Subject: Re: Is beer or saliva good for soil?
From: Kenneth Buker <KBUKER@worldnet.att.net>
Organization: AT&T WorldNet Services
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 21:12:25 -0400
Message-ID: <MOD$970925.18519@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$970922.7382@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$970925.29296@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$970925.7173@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
Caleb Rounds wrote:
>
> In article <MOD$970925.29296@rec.gardens.ecosystems>,
> mplewinska@mindspring.com (Magdalena Cano Plewinska) wrote:
>
> > On Wed, 24 Sep 97 02:16:48, Kenneth Buker
> > wrote:
> >
> > >I have heard Jerry Baker mention that beer and human saliva are
> good...for soil
> >
> > ROTFL! I can just see Jerry going around his garden, spitting away :)
> >
> > >Anyone know what the common ingredent is?
> >
> > No clue.
>
> water is at least one common ingredient. I know what goes into real beer
> (that is, not the macro-brewery stuff that has so many adjuncts you'd
> think it was a drug like cigarettes -- that's a joke). malted barley that
> has been fermented -- leaving some sugars and starches, hop oil, dead
> yeast (sometimes live yeast), water, carbon dioxide, and some enzymes. I
> would not be at all surprised if the beta and alpha amylase enzymes in
> malted barley are similar to enzymes in saliva that help break down
> starches. I have no idea what that would do for soil.
> Caleb
My investigation so far has found that the enzyme amylase is indeed used
in the early fermentation process of beer, and is also the primary
ingredient in saliva. It's purpose is to break down starch (sugar) into
maltose (a more simpler sugar?).
If this is the common ingredient, you have to wonder, "How much starch
is there in soil"?
Any soil scientists care to comment on this?
(One other thing, what is the differenct in an alpha or beta amylase?)