Helium beer is a mythical product that went viral on social media in 2014. Videos of people drinking what appeared to be ordinary beer and then speaking in high-pitched voices circulated, sparking interest from beer enthusiasts worldwide. However, the videos were an elaborate April Fool's prank, and the product does not actually exist. Even if it did, it would be impossible to create due to scientific reasons—helium is not soluble in water or beer, and adding liquid helium would freeze the beer.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Can you buy helium beer? | No, it is not possible to create beer infused with helium. |
Why isn't it possible? | Helium is not soluble in water or beer. It can't be carbonated like carbon dioxide or nitrogen. |
What would happen if you added liquid helium to beer? | The beer would turn into a block of ice as liquid helium turns into gas at -220°F. |
What sparked the interest in helium beer? | Videos posted by Samuel Adams and Die BierProbierer in 2014 and 2015, respectively. |
What You'll Learn
Helium beer is a hoax
The idea of helium beer first surfaced as an April Fool's joke in 2014, when Stone Brewing posted a news release introducing Cr(He)am Ale, a cream ale with helium, in 16-oz cans. The prank included a video of two men drinking the beer and speaking in high-pitched voices, as if they had inhaled helium. This video went viral and sparked a worldwide demand from beer enthusiasts eager to get their hands on this unique beverage.
However, the science behind creating helium beer is simply not feasible. Firstly, helium is not soluble in water, and therefore cannot be carbonated into beer like carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Secondly, adding liquid helium to beer would be impossible, as it turns from liquid to gas at -220°F, resulting in a frozen block of beer. Finally, even if helium could be added to beer, it would cause gushing as the helium is not soluble and would not mix with the beer.
Despite the overwhelming demand and the seemingly convincing videos, helium beer is nothing more than a hoax. While it may be disappointing for those eager to try this unique beverage, it is important to remember that sometimes things that seem too good to be true, are. So, until someone finds a way to break the laws of chemistry, we will have to stick to our regular pints and leave the helium to the balloons.
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It was an April Fool's joke
It was an April Fools joke.
In 2014, the beer world was surprised by a video from Sam Adams, in which founder Jim Koch introduced the brewery's newest concoction, HeliYUM. Koch took a sip of the helium-infused brew and described its taste in a high-pitched voice. The video's professional quality and Koch's commitment to the joke made it easy to believe that helium beer was real. However, the video was published on April 1st, April Fools' Day.
In 2015, another video surfaced of German guys drinking helium beer and laughing as they spoke in high-pitched voices. This video, by Die BierProbierer, also claimed to have tested helium beer, but it too was published on April 1st.
The videos sparked worldwide demand for helium beer, with people emailing beer companies and asking where they could buy it. However, the videos were nothing more than an elaborate prank. It is not possible to create beer infused with helium.
Firstly, helium is not soluble in water or beer. You can't carbonate beer with helium like you can with carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Secondly, adding liquid helium to beer would be impossible as it turns from liquid to gas at -220°F, freezing the beer. Even if you could add helium to beer, it would cause gushing as the helium is not soluble.
So, while the idea of helium beer might be appealing, it is nothing more than an April Fools' joke that won't quit!
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It's impossible to carbonate beer with helium
Even if you could add helium to beer, it would cause gushing because, again, helium is not soluble in beer.
Liquid helium would freeze beer because it turns from liquid to gas at -220°F. So, even if you could add liquid helium to beer, it would turn the beer into a block of ice.
Helium beer is a hoax that started as an April Fool's Day joke by Stone Brewing Co. in 2014. The joke was that they had created a cream ale with helium called Cr(He)am Ale. A video was released showing two men drinking the beer and their voices changing in the same way as if they had sucked down helium. The video went viral and sparked worldwide demand for the beer. However, as explained above, it is not scientifically possible to carbonate beer with helium.
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Liquid helium would freeze beer
The idea of helium beer has been floating around the internet for years, with videos showing people drinking beer and their voices changing in pitch as if they had inhaled helium. This has led to a lot of interest in helium beer, with people asking where they can buy it. However, it is important to know that helium beer is not real and is, in fact, a myth.
The science behind why helium beer is impossible includes the fact that helium is not soluble in water, and therefore, it is not soluble in beer. Beer is carbonated with gases like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, but helium cannot be used for this process. Even if helium could be added to beer, it would cause gushing as it is not soluble in beer.
The idea of helium beer started as an April Fool's Day joke in 2014 by Stone Brewing Co., who announced their Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with helium. This was followed by a video from Die BierProbierer, titled "Helium Beer Test," which showed two guys sipping on helium beer, which changed their voices. This video has since been replicated by many Facebook publishers worldwide.
While it is technically possible to infuse helium into a beer, making a drinkable helium beer, as showcased in the videos, is not feasible due to the laws of thermodynamics and physical chemistry.
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It's not soluble in water
The idea of helium beer has been floating around the internet for years, with videos showing people drinking beer and their voices changing in pitch as if they had inhaled helium. However, it is not possible to make helium beer, and the videos are just an elaborate April Fool's Day prank. One of the main reasons it is impossible is that helium is not soluble in water, and therefore not soluble in beer.
Helium is a noble gas and, as such, occurs as separate atoms that do not react with any other particles. It does not react with water or any other substance. The solubility of helium in water is extremely low; at a temperature of 20°C and pressure of 1 bar, only 1.5 mg of helium dissolves in water. This is the lowest solubility of any gas.
Because helium does not dissolve in water, it cannot be used to carbonate beer. Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide or nitrogen is dissolved in water, and the same process cannot be replicated with helium. Even if helium could be added to beer, it would cause gushing as the helium escaped from the liquid.
The low solubility of helium in water is due to its atomic structure. Helium is a noble gas, which means it has a full valence shell. This makes it very stable and unlikely to react with other elements. In contrast, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, which are commonly used to carbonate beverages, have incomplete valence shells and are much more reactive.
While it is technically possible to infuse helium into a beer, the process is not feasible due to the laws of thermodynamics and physical chemistry. The solubility levels of helium and nitrogen are relatively similar, but the steps required to create a drinkable helium beer are not practical.
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Frequently asked questions
No, helium beer is not real. It was an April Fool's prank by Stone Brewing Co. in 2014.
It is technically possible to infuse helium into beer, but it is not possible to make helium beer as showcased in popular videos due to the laws of thermodynamics and physical chemistry.
As it is not possible to make helium beer, it is not available for purchase.