We don’t have to remind you that beer ranks top among the most consumed beverages globally.
Enthusiasts say that there’s nothing quite like opening a cold one and few would dare have a bottle or can of beer go to waste.
Fortunately, there are many things that you can do with the brew beyond just enjoying a sip.
When it comes to septic system care, for instance, many homeowners recommend pouring beer in the septic tank every few months.
They believe that doing this puts back good bacteria into the tank.
But is this true? Is beer good for septic tanks?
Let’s investigate…
Composition of Beer
The basic ingredients of beer are water, hops, malt, and yeast.
Among the four, the ingredient that can have an effect on the health of a septic system is yeast.
So, it is what we will focus on…
The workhorse in brewing process, yeast plays a big role in converting fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Biologically speaking, yeast is a type of fungus and there are thousands of species that have been identified so far.
But only two species are used in the brewing process: The ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and the lager yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus).
All the two convert fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
They only differ by the type of compounds they produce during fermentation, their fermentation temperatures, and how they drop out of beer post fermentation.
Septic Composition
Your septic is composed of thousands of different microbes numbering in their millions or billions.
There are bacteria (the most common), fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and rotifers among others.
Generally, the type of microbe in your septic depends on what you put in your septic tank.
In terms of physical materials, there are floating scum (soaps, fats, greases, toilet paper, etc.), liquids (water, other liquids, suspended solids), and sludge (thick organic and organic materials at the bottom of the tank).
Digestion of Organic Matter in a Septic System Vs. The Role of Yeast
In the septic tank, microbes work to break down organic matter and use a variety of inorganic components to maintain the “health “of the system.
This way, the microbes control the thickness of the scum layer, “clean” the bulk of the liquid layer, and reduce the depth of the sludge at the bottom of the tank.
All these is made possible by different enzymes, including:
- Lipase enzymes for breaking down fats
- Cellulose for breaking plant matter and toilet paper
- Protease for breaking proteins
- Amylase for breaking down starches and sugar
- etc.
So, yeast (in the beer) only breaks down starches and sugar in your septic system—it doesn’t do the work of other mentioned enzymes.
And given that starch only make up a small percentage of your septic composition, we can infer that adding beer will not bring a significant change to the health or performance of your septic system.
Yeast will not break soap, oils and fats in your septic’s scum layer.
Remember that some of the materials in your septic are sand, grit, paper, bits of plastic, etc.
No yeast or the mentioned enzymes can effectively digest these materials on its own.
Additionally…
Yeast Will Not Add Bacteria to Your Septic Tank Because Yeast Does Not Produce Bacteria
Those who support the idea of adding beer to septic believe that it works because beer has yeast which adds good bacteria into the septic system.
Scientifically, this isn’t factual…
See, yeast are fungi (which are multicellular eukaryotic organisms) while bacteria are unicellular prokaryotic organisms.
There is no way fungi can produce bacteria. Conversely, bacteria cannot produce fungi.
As aforementioned, the only thing that yeast can produce is carbon dioxide—not a different, living organism.
So, adding beer into your septic with the hope that it will help maintain your septic health is not the best way to care for your septic.
Yeast in beer is just one of biological additives that could help break down solid waste (especially starch) but not exempt you from your duties of caring for and maintaining your septic.
By the way, commercial septic tank additives work because they are formulated with varying types of enzymes, yeast, and natural bacteria.
All of these work in tandem to boost the bacteria flora in the septic, control biomass, and reactivate the septic system.
Even with commercial additives, some organic solids may not be broken down in your septic. As a result, they accumulate and require physical removal.
The Verdict
So, as a responsible homeowner, don’t let anecdotal stories influence how you should care for your septic.
While beer will likely not be harmful to your septic, there is no scientific proof to indicate that it can be a useful practice to add it to your septic tank.
If you want to improve the health of your septic system, your best bet is to talk to a septic professional so that you can be properly guided on the recommended biological additives that can help break down waste and sludge to keep your septic system in good shape.