Brewing in a country with alcohol prohibition

[DesertFox]

may I know what temperature did you ferment it?

I wasn't paying attention to the temperature and I don't have a thermometer (I know this is a big mistake).
I would say it was between 18C (65F) when I was home and the AC was on, and 30C (86F) when I was not at home and the AC was off.

 

[stan1007]

One of the few redeeming aspects of Djibouti. That place is full of crazy locals high on khat, Sudanese crisis made things . . . interesting. Great for forward ops, but also a great place to get an AK shoved in your face.

It's the only country in that region where the citizens drive about 15 MPH all the time. The only rationale we could come up with was that no matter how fast you go you are still in Djibouti at the end of the day. You sort of have to have been there to understand.

The ONLY time they move fast is at 1300 every day when the Ethiopian Air Force C130 full of khat lands at the airport. They'll trample you if you get in their way then.

 

[triethylborane]

The ONLY time they move fast is at 1300 every day when the Ethiopian Air Force C130 full of khat lands at the airport. They'll trample you if you get in their way then.

Lol, very true, though that is one of the most dangerous airspaces in the world. ATC is under local control, so you have angry, crazy, sleepy, incompetent, ambivalent, and high ATCs in an airspace that has constant military traffic from US, Japan, France and now China, not to mention the commercial traffic. When I was at Lemonnier for CJTF-HOA operations, I think the FAA sent some advisors to help the local ATCs, but it obviously didn't help.

It was a great deployment, but the best part about it was stepping out of DJ and seeing other African countries.

 

[MaxStout]

DesertFox: just curious...what are the penalties for being caught bringing in brewing supplies to SA? I can't imagine it would be a comfortable situation if a Saudi customs official decided to poke around in one's suitcase, and found packets of brewing or wine yeast.

I will never again take for granted my routine 5-mile trek to the brew store.

 

[eigua]

.

 

[DesertFox]

DesertFox: just curious...what are the penalties for being caught bringing in brewing supplies to SA? I can't imagine it would be a comfortable situation if a Saudi customs official decided to poke around in one's suitcase, and found packets of brewing or wine yeast.

I will never again take for granted my routine 5-mile trek to the brew store.

2 to 5 years in prison, 50 to 100 lashes, then deportation and ban from entering the country. This is only if it's for personal use.
If it's for commercial distribution the penalty will be putting to death. but if there is no previous convictions, the judge will reduce the punishment to 15 years in prison and 100 lashes.

 

[Miraculix]

2 to 5 years in prison, 50 to 100 lashes, then deportation and ban from entering the country. This is only if it's for personal use.
If it's for commercial distribution the penalty will be putting to death. but if there is no previous convictions, the judge will reduce the punishment to 15 years in prison and 100 lashes.

Lovely.

Get the **** out of there!!!!!!!

 

[DesertFox]

Lovely.

Get the **** out of there!!!!!!!

I wish it was this easy, but I'm working on it.

 

[kh54s10]

Sadly I don’t have the choice of moving to another country.
Drinking is what keeps me sane, worth the risk.

I suppose one of us should actually say: FIND ANOTHER WAY TO STAY SANE.

2 to 5 years in prison, 50 to 100 lashes, then deportation and ban from entering the country. This is only if it's for personal use.
If it's for commercial distribution the penalty will be putting to death. but if there is no previous convictions, the judge will reduce the punishment to 15 years in prison and 100 lashes.

Maybe seek some counselling??
I cannot see that a beer is worth risking 2 to 5 years in a Saudi prison let alone the 50-100 lashes.........

 

[eRicphtgr]

2 to 5 years in prison, 50 to 100 lashes, then deportation and ban from entering the country. This is only if it's for personal use.
If it's for commercial distribution the penalty will be putting to death. but if there is no previous convictions, the judge will reduce the punishment to 15 years in prison and 100 lashes.

not if you know any of the prince isn't it?

 

[DesertFox]

not if you know any of the prince isn't it?

if you know a prince you will have loads of the finest scotch delivered to your door whenever you want.
if you get caught on a checkpoint there's a good chance the officer will take what you have if it's in small amounts and let you go without any consequences, and if you're a Saudi and from the same tribe as the officer's you'll definitely go away with what you have, and probably share a drink with him later.
the real problem is when you get caught by the religious police, they are very strict in applying the laws, thankfully their authorities have been limited very much in the last couple of years, especially in the city I live in.

 

[Miraculix]

"religious police"

Only the word makes me already wanna puke.

 

[Tarpon87]

I was in SA back in late 2014, it was interesting for sure.
No booze, but we had someone bring some whiskey over the bridge for us.
No porn, will lead you to the weirdest corners of youtube.
Nothing to do for recreation other than going out to eat or shop. This was just before women got the right to vote, they couldn't drive then but I heard that's changed now. There was talks of them putting in a movie theatre as well, that has hopefully happened.
No tattoos but my buddy got hooked up with someone that did it in his house.
The Boarder Guard we worked with were all pretty cool but the general population definitely wanted nothing to do with us.

 

[Kee]

If that particular bread yeast is not working well with the malt syrup, you can always try to ferment grape juice or make mead.

BTW, you have no problem getting hops?

 

[Kee]

I was in SA back in late 2014, it was interesting for sure.

No porn, .

I worked on a drilling rig just offshore of Alexandria Egypt in the 90's. When the Egyptian customs agents came on board, they expected a bribe, which included several Playboy and Penthouse magazines. I remember one of the galley hands going crazy over a Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders calendar.

 

[HydroBiscuit]

DesertFox
I just read every word of this tread and I have to say WOW. I love your passion man. You have some guts. I love my beer but if I lived there I would quit brewing for my families sake but if I where single it on. You would fit right in, in the states. Best of luck to you and happy and safe as it can be brewing to you.
Paul

 

[Roland_deschain]

Watch “Locked up abroad”. There was an episode about this situation...... it didn’t end well.

 

[triethylborane]

No porn, will lead you to the weirdest corners of youtube.

The Boarder Guard we worked with were all pretty cool but the general population definitely wanted nothing to do with us.

Ive met and trained with several Royal Saudi Land Forces officers over the years and they generally seem quite secular. I guess they are given that liberty as military readiness is the controlling objective, nevertheless the Mutaween can easily take up the slack. Ive never seen so many Rolex Datejusts slung on the wrists of officers, I think they get them as gifts from the King for making field grade.


General Order #1 for Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, porn is contraband. Luckily that is rarely enforced otherwise the trial counsels would be slammed. We did have to prefer charges on a SGT who combat jacked with a Hustler in 2011 (who actually gets porn mags anymore?) for desertion under UCMJ.

 

[Randomnoob]

My grandmother, before she died in 2014, told me about my great grandfather home brewing beer during Alcohol Prohibition in the United States 90 years ago. She grew up on a farm and my great grandfather planted hops in one of the fields where you can't see it from the road. He then bought malt extract and yeast at the store. Of course, sanitation not being what it is today, she told me about him having more than a few bottle bombs in the cellar.

Of course, this is a very German Catholic and Irish Catholic county. She said the sheriff generally didn't care too much about farmers making their own beer because he was probably doing the same at home. She said most of the county thought Alcohol Prohibition in the US was a joke and wasn't working.

 

[Kee]

My grandmother, before she died in 2014, told me about my great grandfather home brewing beer during Alcohol Prohibition in the United States 90 years ago. She grew up on a farm and my great grandfather planted hops in one of the fields where you can't see it from the road. He then bought malt extract and yeast at the store. Of course, sanitation not being what it is today, she told me about him having more than a few bottle bombs in the cellar.

When I found out as a teenager that you could make beer from the malt syrup still sold in old country stores, I (along with friends) had to try it. No one we knew had an exact recipe or where to get hops (if we even thought about that). It was something like "mix with a couple of gallons of water, maybe some sugar, throw in a couple of packs of bread yeast, bottle when that foam on top goes down".

We made a couple of batches and drank the bottles that didn't explode before we put homebrewing on hold.

 

[MaryB]

Can sub herbs for hops if they are hard to get.

 

[Jwin]

Can sub herbs for hops if they are hard to get.

MaryB, I always appreciate your contributions but could you expand for the OPs sake,?
Outside of spruce, I'm unsure.

 

[MaryB]

I have only read of people doing it, never done it myself... read the Gruit threads...

 

[DesertFox]

If that particular bread yeast is not working well with the malt syrup, you can always try to ferment grape juice or make mead.

BTW, you have no problem getting hops?

I can get hops, it's not sterilized so I can't dry hop my beer, but better than no hops.
I tried making wine several times but it always ends with some sour flavor, I don't why, even that I kept it not exposed to air.

 

[DesertFox]

DesertFox
I just read every word of this tread and I have to say WOW. I love your passion man. You have some guts. I love my beer but if I lived there I would quit brewing for my families sake but if I where single it on. You would fit right in, in the states. Best of luck to you and happy and safe as it can be brewing to you.
Paul

Thanks for the support man. I wish I was in a free country like the states, ordering a brewing kit via mail is a dream to me.

 

[DesertFox]

Can sub herbs for hops if they are hard to get.

MaryB, I always appreciate your contributions but could you expand for the OPs sake,?
Outside of spruce, I'm unsure.

Thanks, but I already have enough hops for several batches.
Jwin, I appreciate your help man, thanks a lot.

 

[Kee]

I tried making wine several times but it always ends with some sour flavor, I don't why, even that I kept it not exposed to air.

Someone on the wine forums may be of some help with what's going on. My wine making skills are limited to making wine from kits.

 

[brewbama]

When I was in Saudi the British that worked for ARAMCO homebrewed. Not sure how they got their equipment or supplies but I recall some pretty good brew. Good luck.

When I was in Turkey we drank loads of the local brews. Good stuff.

Other -stans, Iraq, Kuwait, sucked. Dry as a bone.

 

[ajdelange]

Bahrain is another place I'd almost forgotten about. I recall standing on the Navy base outside the post office in the shade - dripping sweat in 93F heat and humidity, and that was before it really got warm. The saving grace was the Hard Rock Cafe in al Manama eating dinner and having a couple stouts afterward.

Sherlock Holmes pub in the Gulf Hotel. Jim's Place in Adliya. etc. But I was served a beer in a tea cup once during Ramadan because I was sitting near a window.

 

[voltron]

Hello everybody,

I live in a country where alcohol is highly prohibited and of course all materials and equipment that are exclusively related to brewing/fermenting.
I used to turn non alcoholic "beer' into regular beer using baking yeast and table sugar, the results weren't so great so I decided to try another method.
I have access to malt extract in a health food store (Meridian is the brand name) so I'm giving it a try and I have a batch in process now, it has been four days now since the start of fermentation, the thing is that I didn't get the foam I usually get on the top of the wort, although the bubbling is going really nicely and I have a decent amount of co2 released through the airlock, I don't know if I did something wrong or if this is normal, here's how I did it:
materials:
3x370g Meridian barely malt extract
2x500g dextrose (bought from the drug store, this is the first time I use it)
50g hops
1 table spoon of baking yeast
5 gallon carboy
1 condom (airlock)

I boiled 1 gallon of water in a stainless steel pot then added the malt extract and dextrose, stirred until completely dissolved, added hops in a muslin bag boiled for 60 min.
then poured the wort in the carboy and added 4 gallon of water, I activated the yeast in 16oz of water and 4 table spoons of table sugar, now this is how I usually activate the yeast and I used to have nice foam on the top of the sugary water, but this time I got a very thin layer of foam on the top of it after about 45 minutes, but I poured it to the wort anyways and affixed the airlock (condom).
I'm not sure if I could've done it better, please can anyone tell me if I've done a big mistake so I will dump the wort and start over. and please explain why I didn't get the nasty looking foam on the top of the wort.

thanks in advance


I didn't choose brewing, brewing chose me!


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Edit #1:
day 10: so I bottled today. I'm no expert, but there isn't off flavors, it smells and tastes good, BUT it's sweet!
I did not bottle early I'm sure, there was no action in the fermentor in the past 48 hours, I think it's the maltose (complex sugar) that bread yeast doesn't consume/ferment.
I bottled in IKEA bottles as I didn't find 500ml or 1L coke bottles, only 250ml and 2.25L, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.
I'm keeping the bottles in a dark closet with some iced water bottles to control the temp.

I know the feeling, Work sent me to regions that are labled "dry communities" So couldnt get stuff shipped there. But you will be amazed what you can do with just bread yeast and stuff at the local stores. Our local store sold honey, so mead was popular. also they carried welches and jams, so was able to make so nice wines, we even made a jolly rancher wine, which was unexpectly nice. It may not be fancy way of brewing but it worked.