Is this illegal?

[Darwin18]

The utility sink that I would dump the lambic into is 1 foot away from where I do all of my bottling. Normally I wouldn't be a stickler and worry much about wild yeast contaminating my future beers, but shortly after I made my first batch of lambic I checked the sump pump hole under the utility sink and it had a pellicle very similar to that of my lambic.

Unless you're dipping your bottles into the sump pump hole it still shouldn't be an issue for bottling so long as you're cleaning and sanitizing your bottles properly. The air all around you is filled with fungal spores, pollen, bacteria, dust, etc. I honestly think you're worrying way more about something isn't an issue. Unless you want the City to come out and talk with you I would not dump anything down the storm drain.

 

[HumulusHead]

I doubt there is anything you could pour down the storm drain to make the Mississippi any worse haha!

Pouring in St. Paul will go to the same river

 

[Beernik]

Yes, you could get a citation for illegal dumping for pouring a large quantity of beer down the storm drain. It has a substantial organic load because if the residual sugars and the alcohol.

I don't understand why you are overly paranoid about opening them in the house. You were planning to drink them all outside? Were you not planning to reuse the bottles?

If the bottles are coming back in the house for reuse, don't worry about opening them in the house. If you're not reusing the bottles, just toss them in the trash unopened.

 

[Zippox]

I'll probably dump it in the lawn and recycle the bottles. I have enough of those anyways.

 

[Old_el_Paseo]

Yep. Pretty much anywhere its illegal to dump stuff down the storm drain. But I believe it's not illegal if you don't get caught...
Or just empty it in the garage drain, backyard behind the shed...anywhere. But getting caught pouring stuff down the storm drain can be VERY expensive.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Pretty sure there's a big ol' pipe under your toilet that goes right into sewer.

Make sure to mumble something about Thai/Indian/Mexican food on your way into bathroom and nobody will expect you back out for at least 20-30 minutes.

Storm drain and sanitary sewer are NOT the same.

One channels to a processing facility. The other channels to nearby creek, river, or lake.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I'll probably dump it in the lawn and recycle the bottles. I have enough of those anyways.

Do you compost? Pour it on that. Or just dump it in the yard.

 

[Spartan300man]

Remind me, Why can't you dump it in a toilet?

 

[Brew_G]

Remind me, Why can't you dump it in a toilet?

Because it *has* to go into the utility sink. I think...

 

[grrickar]

I've dumped hops in storm sewers...

As long as it isn't toxic and isn't prone to clogging it, I don't see the issue.

 

[Natdavis777]

I dump all my stuff in the fire pit. This is mostly the yeast I dont harvest. I found out the hard way at my old house (built in the 50s with old pipes) not to dump trub and yeast down the sink. It wasnt fun cleaning those pipes

 

[actech]

Because it *has* to go into the utility sink. I think...

Toilets "on the wagon" Dont tempt it with beer

 

[Zippox]

Opened them upstairs in the kitchen.

 

[CJ-3]

I've dumped hops in storm sewers...

As long as it isn't toxic and isn't prone to clogging it, I don't see the issue.

Hops can be harmful to dogs. They possibly can be harmful to other wildlife as well.

 

[Kent88]

Take it over to St Paul to dump it

Why stop at St. Paul, just go over to Wisconsin and dump it. Chippewa Falls isn't that far away, is it?

Also reading about how it goes into the Mississippi if you dump it in a storm drain, I'm fine with that, it can drain down to NO and it can be their problem. I have very little sympathy for them after the 09NFCCG. I kind of hope my attitude doesn't change regarding that region because it would take another natural disaster to do it, and nobody wants that.

I know people that fish along the Mississippi, dumping a few gallons of beer in there is just cutting out the middle man.

Wow, usually I'm all "don't pollute", but this whole thread is just ridiculous. Aren't lambics usually brewed with very little hops? There shouldn't be anything in there that would mess with the environment that much.

 

[grrickar]

Hops can be harmful to dogs. They possibly can be harmful to other wildlife as well.

That was why I dumped in there. In the yard mine or someone else's dog could get into them. Same with putting in the garbage and setting it at the curb. With the volume of water in a storm sewer, it would dillute the hops pretty quickly.

Considering the drain tile in my yard is connected to the same as the street, the 8oz of hops are probably far less damaging to the environment than the coolant, oil, gas, fertilizer and other stuff that finds its way into the storm drains from the street.

 

[Zippox]

Opened them upstairs in the kitchen.

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