Page 172 - Primary Six Notes

Alcohol is a colourless liquid substance that makes people

drunk when they drink too much of it. It is contained in many

drinks like beers, wines and spirits.

Types of alcohol

There are two types of alcohol namely;

1. Methanol

2. Ethanol

Methanol is found mostly in home distilled alcohol.

It is very dangerous and poisonous and many cause blindness or

death.

It is mainly used as a fuel or for sterilizing medical instruments.

Ethanol is contained in all alcoholic drinks that are consumed.

It can also be used as fuel.

Production of alcohol

Common alcoholic drinks are made from juices of bananas,

pineapples, sugar cane, maize, millet, sorghum, rice, barley,

cassava.

Yeast is added to the mixture of water and these food sub-

stances to speed up fermentation.

Methods of producing alcohol

1. Fermentation

2. Distillation

Fermentation of alcohol is the process by which sugar in juice

is turned into alcohol with the help of yeast.

Yeasts are living organisms that feed on the sugars in food-
stuff. In the process alcohol and carbon dioxide are produced.