Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Brewing beer on Mars? Students find Martian soil is suitable for growing hops

Brace yourselves for Martian craft beer!

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
January 18, 2018
in News, Science, Space

You can’t breathe the Martian air but at least you can grow some hops — the indispensable ingredient that gives beer its uncanny sharp and sour taste. That’s according to the results of a science experiment performed by students at Villanova University. Suddenly, life on a barren rock millions of miles away from home doesn’t seem all that bad.

Credit: The Voice.
Credit: The Voice.

The students were challenged by Edward Guinan, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Villanova University, to grow various kinds of food in Mars-like conditions. Some students attempted to grow crops such as soybeans, potatoes — which, previously, other researchers successfully grew à la The Martian — or kale.

Others who felt more adventurous asked if they could grow marijuana, an offer which was quickly dismissed by Guinan. Instead, these enterprising students singled out hops, which come from the same plant family as cannabis, as their Martian crop of choice.

The students worked on a small patchwork inside a greenhouse covered by mesh screen that reduced sunlight to mimic Mars’ greater distance from the sun. The soil in which the plants grew was designed to mimic Martian conditions as closely as possible, based on readings taken by the Phoenix Mars lander and samples recreated on Earth. Mars soil is alkaline, for instance, with a pH of 8 to 9, compared to a pH of 6 to 7 on Earth.

Hops are a cone-shaped flower that can grow in dense, dry, and often inhospitable soil, such as that found on Mars. Indeed, the students supervised by Guinan grew hops without difficulties in Mars-like conditions.

That definitely sounds like a great news for upcoming Martian colonists. But before they can make any beer, they’ll have to figure out solutions to some other problems.

Martian soil. Credit: NASA.
Martian soil. Credit: NASA.

For one, the Martian soil contains perchlorates, which are poisonous and can cause thyroid problems. It’s possible to rinse out the perchlorates, which are soluble in water, or eat them away with specialized bacteria. Additionally, to brew beer, you also need water, which is mostly confined to the poles and other frigid locations on Mars where extraction is very difficult.

The really good news is that almost all the plants the students tried managed to grow to adulthood, as reported by Guinan at the American Astronomical Society in Washington, D.C. The most performing plant was mesclun, a mix of small salad greens.

Next, some of the students plan on growing barley to go with those hops. Meanwhile, AB InBev, an American brewery, has sent malting barley seeds to the International Space Station to see how the crop fairs in microgravity. Interplanetary craft beer, here we go!

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Humans were brewing beer before they started growing cereals
  2. Compounds from hops, an essential ingredient in beer, might be turned into anti-cancer medicine
  3. Growing food with Martian soil is challenging but it’s not impossible
  4. Earliest evidence of beer brewing in Scandinavia hails from the Iron Age
  5. Closer to brewing the perfect beer after scientists sequence barley genome
Tags: beerhopsMars

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW