"Jeff Pickthall" wrote in message
My understanding of it (feel free to contradict me or fill in the
details from an educated POV everyone) is that formaldehyde is a
higher alcohol which is a natural (though undesirable) product of
fermentation. The peculiarity of the UK Stella recipe (formuala?)
coupled with an inadequate lagering of 4 days imbues Stella with an
unusually high level.

Small amounts of formaldehyde are actually added in the brewing process in
some small breweries in China. It's not produced in fermentation. There is a
purpose, odd though it may seem to add a carcinogen to beer...and it's a
questionable call. But no non-Asian brewery does it.

Here, check these out:
http://www.sixthseal.com/000840.html An Australian looks into a Chinese beer
that proudly proclaims it is "Free" from formaldehyde.

http://manxpubs.co.uk/intlnews.asp?offset=10 A good old British pub website
prints the news from Taiwan: why there is no formaldehyde in Taiwanese
beers, and why there was formaldehyde in some early Chinese beers.

http://www.beveragebusiness.com/art98/bryson0603.html My own piece (from
Beverage Business mag) on disproving beer rumors, which leads with the rumor
that Singha has formaldehyde in it.

The next bit is conjecture - many experienced drinkers observe that
consumption of Stella makes them feel rowdy and gives them a buzzing
instant hangover-type headache in the frontal lobe. Putting aside the
possibilty of some sociological hysteria phenomenon, is formaldehyde
the culprit? I've heard this conversation from pro-brewers and various
other industry figures (a group in which I include myself at the
fairly lowly status of bar owner).

Since I firmly believe that there isn't any formaldehyde IN Stella...I would
doubt it. I've heard the same thing about Bud (and heard people attribute it
to "beechwood oil"), Schaefer (which some of my older friends still refer to
as "headache beer"), and San Miguel (which also is believed to have
formaldehyde in it). These Stella drinkers of yours...are they basing this
on one experience? If so, that's a pretty low certainty level. If not...why
the hell do they keep drinking it?
--
Lew Bryson

www.LewBryson.com
Author of "New York Breweries" and "Pennsylvania Breweries," 2nd ed., both
available at www.amazon.com
The Hotmail address on this post is for newsgroups only: I don't check it,
or respond to it. Spam away.

Lew Bryson wrote:

Since I firmly believe that there isn't any formaldehyde IN Stella...I would
doubt it. I've heard the same thing about Bud (and heard people attribute it
to "beechwood oil"), Schaefer (which some of my older friends still refer to
as "headache beer"), and San Miguel (which also is believed to have
formaldehyde in it). These Stella drinkers of yours...are they basing this
on one experience? If so, that's a pretty low certainty level. If not...why
the hell do they keep drinking it?

May be in the "Urban Myth" category, but I've heard that acetaldehyde is
a precursor of formaldehyde. Acetaldehyde than gets converted to
formaldehyde by the temperature of your body when you drink the beer.
The _only_ thing that makes me give this ant credence whatsoever is that
back in the days when I drank Bud (high in acetaldehyde), just one would
give a splitting headache. Ever heard this? Any truth to the
acetaldehyde to formaldehyde link?

-----------Denny

--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_dot_g_dot_conn_at_ci_dot_eugene_dot_or_dot_u s

"Denny Conn" wrote in message
...

May be in the "Urban Myth" category, but I've heard that acetaldehyde is
a precursor of formaldehyde. Acetaldehyde than gets converted to
formaldehyde by the temperature of your body when you drink the beer.
The _only_ thing that makes me give this ant credence whatsoever is that
back in the days when I drank Bud (high in acetaldehyde), just one would
give a splitting headache. Ever heard this? Any truth to the
acetaldehyde to formaldehyde link?

Acetaldehyde doesn't need to convert to formaldehyde (even if it can) to
cause headaches. Even if you don't drink beer with it in there, the buildup
of acetaldehyde is a major component of what makes a hangover the fun
experience it is (I don't understand all the metabolic processes occur, but
its production is a natural part of alcohol consumption). Bud makes it worse
because it's adding more to the mix.

-Steve

Steve Jackson wrote:

Acetaldehyde doesn't need to convert to formaldehyde (even if it can) to
cause headaches. Even if you don't drink beer with it in there, the buildup
of acetaldehyde is a major component of what makes a hangover the fun
experience it is (I don't understand all the metabolic processes occur, but
its production is a natural part of alcohol consumption). Bud makes it worse
because it's adding more to the mix.

Thank you, Steve...kinda what I figured.

---------Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_dot_g_dot_conn_at_ci_dot_eugene_dot_or_dot_u s

Denny Conn writes:

May be in the "Urban Myth" category, but I've heard that acetaldehyde is
a precursor of formaldehyde.

It is not, rest easy.

Pierre
--
Pierre Jelenc | New on Home Office Records: Ethan Lipton
| www.homeofficerecords.com www.ethanlipton.com
The Gigometer | Pepper Of The Earth: the HO blog
www.gigometer.com | www.homeofficerecords.com/blog

When I was working in Indonesia, the story went that of the two beer choices
we had, Bintang contained arsenic and Anker had formaldehyde. Both trace
only I hope - I was a Bintang drinker and am still here to tell the tale. I
never got to the bottom of the rumour tho.
"Lew Bryson" wrote in message
. com...
"Jeff Pickthall" wrote in message
My understanding of it (feel free to contradict me or fill in the
details from an educated POV everyone) is that formaldehyde is a
higher alcohol which is a natural (though undesirable) product of
fermentation. The peculiarity of the UK Stella recipe (formuala?)
coupled with an inadequate lagering of 4 days imbues Stella with an
unusually high level.

Small amounts of formaldehyde are actually added in the brewing process in
some small breweries in China. It's not produced in fermentation. There is
a
purpose, odd though it may seem to add a carcinogen to beer...and it's a
questionable call. But no non-Asian brewery does it.

Here, check these out:
http://www.sixthseal.com/000840.html An Australian looks into a Chinese
beer
that proudly proclaims it is "Free" from formaldehyde.

http://manxpubs.co.uk/intlnews.asp?offset=10 A good old British pub
website
prints the news from Taiwan: why there is no formaldehyde in Taiwanese
beers, and why there was formaldehyde in some early Chinese beers.

http://www.beveragebusiness.com/art98/bryson0603.html My own piece (from
Beverage Business mag) on disproving beer rumors, which leads with the
rumor
that Singha has formaldehyde in it.

The next bit is conjecture - many experienced drinkers observe that
consumption of Stella makes them feel rowdy and gives them a buzzing
instant hangover-type headache in the frontal lobe. Putting aside the
possibilty of some sociological hysteria phenomenon, is formaldehyde
the culprit? I've heard this conversation from pro-brewers and various
other industry figures (a group in which I include myself at the
fairly lowly status of bar owner).

Since I firmly believe that there isn't any formaldehyde IN Stella...I
would
doubt it. I've heard the same thing about Bud (and heard people attribute
it
to "beechwood oil"), Schaefer (which some of my older friends still refer
to
as "headache beer"), and San Miguel (which also is believed to have
formaldehyde in it). These Stella drinkers of yours...are they basing this
on one experience? If so, that's a pretty low certainty level. If
not...why
the hell do they keep drinking it?
--
Lew Bryson

www.LewBryson.com
Author of "New York Breweries" and "Pennsylvania Breweries," 2nd ed., both
available at www.amazon.com
The Hotmail address on this post is for newsgroups only: I don't check it,
or respond to it. Spam away.

Michael Mowbray wrote:
When I was working in Indonesia, the story went that of the two beer choices
we had, Bintang contained arsenic and Anker had formaldehyde. Both trace
only I hope - I was a Bintang drinker and am still here to tell the tale. I
never got to the bottom of the rumour tho.

I used to work for an exporter in Rochester, NY and the story we heard
was that Rev. Moon would start those rumors so that when he starting
shipping in Genesee beer to Indonesia, the locals would gladly pay a few
cents more for PURE American beer.

I learned also that he had paid off the Schaefer brewmasters in
Baltimore and Brooklyn to put something in the beer to cause headaches.
Don't know if it true but certainly Schaefer was a BIG beer in
upstate NY, especially when the Albany brewery was making it but, after
that, all you heard about was was the headache.

(I'd heard the mafia, which owned a couple of competitor brands, tried
to retaliate by paying off a Genny brewmaster to add hops to the recipes
of Genny Cream Ale and 12 Horse Ale but they could never get it done...)




"Lew Bryson" wrote in message
. com...

"Jeff Pickthall" wrote in message

My understanding of it (feel free to contradict me or fill in the
details from an educated POV everyone) is that formaldehyde is a
higher alcohol which is a natural (though undesirable) product of
fermentation. The peculiarity of the UK Stella recipe (formuala?)
coupled with an inadequate lagering of 4 days imbues Stella with an
unusually high level.

Small amounts of formaldehyde are actually added in the brewing process in
some small breweries in China. It's not produced in fermentation. There is

a

purpose, odd though it may seem to add a carcinogen to beer...and it's a
questionable call. But no non-Asian brewery does it.

Here, check these out:
http://www.sixthseal.com/000840.html An Australian looks into a Chinese

beer

that proudly proclaims it is "Free" from formaldehyde.

http://manxpubs.co.uk/intlnews.asp?offset=10 A good old British pub

website

prints the news from Taiwan: why there is no formaldehyde in Taiwanese
beers, and why there was formaldehyde in some early Chinese beers.

http://www.beveragebusiness.com/art98/bryson0603.html My own piece (from
Beverage Business mag) on disproving beer rumors, which leads with the

rumor

that Singha has formaldehyde in it.


The next bit is conjecture - many experienced drinkers observe that
consumption of Stella makes them feel rowdy and gives them a buzzing
instant hangover-type headache in the frontal lobe. Putting aside the
possibilty of some sociological hysteria phenomenon, is formaldehyde
the culprit? I've heard this conversation from pro-brewers and various
other industry figures (a group in which I include myself at the
fairly lowly status of bar owner).

Since I firmly believe that there isn't any formaldehyde IN Stella...I

would

doubt it. I've heard the same thing about Bud (and heard people attribute

it

to "beechwood oil"), Schaefer (which some of my older friends still refer

to

as "headache beer"), and San Miguel (which also is believed to have
formaldehyde in it). These Stella drinkers of yours...are they basing this
on one experience? If so, that's a pretty low certainty level. If

not...why

the hell do they keep drinking it?
--
Lew Bryson

www.LewBryson.com
Author of "New York Breweries" and "Pennsylvania Breweries," 2nd ed., both
available at www.amazon.com
The Hotmail address on this post is for newsgroups only: I don't check it,
or respond to it. Spam away.