Munich Deploys Custom Bacteria at Oktoberfest to Devour Ubiquitous Stink of Stale Beer
Bavarian beer purveyors concerned about a smelly Oktoberfest are hoping bacteria can make the experience more enjoyable. They plan to pour a solution of live bacteria on the floors of Munich's beer tents, in an effort to knock out the inevitable festival smells usually covered up by a fog of cigarette smoke. Voters in Bavaria passed a statewide smoking ban in July, and it took effect last month. Oktoberfest gets an exception through 2011, but organizers want to conduct a test run during the festival's 200th anniversary, which starts next week. Its ill effects aside, cigarette smoke is a pretty effective cover for the putrid smells that accompany boozy revelry - think rotting food scraps, stale beer and, of course, the porta-potty zone. Without a haze of smoke, beer tent organizers fear customers will forgo ordering steins full of the world's best märzen. Related ArticlesGermans (Who Else?) Develop Un-Skunkable BeerYou Could Own...