Lawsuit Against Anheuser-Busch

[KeyWestBrewing]

IMO the whole thing is stupid. They could just as easily not provide the abv on the labeling like other beers do and tweak the recipe to a lower abv, saving money on grain cost. I hate InBev as much as everyone else but I doubt they are watering down the beer any more than it already is. Why spend more money on grain per batch and more money on water to dilute it when they could spend less just brewing a slightly weaker beer. The people that run InBev aren't that dumb.

 

[cheezydemon3]

IMO the whole thing is stupid. They could just as easily not provide the abv on the labeling like other beers do and tweak the recipe to a lower abv, saving money on grain cost. I hate InBev as much as everyone else but I doubt they are watering down the beer any more than it already is. Why spend more money on grain per batch and more money on water to dilute it when they could spend less just brewing a slightly weaker beer. The people that run InBev aren't that dumb.

You are wrong.

Imagine you make some incredibly strong wort, it would ferment out (with super yeast) to 90% ABV.

split that 14 ways and top up to 5 gallons on each.

You brewed once and have 70 gallons of beer.

Anheiser Busch has to pay people. Each "brew session" is a BIG effing deal. If they eliminate 1 or 2 brewing sessions by brewing stronger and diluting, then they save $$$.

 

[Frige]

So what is the difference between watering down the bud and me adding water to my fermenter to get the og just right? OMG I am guilty of watering down my beer!

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

You are wrong.

Imagine you make some incredibly strong wort, it would ferment out (with super yeast) to 90% ABV.

split that 14 ways and top up to 5 gallons on each.

You brewed once and have 70 gallons of beer.

Anheiser Busch has to pay people. Each "brew session" is a BIG effing deal. If they eliminate 1 or 2 brewing sessions by brewing stronger and diluting, then they save $$$.

First of you should try a more friendly approach than starting off saying "you are wrong". Second you can't get yeast to ferment out to 90% abv, even the best distillers yeast doesn't go that high. You'd have to be distilling to hit 180 proof and at that point you'd have almost pure alcohol. Diluting that down to 4-5% isnt going to make the booze taste like anything close to beer, more like watery vodka. Yea I imagine their brew session are a big deal but they have all the best technology, brewers, and equipment money can buy to make it as simple and effortless as possible. On top of that their brewers are probably paid on salary not hourly. So brewing more batches is just getting AB their money's worth out of employees, not saving money on labor.

 

[TyTanium]

...On top of that their brewers are probably paid on salary not hourly. So brewing more batches is just getting AB their money's worth out of employees, not saving money on labor.

See: opportunity cost of labor

Also, labor is one of many marginal batch costs

And I think the 90% thing was hyperbole...

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

See: opportunity cost of labor

Also, labor is one of many marginal batch costs

And I think the 90% thing was hyperbole...

Not sure how opportunity cost relates here. Since everyone's paid to do their part and everything else is done by machine, I'm not sure where they are giving up something else to achieve their goal. Elaborate a bit for me if you don't mind. In the accounting, yea sure the salary cost would be broken down batch to batch and added to figure out cost of production. But the more they brew the less the brewers are being paid per batch, considering they are on salary. Which I couldn't see them getting paid hourly for a number of reasons.

 

[TyTanium]

Not sure how opportunity cost relates here. Elaborate a bit for me if you don't mind. In the accounting, yea sure the salary cost would be broken down batch to batch and added to figure out cost of production. But the more they brew the less the brewers are being paid per batch, considering they are on salary. Which I couldn't see them getting paid hourly for a number of reasons.

Meaning if they aren't brewing, they are free to be productive elsewhere. Either that or they can employ fewer brewers.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Meaning if they aren't brewing, they are free to be productive elsewhere. Either that or they can employ fewer brewers.

I agree with you, but that's why they most likely pay them on salary. That and the machinery they have kind of gives them no other jobs to do but brew and clean. So with nothing else to do, the best way for corporate to get its money's worth is to keep them brewing as much as possible. Essentially lowering opportunity cost.

Kind of strayed off from the watering down their beer debate haven't we lol.

 

[TyTanium]

I agree with you, but that's why they most likely pay them on salary. That and the machinery they have kind of gives them no other jobs to do but brew and clean.

Kind of strayed off from the watering down their beer debate haven't we lol.

Ha, yeah, economics is a far more interesting topic

 

[GrogNerd]

Ha, yeah, economics is a far more interesting topic

you must not have had to endure the econ discussion in the "funny things overheard about beer" thread

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Ha, yeah, economics is a far more interesting topic

Totally agree.

 

[Varmintman]

I am just happy to see this thread still going. 29 more posts to hit 200. Come on guys I KNOW a bunch of you hate AB enough to fill 200 pages

 

[Proboscidea]

There's also the cost of equipment. Making super-strong batches initially, and then watering them down at bottling, means fewer kettles/fermenters/gizmotron doohickies to buy, house, & maintain.

(doing my part to keep it alive)

 

[cheezydemon3]

First of you should try a more friendly approach than starting off saying "you are wrong". Second you can't get yeast to ferment out to 90% abv, even the best distillers yeast doesn't go that high. You'd have to be distilling to hit 180 proof and at that point you'd have almost pure alcohol. Diluting that down to 4-5% isnt going to make the booze taste like anything close to beer, more like watery vodka. Yea I imagine their brew session are a big deal but they have all the best technology, brewers, and equipment money can buy to make it as simple and effortless as possible. On top of that their brewers are probably paid on salary not hourly. So brewing more batches is just getting AB their money's worth out of employees, not saving money on labor.

Jesus. I was over simplifying.

when someone tells you that a monkey hitting random keys will eventually type the declaration of independance is your first thought "monkeys don't own typewriters" ?

You are stating (I will unsimplify it) that INBEV can brew 200,000 batches for the same cost as brewing 150,000.

Again, you are wrong. Salary, paid in peanuts, I don't care, it still costs more.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

Jesus. I was over simplifying.

when someone tells you that a monkey hitting random keys will eventually type the declaration of independance is your first thought "monkeys don't own typewriters" ?

You are stating (I will unsimplify it) that INBEV can brew 200,000 batches for the same cost as brewing 150,000.

Again, you are wrong. Salary, paid in peanuts, I don't care, it still costs more.

I think if you gave monkeys brewing equipment they could still make something better tasting than Budweiser

 

[BrewKnurd]

I agree with you, but that's why they most likely pay them on salary. That and the machinery they have kind of gives them no other jobs to do but brew and clean. So with nothing else to do, the best way for corporate to get its money's worth is to keep them brewing as much as possible. Essentially lowering opportunity cost.

Kind of strayed off from the watering down their beer debate haven't we lol.

You seem to be looking at this as "they have x brewers, so they should brew more often to get more out of those brewers". When instead, the way it works is "we should get more out of each batch, so we can only have to pay 0.75*x" brewers.

Brewing stronger beer and watering it down allows you to get more beer out of the same volume of fermenters, the same sized brew house, same number of brew days, and same number of employees. Given that all of those things cost money, you save money by brewing high gravity and watering down.

You brought up spending more money on grain per batch, but they're not spending more money on grain per barrel of finished product, which is what matters. Each batch produces more alcohol by brewing higher gravity, so that's a wash. You also mentioned extra water, but there is not extra water, you either add the water before fermentation or after. That's a wash.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

You seem to be looking at this as "they have x brewers, so they should brew more often to get more out of those brewers". When instead, the way it works is "we should get more out of each batch, so we can only have to pay 0.75*x" brewers.

Brewing stronger beer and watering it down allows you to get more beer out of the same volume of fermenters, the same sized brew house, same number of brew days, and same number of employees. Given that all of those things cost money, you save money by brewing high gravity and watering down.

You brought up spending more money on grain per batch, but they're not spending more money on grain per barrel of finished product, which is what matters. Each batch produces more alcohol by brewing higher gravity, so that's a wash. You also mentioned extra water, but there is not extra water, you either add the water before fermentation or after. That's a wash.

When you explain it that way yes your correct and I stand corrected. Thank you for proving your point with some courtesy and explanation.

 

[Proboscidea]

"monkeys don't own typewriters"

They don't NOW.

But it is my dream to enable all monkeys to make the transition from typewriter renters to typewriter owners. Totaly untapped market IMO. Business plan coming.

 

[redshift76]

They don't NOW.

But it is my dream to enable all monkeys to make the transition from typewriter renters to typewriter owners. Totaly untapped market IMO. Business plan coming.

Almost choked...

 

[cheezydemon3]

They don't NOW.

But it is my dream to enable all monkeys to make the transition from typewriter renters to typewriter owners. Totaly untapped market IMO. Business plan coming.

You are a genius!

But what will we do with millions and millions of copies of the declaration of independance?

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

You are a genius!

But what will we do with millions and millions of copies of the declaration of independance?

Send them to Washington. The monkeys in Congress have forgotten what it means...

 

[cheezydemon3]

Suddenly this otherwise boring thread is overflowing with win.

Who could have guessed that monkey typewriter ownership could be so great!

 

[ryno84]

Sounds like a Kickstarter campaign to me!

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Suddenly this otherwise boring thread is overflowing with win.

Who could have guessed that monkey typewriter ownership could be so great!

I thought Steven King and the Warren Commission figured that out a long time ago lol

 

[cheezydemon3]

I thought Steven King and the Warren Commission figured that out a long time ago lol

Lol, never read many specifics on the warren report. Was it written by wise monkies or wild monkies?

EDIT:hmmmm. does sound like monkey spit!

 

[flars]

Sing a hymn for a dead thread.

 

[high5apparatus]

 

[high5apparatus]