In part I’m seeking ideas, but I am also giving an idea (maybe two).
Let’s set this up. I am currently in Bahrain, a Muslim country where alcohol is tightly controlled and supplies are hard to come by. Worse, I’m on a ship here, so it’s impossible to actually brew. It means I’m stuck unable to brew and I can’t get my hands on any craft beer (none at all out in town, the best I can do is Guinness or maybe Killkenny, otherwise it’s some standard European or American golden lager). Needless to say, I’m suffering from hop withdrawal. I’m also suffering from hobby withdrawal, as, between brewing and researching my next brew, I was able to occupy several hours of my weeks. Being on a ship actually stationed in Bahrain (rather than one that deploys to here and is underway and busy most of the time), I have some time on my hands that needs to be filled.
Enter pipe smoking. This has recently become the passion that fills the void left by brewing (don’t get me wrong, I’m still passionate about brewing, but cannot act on it). It’s a pastime that requires you to refine your technique for the best smoking experience, occupies an hour per bowlful of tobacco and allows you to hone your skill at flavor profiling. Anyone else an avid smoker?
Anyone else been faced with times they can’t brew and need something to fill that time?
Anyway the recipe is intriguing. I’m assuming that for the white grapes and the raisins a gallon can is just a measurement? Why not let the batch ferment a bit longer?
euge, I imagine after more than 3 days it might go off, best to drink it young. Drinking while young is generally the normal procedure with spontaneously fermented drinks.
I don’t know what other hobbies I’d take up, but smoking isn’t one of them. It just doesn’t agree with me. I do a bunch of things to fill time besides brewing, but I can’t imagine smoking a pork butt would go over well on the ship.
You know your constraints better than I do, but cheese making might be something you can try. Or maybe you could learn some skills that will be useful for brewing - learn to weld, learn how to deal with electronics to build an automated system, that kind of stuff. Or just read all of the brewing books you can find.
I don’t know, I’m just making stuff up. When time got tight after my kids were born I took up bread making. It let me still use yeast, make something the whole family could enjoy, and didn’t require as much dedicated time and constant attention. But that’s probably not something you can do either.
I took up pipe smoking about 6 months ago and am enjoying the heck out of it. ;D
It does take a while to get the hang of, but it’s worth it.
I haven’t tried too many blends, mostly smoke Prince Albert, and Carter Hall.
I have a few cobs, a cheap basket briar, and a Ropp cherry wood I got off ebay for a buck.
I learned a bunch of stuff here http://pipesmokersforum.com/community/ it’s a pretty chill place.
If you sign up for the forum I am “homebrewer”
Dan
Eeesh, pipe smoking… yuck. Aside from the health concerns (peridontal disease, oral cancer… I’m tending a cat with oral cancer, and it ain’t pretty), it’s a hobby that may turn off people you’d like to be around.
+1 to honing your skills. Many brewing books are available as eBooks. Getting deep into brewing math and chemistry is another direction.
Thanks also for serving. I did too, and regarding your current tour, I can tell you, this too shall pass.
This is one of my indulgences. But that doesn’t help you in Bahrain.
Had all the kids occupied a few nights ago and thought I’d sneak a stogie. Fired it up, sat down (on the porch) with a bourbon and BLAM. The boy woke up within 15 minutes…
If you can get apple cider, that should spontaneously ferment as well. Or just some apple juice and yeast.
Been there, done those tours. While definitely in violation of General Order #1, here’s our recipe for some homemade Jack.
Take a standard issue metal trash can or something similar. Clean out for your own sake, but if you have to make do you make do with some “extras” in your recipe. Take all the non-alcholic beer from the DEFAC as possible, pour it all into your trash can and put over a fire. From here there’s two techniques, but your best one is to capture the fumes (by any means necessary, every good soldier can improvise this) into another trash can (cleaned out). The other technique is to order some brewers yeast and ferment the non-alcholic beer out and you may need to add some sugar . Take some DEFAC sugar…sugar packets if you have to…and in a tablespoon (also stolen) burn the heck out of it. Add that to your captured distilled liquor. Take some oak cubes, I would just order them from online, and nearly burn them in a flame…throw those in the mix. Add sugar when finished if necessary, but in general you have some make sift Jack Daniels.
We were able to ferment the non-alcholic beer, then distill it, add the burned sugar (which does color) and the burned oak cubes (flavor and color) to the point of it actually tasting like Jack.
Obviously you need to hide the booze from the CO/1SG, or if you’re the CO/1SG you’ll need to bribe you’re other half to keep them quiet
Good for you; it’s all about looking over your curent situation and going with the best option. I love(d) cigars and then to cut back went to a pipe and nowdays I thoroughly enjoy tea (of course, I’m replacing tobacco rather than beer and brewing). There are a multitude of flavors to be had by steeping various herbs, spices and tea. The mixing and matching could very easily replace beer brewing (for a time). Does reading about brewing make the matter worse? Reading does occupy the mind (for a time). Good luck and hang in. cheers, j
I am there RIGHT NOW ! And not in Bahrain where I could get a real beer of some kind. I am in Afreakinghanistan.
Casey, you are braver than me. I have just been working out 2 times a day, working on my warfare pin (yes, for some reason they decided to send my sailor butt out here WHERE THERE IS NO WATER! ???), checking these forums out a lot, and planning my brew sessions for when I get home. I have also planned out a full 4 course beer dinner featuring my beer. I don’t smoke so that is not an option.
I already have the first 10 brew sessions planned out.
I should be home for R&R over Christmas and hope to brew a Wheat Wine / Impy Weizenbock. That should age nicely on the second half of my tour. Before I deployed I brewed 10 gallons of Golden Promise Barleywine (1 grain) and 10 gallons of Belgian Barleywine (ala Scaldis Noel) so I am looking forward to drinking some of that over Christmas too.
To make our Navy friends feel a little more at home we built a dunk tank when we hit the rear and ha some dunk the sailor fun ;D ! It was the closest we could get to making them feel like they were on the water.
I worked out (when in the rear) the same as you at least 90 minutes a day, if not more. Planned out buying a condo and brewing all the beer ingredients I could buy with my saved up money. I actually contacted my LHBS and they had the club brew some beer for my unit’s return. That was a welcome worth coming home to!!! Cheers to you and your service. Enjoy that homebrew when you get home, you and our other veterans out there earned it.
I don’t know about making any hooch. Especially when I have access to some beer (albeit crappy beer) I will try to stay on the up and up.
Snowtiger, I don’t have it half as bad as you. More power to you, being able to survive that without brewing. It’s good that you’ll be able to try to fit in a batch on your R&R. I have a couple of batches that have been aging while I’m here, and should be prime when I get back. I’m doing more working out here as well, and as much self improvement studying as I can stomach. The pipe helps me unwind and take my mind off all things for 30 min to an hr a day.
Given any thought to partnering up with some of the shore duty folks that still have apartments out in the city? Between them and the DoD civ contractors with their 6 figure salaries, I’m sure there’s someone living out there that has an appreciation for good beer and would be willing to stash a carboy or two in their closet. Combine that with a couple of “care packages” sent to the ship’s address and you shouldn’t have too much trouble pulling off an extract/partial brew (offship, of course).
The gov’t there has so many internal problems to handle now that that would probably be the last thing to cross their mind.
