Bad batch, what should I do?

[Aabrewedxxxx]

Yea it tastes like crap.

What should I do? Can't drink it. Would feel bad if I threw it away.


Could I perhaps put it in big pot, hook up a copper hose to the lid and run the hose through a bucket of ice and then distil the 15 gallons of beer that I can't drink?

What else could I do with it?

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Use it as liquid fertilizer

 

[Orfy]

Yeh, if you want to go blind and get locked up at the same time.
Distilling is dangerous and illegal.

Bin it.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

What kind of beer was it supposed to be? How long has it aged? What tastes wrong about it?

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Yeh, if you want to go blind and get locked up at the same time.
Distilling is dangerous and illegal.

Bin it.

In the 1930's or sometime around there, our government told us that marijuana made you insane. They also tell you that distilling is dangerous. Of course, both things are illegal.


I've read a lot about distilling. Never done it, but I know a lot about it. I am convinced it is possible to create a house fire if you do not follow appropriate procedures, but I wouldn't call it dangerous. It is certainly less dangerous than oxy-acetylene welding, but I don't read about a lot of people crying out loud that you shouldn't buy yourself some Oxy-acetylene tanks and learn to weld. So stop spreading lies. Distilling is more dangerous than a water bong, less dangerous than learning to weld. Where it falls between those two extremes? I won't pretend to know...


But with that said, I doubt the alcohol yhield from a 5 gallon 5%ABV batch would be worth the trouble if you don't have distilling experience.

 

[Orfy]

It's not right to advise any one who doesn't know what they are doing to run a still.
If you run a batch of alcohol through a still and was to drink one glass of the wrong type of distillate it is possible that it could kill you.
Methanol is not good for you. If you don't know the difference between the different type of alcohols and how dangerous they are then yes you could end up blind, ill, dead. A good still can as you know produce 90%+ ABV spirit. See what happens if you drink that.

Ingestion of only 10ml can cause blindness and 30ml can be fatal.

It is NOT a myth and it is not a lie!!!!!!!!

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

It's not right to advise any one who doesn't know what they are doing to run a still.
If you run a batch of alcohol through a still and was to drink one glass of the wrong type of distillate it is possible that it could kill you.
Methanol is not good for you. If you don't know the difference between the different type of alcohols and how dangerous they are then yes you could end up blind, ill, dead. A good still can as you know produce 90%+ ABV spirit. See what happens if you drink that.



It is NOT a myth and it is not a lie!!!!!!!!

The risk of death is neither a myth nor a lie. You are correct there. The risk of explosion while working with oxy-acetylene isn't a lie either. However, with proper procedures and a good manual, it can be done with reasonable safety.

I think it is important to remind people that it isn't the type of thing you go about blindly... however, I think it's folly to talk it up as a dangerous thing. It's only dangerous if you do it wrong.

and if we're talking about drinking a 90%ABV spirit, lets not forget to talk abour proportions. A pint of that would be the equivalent to drinking 9 liters of beer and drinking 9 liters of beer will kill you too... and that is not a lie either!

Think about it this way: The alcohols in the beer are already there. Sure, if you create an alcohol enema and cram the entire distilled output up your rectum for maximum effect, you may kill yourself with alcohol poisoning. However, if you drink it until you're tipsy, then you will have consumed no more "bad stuff" than you would have consumed if you had consumed an equivalent amount of beer. What's in there is in there and distilling doesn't add anything to process that isn't there already.

Maybe we should stop drinking beer until we develop a system for distilling out the methyl alcohol that is known to be present and toxic in our brew?

 

[olllllo]

Brine some sausage in it.

 

[Orfy]

The risk of death is neither a myth nor a lie. You are correct there. The risk of explosion while working with oxy-acetylene isn't a lie either. However, with proper procedures and a good manual, it can be done with reasonable safety.
I think it is important to remind people that it isn't the type of thing you go about blindly... however, I think it's folly to talk it up as a dangerous thing. It's only dangerous if you do it wrong.

It's believe it's a folly to tell people it isn't dangerous and they can't go blind. They should make their own mind up and not be encouraged into thinking there is no or minimal risk. After they have researched the relevant information then they are able to make the decision for themselves.

I have done a lot of research and have decided that with extreme caution I may try to produce some distilled water.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I'm tired of the distillation debate. It's illegal. It can probably be dangerous (though, most of what I've read seems to point at the addition of toxins like petroleum products and formaldehyde as the reason that moonshine sometimes caused serious health problems). Try it if you must, but leave it off of this forum.

On the other hand, a batch of bad beer can be used for cooking - make beer bread, boil brats, make a sauce, add it to stew, etc, etc. You can even make malt vinegar out of it with a good "mother" available from some homebrew supply shops.

 

[Orfy]

Steak 'n' Ale pie sounds good to me.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

I'm tired of the distillation debate. It's illegal.

I'm tired of people who don't recognize that not every member of a forum are necessarily American citizens. In other words, even if it's illegal for me to do it, it's not illegal for me to encourage people in other countries to do it.

And yes, I did check and see that the original poster's location was not specified before going into the distillation issue. If I knew he was from the United States, my response would have been different, but if he doesn't specify, then I won't assume.

 

[olllllo]

New Zealand is the only country I know of where it is legal. But what do I know.

Not chilling out over something lame is universally frowned upon.

 

[Orfy]

Yup.......

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

New Zealand is the only country I know of where it is legal. But what do I know.

I believe it's legal in Italy. And Ukraine. And Russia. And I know it's at least not enforced in Poland. And I knew a girl who's mom used to make Mezcal. I don't know the whole story about that though.

Not chilling out over something lame is universally frowned upon.

I know. I need to chill.

 

[dibby33]

And yes, I did check and see that the original poster's location was not specified before going into the distillation issue. If I knew he was from the United States, my response would have been different, but if he doesn't specify, then I won't assume.

Surely there must be a state in America that it is illegal NOT to own a still.

...on another side topic : which countries it is legal to operate a still?

anyway, legal or not legal, people are still going to do it and if they are stupid enough to kill themselves then all good and well for the gene pool (my fav rant)

EDIT : You beat me too it Toot !

 

[olllllo]

Bored (or so I read in another thread)? I tend to get argumentative too.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I'm on the verge of pissed off, but I'll contain myself.

I know that it is illegal in most countries, not just the US, but I guess I could've qualified my statement by saying, "It's probably illegal." However legality is not why I think the topic should be dropped.

More clearly stated, my point is that every time distillation is discussed here, it becomes an annoying, opinionated debate that's never solved, and it's not even about beer (or wine).

So, let's stick to beer. Ok, I'll RDWHAHB now.

 

[david_42]

Invite friends and family over & make a buttload of chili.

 

[chillHayze]

You can use it for cooking, but often the bad flavors precipitate into the food. Try cooking some brauts in some and see how it goes.

If you are not making good beer I would suggest making smaller batches until you get it down.

 

[Aabrewedxxxx]

What kind of beer was it supposed to be? How long has it aged? What tastes wrong about it?

Two kinds of beer
One a brown ale the other a black stout.

The brown is good in terms of carbonation and strength but it has a nasty smell, very cardboard taste, and lots of weird off flavors that give me acid reflux and an instant headache.
One of my friends claimed:
"That is the worst beer I have ever tasted."

The stout was watery and very bitter. It made you feel a little sick in the stomach when drinking it. The odor was terrible. the taste was slightly cardboardly.
This all was probably all due to 3 weeks in the primary fermentor without an airlock and -1 pound of DME. Allthough I send a few bottles to my father and he said, "Mmmm taste like guiness." I think he is crazy. Taste like **** is more like it.

Ohh I also bottled with a hose and no racking cane and without sanatizing the caps or the bottles. And I syphoned out of the fermentor with suction from my mouth.

Anyway I have 6 24-cases of the stuff and only 6 bottles were opened.

The only time I was able to drink it was on new years when vodka began to taste like water. And even then I could only drink 1.


So I think I'll just pour them down the drain or find some one who actually likes it and give it all to them.

 

[chillHayze]

Sanitation is a hassle at first, but it's nothing compared to dumping multiple batches.

Someone get this fellow some star-san!

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Bored (or so I read in another thread)? I tend to get argumentative too.

You don't know the half of it. Got an IRS audit coming up. And bored.

Again, I apologize to all. But I still say the beer should be used for fertilizer. Or maybe feed it to what's-his-name's rabbit.

 

[fiddup_is_a_middup]

and an airlock

 

[teu1003]

On the other hand, a batch of bad beer can be used for cooking - make beer bread, boil brats

Brats are full of nitrates and fat ... you shouldn't be recommending that people eat them without suitable warning ...

 

[Aabrewedxxxx]

Boil brats? Sounds good. And don't you think i have too much beer for bread (15 gallons).
Ohh and my dad loves the black beer and wants more. So I'll send him three cases Which leaves 3 more cases of the brown beer. That is........ 72 bottles to make bread and brats...

In terms of puting it on plants. I have none to put it on. I don't grow anything but a beard.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Give it to some little old lady gardener. It will pay dividends down the line....