This process is achieved by the anaerobic respiration of yeast. This makes the yeast inactive and the process stops. Alcohols can also be formed by addition of water to alkenes, and by hydrolysis of halogeno-alkanes and esters. The lower alcohols, e.g. methanol, ethanol, are water-like liquids. They dissolve well in water, less well in other solvents.
Alcohols burn in a plentiful supply of air to give carbon dioxide and steam.
They can be oxidised to organic acids - ethanol, for example, is oxidised to ethanoic acid. This is the change that takes place when wine changes to vinegar.