SC - distillation / Disease in Brew / BSE

[Korrin S DaArdain]

From: "HICKS, MELISSA" <HICKS_M at casa.gov.au>
>How do you actually introduce this into your alcohol?  I thought this
>disease was transmitted via body parts (meat, brain, nerve endings etc).
>When would they be introduced into alcohol production.
>Meliora (the genuinely puzzled)

It is my understanding that a single drop of blood could cause the
infection. I did see a PBS show on BSE and a scientist had mixed some of
it into his garden and it was still infectious after three years. So if
they fertilize a field with fertilizer (cow crap) from 100 infected
cattle, and that field is used to grow hops and after processing it is
sold to you for your personal distillation. Your brew is now infected.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: CorwynWdwd at aol.com
>So ... I suppose the sheep brain mead is out?? And the mink wine too??
>Corwyn

Yep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
>I have this vision of a large Hanta-infected rodent mashing an
>11th-century English ale (such ales, I'm told, being unboiled) in a
>lead-laced pitched vat, and accidentally dropping his portion of Mad Cow
>Diseased Cow Brain Tartare into it. Oops!!!
>Hey, I _did_ ask, didn't I?
>Adamantius

That was a no brainer. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: LrdRas at aol.com
>And you are saying that there is a possibility that this rare disease
can be 
>found in brewed products? I find this hard to believe. What would lead
you to 
>assume that brewed products can be or ever have been infected with this 
>microorganism? I am not denying that you may be correct but I find it
highly 
>unlikely that this would occur. How was your information related to
brewing?
>Ras

Please remember that it is not a microorganism, it is a type of protein
known as a Prion. You asked for something that could survive the brewing
process and still kill/infect. The Prion can do that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: "Terri Millette" <wayspiff at ici.net>
>I don't know how they get it into the alcohol. It is still something 
>that gets seen here in the US, usually in more rural poor areas, and 
>comes with eating road kill, I'm under the impression it's pretty 
>rare though.
>Fiona

See the first answer. And keep your fingers crossed that it stays rare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lords and Ladies, for anyone who wants more information on BSE I found
the following BBC web site that has more information.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/06/99/bse_inquiry/newsid_368000/368776.stm


Enjoy,

Korrin S. DaArdain
Kingdom of An Tir in the Society for Creative Anachronism.
Korrin.DaArdain at Juno.com

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