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Question about wine and beer making?

Why do beer and wine, natural products of yeast fermentation, both have an alcohol content of ~8-10%? (ie: Why doesn't the alcohol content get any higher than ~10%?)

The yeast can only tolerate so much alcohol concentration before fermentation stops. Some yeast strains can tolerate up to 21%.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 31st, 2009 at 7:22 pm and is filed under beer making. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

4 Responses to “Question about wine and beer making?”

  1. The yeast can only tolerate so much alcohol concentration before fermentation stops. Some yeast strains can tolerate up to 21%.
    References :

  2. It's all dependent on the yeast, as already stated. Although, when properly fed and manipulated, it is possible to go higher than 21%
    Example: Sam Adams Utopias… the highest abv beer in the world, at 25.6% alcohol by volume.
    References :

  3. Without much tampering the highest you can get yeast to naturally ferment is about 16% ABV which is most likely why wine sees that general cut off. Past 16% you have to treat your beverage with special nutrition and aeration schedules as well as having multiple fermentations often times with multiple yeast strains.
    References :

  4. Mayor Adam West on June 1st, 2009 at 2:47 am

    They can… Sam Adam's Utopia is 28% or so. The reason you don't find many beers with high ABVs is because it becomes diffecult to hide the alcohol taste. Dogfish head is one of the few that have been able to. Their 120 Minute IPA is 20-21% and their World Wide Stout (one of my personal favorites) is 17-18%. Don't misunderstand me,others have done it… I just thin DFH is the most successful. Even Utopia taste more like a brandy than a beer. Plus after you get so high the yeast has trouble serviving in an alcohol rich environment.
    References :

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