What are those bubbles in my beer?

[Brock]

I heard alcohol evaporates, also the carbon dioxcide pop does the samething, am I loseing alcohol percentage when I let my beer stand?

 

[chroot]

Judging by your typing skills, I'd venture you're still getting plenty.

- Warren

 

[KingNothing]

No. It would take a very, very, very long time for any chemical reaction to take place. People often forget that alcohol isn't like other drugs like THC or Ex in which the active ingredient has a very small mass...Alcohol takes up a lot of space. In some spirits (100 proof) the alcohol itself takes up 50% of the volume. Unless your beer is shrinking, I'd say you're safe.

 

[GCT]

I heard alcohol evaporates, also the carbon dioxcide pop does the samething, am I loseing alcohol percentage when I let my beer stand?

Most of it is carbon dioxide, ethanol has a considerable vapor pressure so yes, some ethanol is evaporating out of the solution, however not as fast as the carbon dioxide although I wonder just what role carbon dioxide has, if any, in keeping the ethanol in the solution.

 

[ssb]

Im pretty sure its carbonated just like soda pop to help slow down the reactions that might occur that would make it taste bad before you had a chance to drink it. Also I think that people prefer the taste of a carbonated beverage over a "Flat" one because it has a taste people relate to "fresh".

I would have to guess that 99.9 percent or so is o=c=o and the other .01% CH3-CH2-OH of what evaporates by the time you drink it. Actually the EtOH is probably a bit higher because i know beer smells really strong sometimes.

I could be wrong though on the first part... oh look at the time its beer thirty. Time to go drink!