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LostDakota · 12-21-2007, 05:49 PM

Could someone explain to me in simple terms how the actual alcohol remains in a homogenous soloution? I was just researching aging beer in kegs and wondered if this happens. Since alcohol is lighter than water, why doesn't it rise to the surface of whatever container the beer is in? If this seems like a really stupid question, please keep in mind that my background is in Graphic Design and I don't spend alot of time on chemistry and physics forums. (I spend my time here!)
Thanks
-Drew

mr x · 12-21-2007, 05:57 PM

When certain chemicals bond together, it takes energy to break them apart.

Funkenjaeger · 12-21-2007, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr x

When certain chemicals bond together, it takes energy to break them apart.

Except that alcohol isn't bonding with water...

Wikipedia has this to say about solutions:

Quote:

A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances (the solutes) dissolved in another substance (the solvent). Solutions have all particles within the size of atoms, small molecules or small ions, less than 1 nanometer (nm) in all dimensions [2] . A common example would be a solid dissolving into a liquid (i.e. salt or sugar dissolving in water or gold into mercury). Liquids dissolve into one another, and sometimes liquids dissolve into gases, for example water vapor and the atmosphere. Common examples include fountain drinks, where carbon dioxide is trapped in the liquid through carbonation. Several solution properties collectively called colligative properties change as a function of solute concentration. Solubility is a compound property.

As they point out, lots of substances with density VERY different than water can dissolve into it. Salt is a perfect example.

PseudoChef · 12-21-2007, 06:29 PM

Alcohol is only 1 atomic mass unit lighter than water...aka not a lot. You won't be able to separate that type of difference even with an ultracentrifuge. Not to mention both should have the same polarity.

mr x · 12-21-2007, 06:32 PM

Regardless of what either post is supposed to mean, it still requires energy to separate water from ethyl alcohol.

Alamo_Beer · 12-21-2007, 06:33 PM

That would make distilling a lot easier huh? You could just run your wash through a centrifuge...

david_42 · 12-21-2007, 07:26 PM

Alcohol & water play well together. If you mix 50 ml of each, you get 95.6 ml of solution. You can't even separate them completely by distillation.