The Ugly Truth About Whiskey Fungus
Whiskey Fungus and Air Pollution:
Whiskey distillation ] creates airborne pollution by way of a pervasive black fungus called Baudoinia Compniacensis. Town Code 98-17:A states under Prohibited Uses, “Any use which is noxious, offensive, or objectionable by any reason of the emission of smoke, dust, gas, odor or other form of air pollution… in any form in a manner or amount as to cause damage to the soil and streams or to adversely affect the surrounding area… or which causes injury, annoyance or disturbance to any of the surrounding properties or to their owner and occupants.” The Whiskey Fungus that could potentially coat all surrounding vegetation, buildings, and property would certainly adversely affect the surrounding area, thereby falling into the category of Prohibited Uses.
What exactly is Baudoinia Compniacensis? Baudoinia Compniacensis is a sac fungus that is black in appearance and can have the consistency of soot, velvet or crust. It can grow on buildings, vegetation, facades, street signs, cars, roofs and almost anything else. It is known by many common names including distillery fungus, distilleries' shadow, whiskey fungus, angels' share fungus, and warehouse staining fungus. Why do distilleries create fungus? Well, the answer lies in the ethanol. During production, aging and storage of whiskey, the alcohol vaporizes in the form of ethanol. This vapor then acts as both food and a fuel source for the species Baudoinia Compniacensis. In her article Kentuckians Take Distilleries to Court Over Black Gunk, Melena Ryziakaug of the New York Times writes,“Baudoinia germinates on ethanol, the colorless alcohol that can evaporate during [spirit] maturation, making the area around whiskey-aging warehouses a prime breeding ground.”
Matt Colengelo, in his article, Kentucky's Whiskey Fungus Problem Is Out of Control, writes that,
This aging process is what gives it those distinctive charred oak and caramel flavors that we love, but it's also what causes whiskey fungus. When it's aging—expanding and contracting in and out of the barrels' oak panels—a significant portion of the alcohol evaporates into the air…. In the magical language that distillers use to talk about their products, this alcohol vapor is called the "angel's share," because it legendarily floats up to alcoholic angels in the sky.
Where the evaporated alcohol actually goes, though, is another story—a more scientific one that explains why neighborhoods… have had to deal with this black fungus for so many years. Since ethanol is denser than air, the evaporated angel's share doesn't float up into the sky at all, but rather down into surrounding communities. It is the people's share. When this airborne ethanol meets the slightest bit of moisture—which is common because distilleries and towns are usually near water sources—you get whiskey fungus all over the place.
(https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/78dyqb/kentuckys-whiskey-fungus-problem-is-out-of-control)
In other words, the alcoholic vapor produced from distilling, aging and storing whiskey is heavier than air, causing it to hang low in the atmosphere near trees, homes and buildings in local communities. When combined with water, this vapor produces the perfect environment for Baudoinia Compniacensis to proliferate.
This aging process is what gives it those distinctive charred oak and caramel flavors that we love, but it's also what causes whiskey fungus. When it's aging—expanding and contracting in and out of the barrels' oak panels—a significant portion of the alcohol evaporates into the air…. In the magical language that distillers use to talk about their products, this alcohol vapor is called the "angel's share," because it legendarily floats up to alcoholic angels in the sky.
Where the evaporated alcohol actually goes, though, is another story—a more scientific one that explains why neighborhoods… have had to deal with this black fungus for so many years. Since ethanol is denser than air, the evaporated angel's share doesn't float up into the sky at all, but rather down into surrounding communities. It is the people's share. When this airborne ethanol meets the slightest bit of moisture—which is common because distilleries and towns are usually near water sources—you get whiskey fungus all over the place.
(https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/78dyqb/kentuckys-whiskey-fungus-problem-is-out-of-control)
In other words, the alcoholic vapor produced from distilling, aging and storing whiskey is heavier than air, causing it to hang low in the atmosphere near trees, homes and buildings in local communities. When combined with water, this vapor produces the perfect environment for Baudoinia Compniacensis to proliferate.
In Scott Broden’sarticle Neighbors of Proposed Sazerac Distillery in Murfreesboro Concerned About Whiskey Fungus, Ekaterina Kaverina, an expert in mycology (the study of fungus) and adjunct biology professor at East Tennessee State University, speaks specifically about whiskey fungus.
With its black ‘soot and powdery look,’ the fungus feeds on the ethanol vapor created by distilleries… Exactly where the fungus shows up is determined by the wind… Planting lots of trees and evergreens can help reduce the amount of whiskey fungus that drifts into neighborhoods.(https://www.dnj.com/story/news/2018/03/01/sazerac-distillery-murfreesboro-whiskey-fungus-homes-neighbors/368273002/?fbclid=IwAR0Z_Dhn00fgEGrfOnohFpZDPJLwrnmbXrbxUOGOzjNwVnqZHTnNuKtqikg)
So what does Whiskey Fungus mean for the community of Sugar Loaf? Well, due to the fact that Sugar Loaf sits nestled in a valley where ethanol can easily sit stagnant in the air, and the fact that the distillery itself would be located directly on a small body of water to provide ample moisture, essentially the environment would be absolutely perfect for the propagation of Baudoinia Compniacensis. Unfortunately, while the existence of abundant vegetation on the perimeter of a distillery’s property can mitigate the spread of fungus, the property at 1355 Kings Highway has already been cleared of the vast majority of its trees, leaving no buffer with which to protect adjacent homes and business. In the scientific study, Multilocus DNA Sequencing of the Whiskey Fungus Reveals a Continental-Scale Speciation Patternby J.A. Scott et al, it is stated, “It is only in the presence of the unnatural, superfluous ethanol emission of industry that these fungi grow luxuriantly, producing thick, confluent, crust-like colonies indiscriminately on nearly every surface, causing extensive aesthetic damage.” In other words, in scenarios in which industry produces large amounts of ethanol, like in the case of distilleries, Whiskey Fungus grows prolifically on virtually every surface. In the NY Times article previously cited by Ryzak, James Scott, the University of Toronto mycologist who helped identify and name Baudoinia, is quoted as saying, “Every distillery that we’ve tested has had it, as far as I know”. This means that every distillery, regardless of size, will catalyze the production of the black mold.
With its black ‘soot and powdery look,’ the fungus feeds on the ethanol vapor created by distilleries… Exactly where the fungus shows up is determined by the wind… Planting lots of trees and evergreens can help reduce the amount of whiskey fungus that drifts into neighborhoods.(https://www.dnj.com/story/news/2018/03/01/sazerac-distillery-murfreesboro-whiskey-fungus-homes-neighbors/368273002/?fbclid=IwAR0Z_Dhn00fgEGrfOnohFpZDPJLwrnmbXrbxUOGOzjNwVnqZHTnNuKtqikg)
So what does Whiskey Fungus mean for the community of Sugar Loaf? Well, due to the fact that Sugar Loaf sits nestled in a valley where ethanol can easily sit stagnant in the air, and the fact that the distillery itself would be located directly on a small body of water to provide ample moisture, essentially the environment would be absolutely perfect for the propagation of Baudoinia Compniacensis. Unfortunately, while the existence of abundant vegetation on the perimeter of a distillery’s property can mitigate the spread of fungus, the property at 1355 Kings Highway has already been cleared of the vast majority of its trees, leaving no buffer with which to protect adjacent homes and business. In the scientific study, Multilocus DNA Sequencing of the Whiskey Fungus Reveals a Continental-Scale Speciation Patternby J.A. Scott et al, it is stated, “It is only in the presence of the unnatural, superfluous ethanol emission of industry that these fungi grow luxuriantly, producing thick, confluent, crust-like colonies indiscriminately on nearly every surface, causing extensive aesthetic damage.” In other words, in scenarios in which industry produces large amounts of ethanol, like in the case of distilleries, Whiskey Fungus grows prolifically on virtually every surface. In the NY Times article previously cited by Ryzak, James Scott, the University of Toronto mycologist who helped identify and name Baudoinia, is quoted as saying, “Every distillery that we’ve tested has had it, as far as I know”. This means that every distillery, regardless of size, will catalyze the production of the black mold.
To get a better idea of where and how this fungus might appear, the Joint Genome Institute, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, asserts that Baudoinia Compniacensis causes
Pronounced blackening [that] often extends considerable distances from alcohol emission source, indiscriminately colonizing exposed surfaces ranging from vegetation to built structures, sign posts and fences (including those made from glass and stainless steel). Mature colonies are crust-like and scorched in appearance, sometimes reaching 1—2 cm in thickness.
(https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Bauco1/Bauco1.home.html)
In terms of how this would affect Sugar Loaf, it could mean covering the historic homes and shops in the village with a perpetual black film. The black veil may also cover surrounding trees, vegetation, local homes, automobiles, street signs, swimming pools, outdoor furniture and personal belongings. While it is true that the fungus can generally be removed, it is by nature very resilient and often requires commercial grade chemicals to be effectively remediated. Even then, the fungus is sure to grow back in a sheer matter of months. Historic buildings, like those housing adjacent shops, may find necessary remediation treatments damaging to their exteriors. This could also cost homeowners, residents, and local business owners a lot of additional money each year to remediate. Moreover, there are many homeowners nearby with solar panels, as well as a solar farm at the corner of Kings Highway and Bellvale Lakes rd. which may suffer with loss of power or efficiency once their panels are covered in the mossy, black film.
Pronounced blackening [that] often extends considerable distances from alcohol emission source, indiscriminately colonizing exposed surfaces ranging from vegetation to built structures, sign posts and fences (including those made from glass and stainless steel). Mature colonies are crust-like and scorched in appearance, sometimes reaching 1—2 cm in thickness.
(https://genome.jgi.doe.gov/Bauco1/Bauco1.home.html)
In terms of how this would affect Sugar Loaf, it could mean covering the historic homes and shops in the village with a perpetual black film. The black veil may also cover surrounding trees, vegetation, local homes, automobiles, street signs, swimming pools, outdoor furniture and personal belongings. While it is true that the fungus can generally be removed, it is by nature very resilient and often requires commercial grade chemicals to be effectively remediated. Even then, the fungus is sure to grow back in a sheer matter of months. Historic buildings, like those housing adjacent shops, may find necessary remediation treatments damaging to their exteriors. This could also cost homeowners, residents, and local business owners a lot of additional money each year to remediate. Moreover, there are many homeowners nearby with solar panels, as well as a solar farm at the corner of Kings Highway and Bellvale Lakes rd. which may suffer with loss of power or efficiency once their panels are covered in the mossy, black film.