Bavaria's brewers warn against beer hamster purchases - lack of carbon dioxide endangers production

Created: 09/21/2022, 10:55 am

By: Tanja Kipke

The lack of carbonic acid is a problem for the Bavarian brewers.

First productions are discontinued.

The Brewing Association warns against buying hamsters.

Munich – Breweries are suffering from rising prices and supply bottlenecks.

One of the reasons for this is the high price of gas.

Carbon dioxide is therefore also scarce on the German market.

First breweries no longer have enough carbonation to make all their drinks.

In order to secure the “important” products such as beer and Spezi, some lemonade production has been standing still for days.

Now the first breweries have also stopped the production of special beers.

"The first breweries are already doing without the production of certain specialty beers due to insufficient carbon dioxide supplies and are concentrating on their main products," said Bavaria's brewer president Georg Schneider of the "Augsburger Allgemeine" (Tuesday edition).

Bavarian beer at risk due to lack of carbonic acid: brewing association warns against buying hamsters

Schneider strongly advises against beer hamster purchases.

"On the one hand, there will be enough beer, at least of the main types, in winter, on the other hand, hoarding is counterproductive for our industry because we will then run out of empties." According to Schneider, more and more breweries are suffering from the fact that the lack of natural gas in the production chain means that there is less carbon dioxide than by-product of ammonia production in Germany.

Beer instead of toilet paper?

The Bavarian Brewing Association warns against beer hamster purchases.

(Iconic image) © Daniel Schäfer/dpa

Dealers are currently only offering about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide that is normally available.

The carbon dioxide is particularly important for the filling process in order to displace the oxygen from empty bottles.

However, carbonic acid is also a coveted commodity for other industries: "Here we brewers compete with meat companies, for example, who need the substance for packaged sausages, for example," said Schneider.

There is an urgent need for an “energy cap” for trade and small and medium-sized businesses.

The Bavarian food trades (millers, bakers, confectioners, brewers and butchers) fear nationwide closures due to high energy prices.

They demand action from politicians.

Beer prices are likely to rise sharply

The German Brewers' Association therefore expects beer prices to rise.

The lack of ammonia leads to a lack of CO2 quantities that would have to be procured elsewhere, according to the Brauerbund.

Due to the scarce quantities available and "significantly more expensive prices", rising beer prices are "very likely", warned the Brewers' Association.

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