WHY COPPER?
Copper is an essential mineral for life. It has many roles in our bodies including helping to form the iron compounds that transport oxygen around the body, repairing damaged tissues, it's an antioxidant and, perhaps more importantly, helps maintain the colour of healthy looking hair.
COPPER IN FOOD
Copper is found in many foods common in our daily diet. Meats such as liver, most seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole grain and even cocoa products (chocolate!) are all good sources of copper.
COPPER IN TEA
Copper is the first metal to be used by humans and its earliest use is thought to be around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. Copper was also used extensively in India and ancient China and both are likely sources of the first teapots somewhere around the 500 - 300BC.
COPPER IN WINE
Copper is used to chemically remove the compound “hydrogen sulphide” from wine. In the wine making process very small amounts of H2S dulls the flavoured aromas of a wine, a sin amongst connoisseurs. When added to wine copper reacts with H2S to form copper sulphide, a black insoluble precipitate that falls out of the wine almost immediately.
COPPER IN BEER
Copper has been fundamental to the brewing process for centuries. Copper vessels have been used mainly because of its exceptional heat conducting properties. Coppers brewing vessels first appeared around 2000BC in the middle of the Bronze Age and have been the staple of the industry until recent times. A large tank used to boil the hops and “wort” is known as “a copper” and even though they are now made of stainless steel they are often clad in copper for an authentic “Ye Olde Brewhouse” look for brewery tours.
