Funny things you've overheard about beer

[BeerGrylls]

My buddy from work told me that when he was a in Afghanistan he "homebrewed" by mixing bakers yeast and sugar in near beer.


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That can't taste good. But then again, I can see the value in getting a buzz on in that dry armpit of a country.

 

[amfukuda]

That can't taste good. But then again, I can see the value in getting a buzz on in that dry armpit of a country.

He was a marine so I can imagine id want a beer too if I was getting shot at for a living.



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[JohnSand]

Sounds like American ingenuity to me!

 

[beaksnbeer]

Gave a pale ale HB to the neighbor across the street who drinks strictly Coors Light, asked him what he thought of it after a week or so and got "thought it was pretty good, but way too bitter for me and couldn't finish it"

At least he was trying to be nice, but thank goodness I'm not that guy, would have to kick myself in the nuts if all I drank was coors light.

Shoot, am I one of those beer snobs now?

I have one of those too he drinks an 18 pack every other day during the week and an 18 pack each day on the weekend or days he doesn't work (self-employed) He can only drink a sixer or so of mine then over sleeps the next day. So my beer is too strong he can drink an 18 pack and still go to work but 6 or so of mine and he crashes

 

[troy2000]

My buddy from work told me that when he was a in Afghanistan he "homebrewed" by mixing bakers yeast and sugar in near beer.


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Where the heck was he getting baker's yeast in Afghanistan?

 

[biochemedic]

Where the heck was he getting baker's yeast in Afghanistan?

Good point! If he was getting it shipped perhaps would be better off with some US-05...or would that be too suspicious?

 

[JohnSand]

I think even in Afghanistan, they make bread.

 

[Northbanu]

Where the heck was he getting baker's yeast in Afghanistan?

At the grocery store, I'd guess.

 

[jd_brewing]

Not really allowed to go to grocery stores and such there, most likely had it shipped and either didn't know much about homebrewing to begin with, didn't want to be too suspicious ( cause they do check your mail and packages), or wanted to make a sort of prison hooch in esprit de corps, oorah!


"If you've made something that doesn't offend anybody, you've made Budweiser"
-Augie Carton-

 

[MarathonMurse]

Where the heck was he getting baker's yeast in Afghanistan?

That would be from somewhere dark and moist on one Private Baker.

 

[troy2000]

I think even in Afghanistan, they make bread.

Yeah... but I doubt Afghan housewives make yeast runs down to the corner market for a packet or two of Fleischmann's before they start baking. And I'm guessing any commissary that has bakers yeast probably has beer....

This strikes me as one of those stories that are akin to urban legends, where people claim to have personally done something they've only heard about - like wrapping a fish in clay, baking it in the coals of a campfire, and cracking the fired clay off. I'm guessing few people who say they've done so really have....

Of course, I may be dead wrong. In which case I owe the unnamed Marine some elaborate apologies....

 

[troy2000]

That would be from somewhere dark and moist on one Private Baker.

That's disgusting...(ly funny).

 

[ericbw]

Yeah... but I doubt Afghan housewives make yeast runs down to the corner market for a packet or two of Fleischmann's before they start baking. And I'm guessing any commissary that has bakers yeast probably has beer....

This strikes me as one of those stories that are akin to urban legends, where people claim to have personally done something they've only heard about - like wrapping a fish in clay, baking it in the coals of a campfire, and cracking the fired clay off. I'm guessing few people who say they've done so really have....

Of course, I may be dead wrong. In which case I owe the unnamed Marine some elaborate apologies....

We did that with fish several times when I was a kid. I'm not sure why anyone would brag about that if they didn't really do it.

 

[GrogNerd]

would think Afghan bread, or any bread from the region, if it is leavened at all, it's from a culture passed down through generations, like sourdough

 

[PRE66_6TART]

We did that with fish several times when I was a kid. I'm not sure why anyone would brag about that if they didn't really do it.

Sure you did

 

[VT-NAV]

And I'm guessing any commissary that has bakers yeast probably has beer....

U.S forces are strictly prohibited from possessing or consuming alcohol in theater. It is certainly not sold on U.S. bases. That isn't to say it never happens - but it doesn't happen as often as you would think.

Even if U.S forces were somehow permitted to leave base and shop at local establishments (they aren't) - as a strictly Muslim country, alcohol is not publicly available for sale under pain of fine, imprisonment, and 60 lashes.

Packages sent to bases in Afghanistan are often inspected for contraband. Baker's yeast would most likely seem strange but relatively innocuous to an inspector whereas brewer's yeast would probably be confiscated.

 

[uatuba]

I've never baked fish in clay but I've baked many potatoes using that method while backpacking. I've also baked bread in the sand in the Sahara desert...but I digress.

There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about what is and isn't available in countries around the world. I was in the poorest country in the world, and I could get all kinds of things you wouldn't consider as being available worldwide. Things like Nesquik, Lipton tea, Italian/Chinese/American/French cuisine, film, magazines, bread yeast, baking powder, and so on. Most of these things I could get in market towns (not just the major cities).




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[cpl-america]

Where the heck was he getting baker's yeast in Afghanistan?

In the middle East it is against the law to throw away bread. Bread is sacred because it gives life. So there is a lot of bread. That being said, I only go flat bread there so I don't know about yeast.

 

[cpl-america]

Alcohol is available in Afghanistan, but it is a black market thing. We would usually find beer on the criminals we detained. But unlike police we don't have to log "evidence"

 

[fuxorfly]

To put it nicely, my hometown is a racially diverse and very middle class place. A few years back, latinos became the ethnic majority in the city. Nothing wrong with that, but the blue collar folks aren't drinking craft brew (can't blame them either). There is also a fairly large African-American population in the city. It just isn't a craft brew town, though we did have a great brew pub called PH Woods that made fantastic beer but it closed a couple of years ago. Surprisingly, it didn't close because of lack of interest. It was owned by Don Callendar (Marie Callendar's fame) and when he passed, the family got into a pissing contest and they decided to close it. That place was probably as responsible for my beer journey as any other.

I can think of two grocery stores that probably carry Stone. Off the top of my head, there are only like 3 liquor stores that carry bombers, though. It just isn't that kind of city, but it's still "home" even though we moved to a different city about a year ago.

That said, when I still lived there, I could go to the next city over (I lived in Moreno Valley for the SoCal folks) and get some amazing craft brews. My buddy had an apartment close to UC Riverside for years and this little hole in the wall liquor store had/has one of the better craft brew selections I've ever seen. Now I just visit BevMo around the corner from me (one complaint about BevMo, they carry the same thing all the damn time.. it's hard to get a special release!)

Oh man, I lived in Moval for a year. I remember driving around with some buddies hitting up just about every liquor mart in the area trying to find something craft; nothing better than newcastle, but there was 30 different flavors of 4Loco available. Needless to say, we didn't end up with much of anything to drink, but had a great time in the adventure. Still one of my more favorite memories, thanks for that

 

[Zepth]

U.S forces are strictly prohibited from possessing or consuming alcohol in theater. It is certainly not sold on U.S. bases. That isn't to say it never happens - but it doesn't happen as often as you would think.

Crappy for them. According to my sources* beer is readily available on Canadian bases. Including a dedicated fridge! Unfortunately during an attack the condenser took a hit and seriously damaged morale. Just goes to show how much a difference there is between our two countries.

*My sources spent time in Afghanistan. I've probably said too much already.

 

[Northbanu]

Yeah... but I doubt Afghan housewives make yeast runs down to the corner market for a packet or two of Fleischmann's before they start baking.

Having housed an Afghani exchange student, a niece engaged to an Afghani, and a wife that volunteers at the V.A with soldiers/vets fresh out of Afghanistan, I can assure you that is was they did. And they can buy products from most of the big corporate food companies like Nestle, Kraft, P&g, etc. too. It's not all tents and caves.

 

[troy2000]

Having housed an Afghani exchange student, a niece engaged to an Afghani, and a wife that volunteers at the V.A with soldiers/vets fresh out of Afghanistan, I can assure you that is was they did. And they can buy products from most of the big corporate food companies like Nestle, Kraft, P&g, etc. too. It's not all tents and caves.

Yep - in the US of A. But I'm betting that back in Afghanistan, the locals (especially in rural areas) usually keep a starter going if they bake bread seven days a week.

Of course, I may be wrong. But thinking that's probably what they do hardly means I view Afghans as cave dwellers....

 

[Northbanu]

Yep - in the US of A. But I'm betting that back in Afghanistan, the locals (especially in rural areas) usually keep a starter going if they bake bread seven days a week.

Of course, I may be wrong. But thinking that's probably what they do hardly means I view Afghans as cave dwellers....

Seriously? You think I posted that to let you know what they did in the USA? Really?

 

[troy2000]

Seriously? You think I posted that to let you know what they did in the USA? Really?

"Having housed an Afghani exchange student, a niece engaged to an Afghani, and a wife that volunteers at the V.A with soldiers/vets fresh out of Afghanistan..." Yep, really. That's exactly what I thought.

Why? Because it sure sounds like you've been interacting here in the States with Afghans ('Afghani' is generally considered an insult), and with Americans who served in Afghanistan, rather than hanging out in Afghanistan observing the locals in their native habitat.

I'm not sure what your problem is, son. But you seem to have a chip on your shoulder, and I suggest you go ask someone else to knock it off. I'm not really in the mood.

 

[Northbanu]

Well, I gotta eat a bit of crow on this one. After exasperatingly complaining to my wife about this dude on this forum that doesn't believe that one can buy yeast in a grocery store in Afghanistan, she laughed at me and pretty much called me an idiot.

See, the exchange student was from Pakistan....

Come on, that was like 10 years ago. For like 6 months. And I was hardly home. And I was really busy all the time, and I was... and.. I was... er, uh.

 

[troy2000]

Well, I gotta eat a bit of crow on this one. After exasperatingly complaining to my wife about this dude on this forum that doesn't believe that one can buy yeast in a grocery store in Afghanistan, she laughed at me and pretty much called me an idiot.

See, the exchange student was from Pakistan....

Come on, that was like 10 years ago. For like 6 months. And I was hardly home. And I was really busy all the time, and I was... and.. I was... er, uh.

A gentlemanly response to my rather prickly last post; we should get together and have a homebrew.

 

[UWDawg13]

Well, I gotta eat a bit of crow on this one. After exasperatingly complaining to my wife about this dude on this forum that doesn't believe that one can buy yeast in a grocery store in Afghanistan, she laughed at me and pretty much called me an idiot.

See, the exchange student was from Pakistan....

Come on, that was like 10 years ago. For like 6 months. And I was hardly home. And I was really busy all the time, and I was... and.. I was... er, uh.

Thank you for serving. If you're ever in the seattle-Tacoma area I would love to buy you a beer.

 

[Northbanu]

Thank you for serving. If you're ever in the seattle-Tacoma area I would love to buy you a beer.

I didn't serve. I certainly did not mean to imply that I did.

 

[Northbanu]

A gentlemanly response to my rather prickly last post; we should get together and have a homebrew.

I really shouldn't post 3 hours and three beers past bed time. I get *******-ish, and misinterpret the written word, and spout off too quick, and get all know-it-all.

I'm always up for a beer. If we ever meet, I'm buying.

Now, having said all that.... I still ain't yer son.