some out-of-this world beer.

The advent of space colonization may not be so far away, so its important to consider what life outside of Earth might be like. Normally, when posed with the choice of living on the Moon or Mars, the first question that springs to mind is: “Is the beer any good?”

That is exactly what two Japanese companies have set out to discover by cultivating brewer’s yeast where no one has cultivated brewer’s yeast before. First, there’s Derailleur Brew Works in Osaka’s Nishinari area. Actually, Derailleur is a part of Cyclo, a company that provides welfare and employment services to people in the famously impoverished part of Japan where they’re based.

Since it started in 2018, Derailleur has created over 100 types of craft beer, but are now preparing to create varieties that the world has never seen.

Given its role in converting sugar into alcohol, it’s fair to say that yeast is a significant factor in the overall flavor of a beer. But how does gravity effect these microorganisms? We don’t really know, but Derailleur is going to find out with the help of DigitalBlast.

DigitalBlast is the Tokyo-based company that created the AMAZ gravity generator. This machine can be set to simulate a desired gravitational pull using its own centrifugal force. To do this it must first be installed in the microgravity environment of the ISS, a step scheduled for 2024.

▼ AMAZ

It is hoped that AMAZ will be used by research organizations to test the effects of different gravities on plant life to determine their potential as crops when colonizing locations such as the lunar and Martian surface, but also as a tool for private companies as a way to create revenue for the space industry as a whole.

Derailleur is to be the first such private company to make use of AMAZ, and brewing yeast will be cultivated inside it under gravity equal to that of the Moon and Mars. The yeast will then be sent back to the base AREA 2470 (numbers which can be read as “ni-shi-na-ri” in Japanese) for brewing the first batch of what is tentatively named “Uchu Beer” (Space Beer).

Unfortunately, due to the huge technical steps involved, it’ll be some time before Uchu Beer hits the market. Here’s hoping that it will lead to some great tasting beer, but even if not, it’s sure to be one small step for beer and one giant leap for beerkind.

Source: PR Times
Top image: Pakutaso 1, 2
Insert images: PR Times
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