07-06-2019, 11:44 AM | #21 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
Although depending on how recent the apocalypse is and where you are you might well be able to raid a brewery or brewer's supplier for some starter yeasts, and after that you just need to reserve some of the mash as starter for the next batch.
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07-06-2019, 01:16 PM | #22 | |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
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Like a mail order mogwai...but nerdier - Nymdok understanding is a three-edged sword
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07-06-2019, 09:08 PM | #23 | |
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
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Once you achieve 3% ABV, there's nothing dangerous that can live in that level of alcohol, IIRC, maybe it's 4%. This is an important bit to remember also, beer may be safer to drink than water, depending on the situation. Small beer, common in Europe, is something I have done before, and it came out with an ABV of 2.7% in that batch, tasted better than any commercial light beer, but was a great, refreshing beer in the summer heat. I never had an issue with any type of infection, but I also had very good modern equipment, sanitizers, and practices - some of which will be lacking in a post apocalyptic setting. You can also get active yeast from bottles of certain commercial beers - those unfiltered & unpasteurized. Last edited by namada; 07-06-2019 at 09:10 PM. Reason: Added second quote & reply |
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07-06-2019, 10:31 PM | #24 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
This might be gameable. I had a recipe for cider that used bottled juice and added apple skins for fermentation. For when the players have already looted the alcohol in a shop but still want to drink (and can wait a few days).
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07-07-2019, 12:28 AM | #25 | |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ronneby, Sweden
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
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07-07-2019, 01:49 AM | #26 | |
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
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But your bread yeast will work just fine... Note that cultivated strains are much faster than wild strains, and in urban areas, the wild strains often produce unpleasant side chemicals. Why faster? Because you're dumping tens of thousands of fungal cells, instead of the half-a-dozen or less the wild will start with. |
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07-07-2019, 08:42 AM | #27 | |||
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
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As I mentioned before, the local homebrew club did wild fermentation, right in the heart of a city of 250,000 and right next door to a swamp too - the only thing you could taste was a slight sourness to the stuff (they did wine, mead & beer), which didn't occur when using commercial yeasts - & I think that was due to some bacteria settling in along with the yeast (the same bacteria that sours Lambics & Flanders, btw). They simply covered plastic buckets with netting that allowed the air (not insects) in. As for bread yeast, I've actually often read that does produce unpleasant flavors (rather bready for a beer, perhaps), low alcohol (compared to commercial varieties, so it may be comparable to wild yeasts), and tends to not settle out, leaving your beer rather cloudy. Though, I have no actual experience with that, or personally know anyone that's tried it, I should add. I mean, it will make alcohol, and it will make something that can get you drunk, it's the same family of yeast as those that have been cultivated for beer & wine, if not the same varieties. I just can't see it being capable of making a good beer or wine - not without decades of use, and thus breeding out unpleasant traits, as has been done with varieties used for beer & wine. |
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07-07-2019, 09:15 AM | #28 |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
Nice - the gun threads attract shooters, this thread attracts homebrewers ;)
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Like a mail order mogwai...but nerdier - Nymdok understanding is a three-edged sword
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07-07-2019, 09:52 AM | #29 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Earth, mostly
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
What I have learned from this is that if I know there's an apocalypse coming, along with canned food and can openers I should stock up on a variety of brewing yeasts. I don't brew myself, but it sounds like it would be worth its weight in platinum as trade goods.
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07-07-2019, 10:20 AM | #30 | |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Post apocalypse alcohol
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__________________
Like a mail order mogwai...but nerdier - Nymdok understanding is a three-edged sword
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