My neighbors think I'm operating a meth lab

So they see all the pails, carboy, siphon + probably me naked working on it :rockin:, and stopped talking to me for 2 days.

The guy asked me if I were making meth cause he was concerned about his family's safety, and when I told him it was homebrew and no it can't explode, he was much more relaxed.

It was/is my first batch!

Anyone else had any neighbors or cops worried about meth?

Yeah there's about 3 different threads on this topic with some great stories...

lol thats pretty funny. Im sure apt. maintenance would have thought the same thing if the pails i have didn't say williams homebrewing really big on the side.

Homebrewing has been the perfect cover story for my meth lab!

invite him over for some sampling, it would be nice to have another brewer right next door.

If I were you I'd lay a bottle of your brew on him and inform him on how you made it. He most likely approached you just because your younger, Thats how it is. I Gave a few of my older neighbors some homemade wine and another one a 6 pack of IPA this christmas; Thats when I took the opportunity to tell them that if they saw me dumping my trub in the creek it was eco friendly and I was helpin out the little fishys. It's better to have a friend than an enemy for a neighbor! If he doesn't return your bottle then consider him a no good !@#$%^&*()_+ ! Ha Ha Ha!!!!

I work on tripod mounted, belt-fed, (semi-auto) machine guns in my garage with the door open.

The neighbors are used to weird crap going on over at my house.

McKBrew said:

Homebrewing has been the perfect cover story for my meth lab!

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Totally. See you over at methtalk.com!

I've always wondered what people would think if they saw some of the normal things used in home brew... leafy greens in bags in the fridge, bags of fine white powder above it... home brew is a good cover story

The missus asked me what all those green leafy things in the fridge were...
Hops.... of course but i can see how the mistake could be made.

People are so dumb.... it never ceases to amaze me.

'Is that Meth you are brewing?'

'Yep, I am brewing a highly illegal substance by the gallon out in my garage with the door up so everyone can see me. Also, I tell everyone about it and don't deny it when random people ask.'

dumb, dumb, dumb

Even if they say it as a joke it isn't funny. My BIL said this the first time he say my brewery. I like him a lot, but the comment did not help his stock.

My typical response is, "No. How do you know this stuff is used to make meth? Maybe I should report you to the authorities for having suspicious knowledge of meth brewing."

Wife's former supervisor was over after GABF to see how beer is made. He asked if all the chemistry stuff was necessary of if I was making something else. Once the 6 hour AG session was over, he said it was to complicated and required too much thinking. He's a middle school principal with brand new first child at home. Your loss dude.

That's some funny shizz.

15 years ago when I had my first stint with homebrewing, I had all my stuff in the back seat of my car for a move and ended up leaving it there... for a few weeks.

Well, I kept getting pulled over by the cops and I didn't know why! They wouldn't even give me a ticket! Just look in my car, talk to me, tell me that I didn't signal in time for my turn or something and then let me go.

My mother was married to a WSP trooper at the time and they came to visit and help me finish moving. He goes walking up the driveway and does a double-take as he goes by my car and asks me if I'm getting pulled over a lot. I told him I had and he said it was because it looks like I'm transporting a meth lab. LOL

i always thought my neighbors probably think im making meth 2 lol when they see a big 6.5gal bucket on the counter with a siphon tube going to another bucket set on a chair with another siphon tube going to the floor where they cant see lol

I wish my neighbors thought I was operating a meth lab just so I could bless with them.

I wish I would have told my neighbor I was operating a meth lab, he won't leave me alone. Almost everyday I hear,

"Hey man, you got one of dem good cold beers?"

I really don't mind, it makes me feel good about myself.

astyler said:

So they see all the pails, carboy, siphon + probably me naked working on it :rockin:, and stopped talking to me for 2 days.

The guy asked me if I were making meth cause he was concerned about his family's safety, and when I told him it was homebrew and no it can't explode, he was much more relaxed.

It was/is my first batch!

Anyone else had any neighbors or cops worried about meth?

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The meth lab thing is kind of a joke in my neighborhood too. My neighbor is actually a cop. I got him involved and we now brew together.

My dad says im making explosives... told the neighbor across the street i was planning on fire bombing somthing... i dont get it, you dont make meth in plastic buckets, you dont use malt extrat or green leafy things and you defiantly dont heat it with a massive propane burner without a sheilded flame where the whole world can see... My folks are getting a bee hive to but out back in there dieing old orchard (to make some money on the side)... I was knocking togather the hive the other day and a neighbor asked if it was a pot hutch... i laughed at him and said no because it would never fit a lamp in it... Also my dad is looking into hydroponics for this green house he is building(solar heating plant for the house, plus a place to put the new air to air heat pump)... asked me if i wanted to put in some hops... and when he started building it he kept getting asked if he was building a pot house... its like WTF, why does everybody on my folks street have pot on the barin???

Cheers

Neighbor would peak out his curtains and stare every brewday. I went over and invited him to join, but he refused to even answer the door. The next brewday comes and so do the cops! They walked up asked a few questions and left. Other neighbors have come by and joined in the fun. He finally moved away and no more problems since, but there is a guy down the street who keeps eyeing my keggle and kegerator...

CptMyCpt said:

Neighbor would peak out his curtains and stare every brewday. I went over and invited him to join, but he refused to even answer the door. The next brewday comes and so do the cops! They walked up asked a few questions and left. Other neighbors have come by and joined in the fun. He finally moved away and no more problems since, but there is a guy down the street who keeps eyeing my keggle and kegerator...

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Yeah because everybody drawns off a pint of meth into a glass mug and drinks it... They actully called the cops?

Cheers

During my first AG brew session in the garage a few weeks ago, the local PD guys drove by real slow, grinned, then drove on by. Now I know why! Funny.
Beers y'all,
Ken

BrewinJack said:

Yeah because everybody drawns off a pint of meth into a glass mug and drinks it... They actully called the cops?

Cheers

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Yes he did. We laugh about it now, but they knew when they saw me in the driveway that I has brewing.

Questions asked:

1. Homebrewing?
2. What are you making?
3. Been doing it long?

Some other chit-chat and of course offered them a beer which they declined.

Welcome to the club guys. You have made it to the top (or maybe bottom)when you have invited at least 2 separate cop visits into your house to see your "meth" lab and told them to come by after shift to partake.

I get a double wammy. I have a salt water reef aquarium in my basement, with high wattage lights. When people drive by they would swear I'm growing AND cooking!

Flattop said:

The missus asked me what all those green leafy things in the fridge were...
Hops.... of course but i can see how the mistake could be made.

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Ha! I can relate to this one. My mom came to visit us not long ago and it took me a while to convince her that the baggie of hops in the egg compartment of my fridge wasn't pot. I actually wrote "NOT POT" on the bag afterwards to clear up any future confusion... :fro:

aubrey said:

Ha! I can relate to this one. My mom came to visit us not long ago and it took me a while to convince her that the baggie of hops in the egg compartment of my fridge wasn't pot. I actually wrote "NOT POT" on the bag afterwards to clear up any future confusion... :fro:

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That's a good thing to do anyway to keep the neighborhood kids from sneaking in and smoking all your hops.

My wife tells me I look like I'm up to no good every time I brew.

Cpt_Kirks said:

I work on tripod mounted, belt-fed, (semi-auto) machine guns in my garage with the door open.

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You, sir, are my hero.

A few weeks ago a fellow hombrewer was picking up a pound of hops from me. I had the flu at the time so I didn't want him to come into my apartment, and I wanted to minimize contact with him for his sake. So, I meet him in front of my door with a vacuum sealed bag full of green. I hand it to him while he hands me some cash. During this my neighbor in the next apartment is leaving and sees the whole thing. It looked ALL kinds of shady. The people next door are cool, but I may want to go over some time and explain what was going on.

astyler said:

.....and when I told him it was homebrew and no it can't explode, he was much more relaxed.

It was/is my first batch!

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Am I the only one who's had exploding homebrew? While my next door neighbor is not in danger of my conconctions going bad.....I've had to clean up the kitchen after my first all grain imperial stout (still have stains on the vaulted ceiling from that), and also my first fruit beer (where I wasn't sure if there was going to be a lot of pressure after dumping the fruit
).

When I'm out on my porch making beer, people passing by have asked if I was making some sort of bread. One neighbor also first said he thought I was making pottery or something. There's some other ecclectic neighbors I have that would be targeted for possible meth lab activities before me and my concoctions on the porch.

Is this some neat sheet or what?

Fusorfodder said:

A few weeks ago a fellow hombrewer was picking up a pound of hops from me. I had the flu at the time so I didn't want him to come into my apartment, and I wanted to minimize contact with him for his sake. So, I meet him in front of my door with a vacuum sealed bag full of green. I hand it to him while he hands me some cash. During this my neighbor in the next apartment is leaving and sees the whole thing. It looked ALL kinds of shady. The people next door are cool, but I may want to go over some time and explain what was going on.

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My wife and I busted a gut reading that! Hilarious.

Cpt_Kirks said:

I work on tripod mounted, belt-fed, (semi-auto) machine guns in my garage with the door open.

CiscoKid said:

You, sir, are my hero.

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I concur, and bow down, for thou art greater than I.

hmm....this really makes me want to start brewing outdoors now
:cross:

ChshreCat said:

That's a good thing to do anyway to keep the neighborhood kids from sneaking in and smoking all your hops.

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That is one of the funniest things I've read all day. Almost spit HB all over my monitor! Nice!

Awesome, can't say I've had anything like that happened to me but I do live next to a Frederick County Sheriff and if he holds his gun at me because he thinks I have a meth lab I'll let you know

No problems so far. My neighbors know I'm weird since I used to spend so much midnight to sunrise time in my driveway with my telescope. Washing out Better Bottles at sunrise on my back porch may tip the balance though.

I used to live in a rural neighborhood with meth labs around. Anybody who knows sh*t about meth won't confuse the odors. And besides, I'm 57 yrs. old and most crystal meth users don't live this long.

I'm working towards putting together a 6 gallon Better Bottle with blow off tube. That's should pimp out the weak minded. :

My father in law knew I brewed, but he got really excited one day when he saw my copper IC in the garage. He thought I was going to start distilling. He is a freak for moonshine, and always has a stock of Kentucky-made moonshine at home. I have to admit, I'd like to have a shot at distilling too just for the lark of it, but I wouldn't have the nuts to drink the stuff.

Cpt_Kirks said:

I work on tripod mounted, belt-fed, (semi-auto) machine guns in my garage with the door open.

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CiscoKid said:

You, sir, are my hero.

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aubrey said:

I concur, and bow down, for thou art greater than I.

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I can't access photobucket from work anymore. If I think of it, I will link to some pics when I get home.

Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:

My father in law knew I brewed, but he got really excited one day when he saw my copper IC in the garage. He thought I was going to start distilling. He is a freak for moonshine, and always has a stock of Kentucky-made moonshine at home. I have to admit, I'd like to have a shot at distilling too just for the lark of it, but I wouldn't have the nuts to drink the stuff.

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Why not? I saw an article on the TV a while back that basically explains how it works and it's not much harder than making beer IMO. I want to do it, but since I can't stand hard liquor, I see it as an exercise only, and probably nothing I'd want to stick with.

I imagine that if you did it, you'd probably make some darn good liquor! Too bad it's illegal...