We have a batch of home-brewed beer going right now (our first try at it). It's dark ale and looks beautiful sitting there in it's large glass container bubbling merrily away. (Can't wait to sample it!)

We got empty dark colored bottles (non-screw type) from the beer distributor here for only $1.25 a case. We got a capping kit. We plan to get hops from a friend who has a jungle of them in the spring, so we can grow our own for beer.

We like good beer and will brew lots for our own use. However, we also figured it may be a good barter item.

Conversation April 2000: "Hey Farmer Joe, what'll you give me for this nice six-pack of yummy dark beer?" Joe: "Hmmmm, how about this nice pig here? Or this nice cow? Um, what about this nice bushel of apples? Two bushels? I haven't had a beer in *AGES*...sounds yummy. I have some fresh butter here too...home churned by the missus.....Want butter?"

I am a wine maker. I have experimented for years with home-made wines. I even made tomato wine once! Believe it or not it was quite tasty and didn't taste a bit like tomatoes! The mango wine however was a flop .

I plan to make jugs and jugs of wine in 1999. I have been saving up the glass jugs that wine comes in (large 3 liter size), and have my relatives saving them for me too. I plan to have *lots* of wine made by the end of next year.

Methinks wine and beer would be a good barter item, not to mention it would be nice to have a glass now and then as a goodie.

Bobbi +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Civilization is the process of setting man free from men." -- Ayn Rand -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Y2k? http://www.buzzbyte.com/ Got water? Got Beans? Take the Y2k Preparation Quiz!

-- Bobbi (volfnat@northweb.com), December 10, 1998

Answers

Bobbi, I'm sitting here, right now with a home brewed beer in a frosted glass. Been making it for years and have a bottle about this time every day. You've got a winner there, with that barter idea. I wouldn't give you a cow for a beer, but I might consider a spring chicken or a peck of apples...or maybe a few jars of grape jelly. The only problem with brewing my own beer WTSHTF, is using that valuable sugar it take to come up with a batch. But, then I suppose I could use the barter excuse.

Hull

-- Hull Stetson (stetson.hull@usa.net), December 10, 1998.

Bobbi

Shhhhh....lets keep this on the QT, we need to corner the market;)

Hull

Ditto, I am raising my glass to you, cheers.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), December 10, 1998.

I plan on doing some brewing, my girlfriend is stocking up on candle- making supplies.

Sounds bizarre, a pint of beer each quaffed by candlelight as the MOTW coughs and splutters! :)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 11, 1998.

Anyone here who is knowledgeable on home brewing beer know if using beet sugar versus cane sugar is okay? I can get beet sugar from my local co-op is vast quantities, fairly cheaply.

As an aside note: When I called the co-op yesterday asking about purchasing staple items in bulk, the clerk said sure and no problem and no waiting for them, for now. The "for now" prompted me to ask if they'd had lots of inquiries and she chuckled and said yes. I said "Is it related to something that begins with a Y?" She laughed outright then and said "Of course". We then spoke a bit about Y2k, and she says inquiries have increased and orders are on the rise (bulk quantities).

I was surprised. In my remote area up here, I hadn't suspected that many people were aware enough to be stocking up, but I guess they are. At least enough are that the co-op lady is noticing it. :-)

Well, I better go get my order in soon!

Back to beer-making.......

Bobbi +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Civilization is the process of setting man free from men." -- Ayn Rand -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Y2k? http://www.buzzbyte.com/ Got water? Got Beans? Take the Y2k Preparation Quiz!

-- Bobbi (volfnat@northweb.com), December 11, 1998.

As far as beet sugar goes, I don't know. I've only used corn sugar for krausening, and from what I've read, it's the only recommended sugar for fermentation. I'd check the NG's for more opinions.

-- Damian Solorzano (oggy1@webtv.net), December 12, 1998.

I've been in universities for over 10 years and about the only useful skill I have for WTSHTF is my amateur brewing. I don't think that my forte, Physics, will have much use for a while. I just boiled my wort Dec. 8 and am getting close to bottling time. London Porter this time. The previous 3 batches were not half bad.

Hey, what's with this talk of sugar? I thought only Prohibition Hootch uses sugar? I thought the fermentation is done only with the natural sugars found in the malt?

-- Joe O (jowczar@comp.uark.edu), December 15, 1998.

Thought this would make a fund and Y2K gift for a special someone. However, I am clueless as to where to begin. Any recomendations? What should I look for? Can I just buy one of those "starter kits"?

Also, in a little web searching I discovered I would need yeast. I guess I'll need yeast for bread too. Byt how do you store it? Any yeast I have come across has an expiration date of a couple of months and should be refrigerated?

Help?

-- Christine A. Newbie (vaganti01@aol.com), December 16, 1998.

Haven't heard you guys discuss barleywine yet. I'm told it store much longer than beer, though tastes similar. I love the stuff. Never made any though. Tim

-- Tim Johnson (timca@webtv.net), June 13, 1999.

A few links for those folks so inclined.

Real Beer Page

Brewing Techniques

unkeed@yahoo.com), June 13, 1999.

and what was that?

Try this one again.

unkeed@yahoo.com), June 13, 1999.

Try one last time.

unkeed@yahoo.com), June 13, 1999.

A failure is only a failure when he quits! Right Flint?

All About Beer!

There we go!

Cheers!

-- Unc D (unkeed@yahoo.com), June 13, 1999.