What would you do? ...Disappearing Beer

[Germelli1]

Before I go into this, I want to give some background. I live in a house in my college town. It is divided between our section, the ground floor and my attic bedroom, and a separate basement apartment. I have two roomates in our section of the house, and we all get along great. Our landlord is our age (early-mid twenties), lives in the basement apartment and is awesome.

I am on campus from the early morning until the late evening on weekdays so I am not around often during the day.

Now for the issue:

So I bottled a batch of high gravity Wee Heavy on Sunday. I have been aging this beer for almost 2 months. I left the newly filled bottles in the living room (shared space that the roomates were OK with me leaving the bottles there for a few weeks) to carbonate since my attic bedroom swing in temperature and is not a very good environment to store the bottles.

The landlord has had a HVAC crew here installing a new furnace and duct work, so they were all over the house the last few days.

So tonight I get home and notice that 7 of my big bottles were missing from the milk-crate they were stored in. The bottles ranged from 22 oz to 1 Liter in size. I talked to my roomates and they hadn't moved them or done anything with the bottles.

So this leads me to believe the HVAC workers took the liberty of nabbing some of my large, de-labled bottles filled with uncarbonated Wee Heavy meant to be aged until Christmas.

I am really at a loss on what to do or how to react. I mean if they had asked, I would have gladly given them all the beer they could handle THAT WAS READY FOR CONSUMPTION. Instead I lost a bunch of my best bottles, a bunch of beer they would surely not enjoy, and 3 months work meant to be saved for another 2 months. What would you all do?

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

If they're still working, I'd leave a bottle of poison. Mark it "best beer ever!" and see if they take it.

 

[beersteiner2345]

Hire them to do more work, and bottle 12 big bottles of epsom salts (laxitive) and leave them in the open.

I hate thieves.

 

[TomSD]

Sadly those suggestions will more likely get you sued than anything else. This is no different than any other time you have contractors in the house. Move the stuff into a closet or something. I would report the theft though I doubt much would be done about it since it is in a semi-public place (considering the roommates and whatnot) but at least it would get the word out.

 

[Germelli1]

Well one of the roomates on this floor has been out of town for the last week, and the other guy I am pretty close with. He said he noticed this morning on his way out to work that the milk crate seemed much more empty. So it put the disappearance at yesterday. I am waiting to hear back from the landlord since she has been out tonight.

If she doesn't know anything more about it I plan to ask the guys for the beer back. For all I know she could have thought it was one of the batches I left open for the house to drink to free up bottles. If that is the case then I can just chaulk it up to an honest mistake!

I really want to make absolute sure it was the HVAC guys who are responsible before I act on anything. If I can narrow it down to them without a doubt, then I plan to ask the workers tomorrow to return the beer. If they refuse I am going to call their office to get in touch with one of the owners or something. If they refuse to do anything I will check with BBB to see if they are accredited or something more drastic.

Little did they know how poor the timing was due to all the free time I have after having 6 exams last week

 

[wildwest450]

Poop in the duct work?


_

 

[Whippy]

Along with the above suggestions, I'd bottle some piss.

 

[Piratwolf]

Along with the above suggestions, I'd bottle some piss.

*Insert BMC joke here*

 

[dirtdigger]

*Insert BMC joke here*

You already did, nice!!

 

[Bumbler]

The fact still stand you don't know who took the bottles of unmarked substance, and probably never will. Without direct proof I would be very careful about calling the HVAC shop and accusing the contractors. Why would they risk their jobs over steeling a few bottles of home brew?

 

[IrregularPulse]

I would chalk it up to your mistake for leaving something like that out with contractors and other roommates in the house. Let it go and consider it a lesson learned. It's beer. Yes, you're annoyed or even pissed, but you left it sitting out essentially for the grabbing.

 

[Homercidal]

Who the F is shtty enough to steal from someone??

The proper course of action would be to strike up a conversation with the person and subtly inquire about the apparent drink. Good chance the brewer would be kind enough to share a bottle.

Stealing it is just shtty. Hope they get sick, but it's probably going to be pretty good stuff!

I'd still try and get hold of the contractor and ask if they know anything about it. Maybe give them some information that sounds like they might get sick from drinking it.

 

[BigTerp]

I would chalk it up to your mistake for leaving something like that out with contractors and other roommates in the house. Let it go and consider it a lesson learned. It's beer. Yes, you're annoyed or even pissed, but you left it sitting out essentially for the grabbing.

This is BS. Yes, I agree a few bottle of homebrew isn't really something to get to worked up about. But the fact remains that it was STOLEN. It's not the OP's fault that he left something out in his own house, but the POS who stole it. I hate thieves!!!!

 

[Hugh_Jass]

I would chalk it up to your mistake for leaving something like that out with contractors and other roommates in the house. Let it go and consider it a lesson learned. It's beer. Yes, you're annoyed or even pissed, but you left it sitting out essentially for the grabbing.

I disagree. Yes, he should have put things away, but to assume you're inviting a bunch of thieves into your home because it needs repair isn't right. These contractors regularly go into people's homes. If they can't be trusted, they need to be called out. It's easy to say, "**** it, it's just "x" when "x" isn't yours" It's a whole 'nother matter when people stole your "x"

I'm sure the owner of the business would like to know, too. At the least he deserves a non- accusation phone call to describe the situation the OP has posted.

This is assuming the OP has ruled everyone else out as potential suspects, of course.

 

[Bmorebrew]

I'm shocked that some people have no real issue with this and are not able to see this as theft, plain and simple. It was OPs property, left in his home, and was taken without permission by someone. His home was violated. I know I would be raising holy hell about this. Somebody has displayed a clear propensity for stealing and it should not be tolerated. Was anything else taken? Will anything else be taken the next time?

Personally, I tend to think I have a no tolerance personal property when it comes to theft. My property is mine. Mine to keep or give away as I see fit. I would make this an issue.

 

[Germelli1]

Welp, Looks like I jumped the gun and I am glad I did some digging with the roomates. Turns out the landlord's boyfriend assumed it was my oktoberfest (worst beer I ever brewed but that id a story for another day) that I had left in the kitchen for everybody to enjoy. So I am trading them and entire case of my oktoberfest for the bottles back

I also have the last 6 pack of my pale ale and a six pack of applewine ready to give to the contractors to clear my conscience from suspecting them!

I am glad this spurred some debate so feel free to carry it on in a hypothetical sense!

 

[Pappers_]

Sorry for the theft of your stuff. We all know how bad that can make you feel.

You will feel better in a little bit, it won't seem quite as bad as it does now. Be careful that whatever follow up you do is appropriate, proportionate, to the theft of a few bottles of beer.

Edit: Thanks for the update, glad it wasn't what you thought it was!

 

[Bradinator]

Hypothetically: If the contractors are already gone its a bit late to approach them but if they are still around request they stop stealing your things (I would use the threat of calling their company/BBB/police, etc and lodging a theft complaint).

They are being hired out by the landlord right? Mention it to him they stole beer from your home and you are extremely unhappy that hired (and most likely bonded) contractors stole. Request the name of the company, etc and again state your lodging a complaint. Any decent company would do something about it to prevent word getting out that they have untrustworthy employees.

Reality: Glad to here it was just your landlords boyfriend and it all worked out (sort of) in the end!

 

[Zamial]

This may or may not have been the contractors, a knowledgable room mate may have seen this as an opertunity to make off with some good beers with the promise of never being caught.

If it was me, I would ask my room mates if they mind if I were to put up a small 2 drawer file cabinet in the living room. These can be gotten VERY reasonably and everyone I have seen has had a lock of some kind on it. This should help in keeping everyone honest and give you a safe and secure place to age/store your beverages. This is the cost of living with room mates.

 

[Germelli1]

This may or may not have been the contractors, a knowledgable room mate may have seen this as an opertunity to make off with some good beers with the promise of never being caught.

If it was me, I would ask my room mates if they mind if I were to put up a small 2 drawer file cabinet in the living room. These can be gotten VERY reasonably and everyone I have seen has had a lock of some kind on it. This should help in keeping everyone honest and give you a safe and secure place to age/store your beverages. This is the cost of living with room mates.

Wow, great suggestion! I don't need to keep my roomates honest since I give them free access to my beers at all times once I approve them for carbonation and conditioning. But one of the metal file cabinets to store the beer is a awesome idea. It would hide all the bottles instead of having a case and a milk crate stacked in the corner...plus it would be so cool to have a file cabinet labeled "Wee Heavy, Stout, Pale Ale, English Mild" haha

 

[70Cuda383]

hypothetically....Thieves are scum of this earth, and don't deserve to breathe the same oxygen that we do....they should be forced to carry plants around with them everywhere they go, so that they can replenish the oxygen they consume.


I hate thieves.


If I ever catch someone stealing my stuff...it'll be really hard to restrain myself and NOT shoot first, even if all they are making off with is a few hundred dollars in scrap metal.

anyway...

glad you found out what happened, and are g etting your bottles back.


and the file cabinet idea is brilliant! I've been looking at the 4 batches of beer I have downstairs in various stages of aging right now, 2 of which are in bottles carbing up. I began to wonder... "how long till I have to find a way to lock these up to keep the kids out of it?" my boys are 5 and 3 right now...but boys will be boys and I'm sure by the time they hit middle school, I can't leave that stuff sitting out so openly.

but, I also plan to educate them on what I'm doing and why, and once they're teenagers, I'll let them have tastes of my home brew so they can begin to appreciate it like I do.

 

[huge1s]

I am not understanding why you need to trade the boyfriend beer to get your other beer back. Sounds like an honest mistake if he thought it was your shared beer and you can just ask for the beer back.

And offering contractors a soda/gatorade/beer is a great way to keep your stuff safe and provide motivation to do a good job. I worked in construction for a long time and ALWAYS appreciated when someone would come out of their house on a hot day and offer you something to drink. Not that I ever did crappy work... it was just nice.

 

[the_bird]

So as it turns out, those suggestions of poisoning the contractors, or getting them fired, or anally raping their mothers while pouring sugar in their gas tank weren't really very good ideas.

 

[BrewThruYou]

So as it turns out, those suggestions of poisoning the contractors, or getting them fired, or anally raping their mothers while pouring sugar in their gas tank weren't really very good ideas.

They seemed like perfectly rational ideas at the time.

 

[cimirie]

So as it turns out, those suggestions of poisoning the contractors, or getting them fired, or anally raping their mothers while pouring sugar in their gas tank weren't really very good ideas.

Mods must have removed the original "anal rape of mothers" post. I couldn't find it anywhere.

 

[uncommonsense]

I had the same problem with my 18 and 19 year old brother in laws. I found out and made them help me brew a new batch, to show them what i have to put in a batch. Their mom didnt like it though, because they were making "alcohol" underage.

 

[Homercidal]

I still think the contractors stole stuff... Bastards.

 

[bovineblitz]

Why is the landlord's boyfriend in your house in the first place?

 

[Tinga]

I am not understanding why you need to trade the boyfriend beer to get your other beer back. Sounds like an honest mistake if he thought it was your shared beer and you can just ask for the beer back.

haha I totally understand this one. He said he traded a case of oktoberfest (his worst beer ever). this is more like hey you give me the good beers back and you can take this crap off my hands. I've done this before.

 

[Pappers_]

So as it turns out, those suggestions of poisoning the contractors, or getting them fired, or anally raping their mothers while pouring sugar in their gas tank weren't really very good ideas.

Yes, just like in the another recent thread complaining about family and more than a few manly HBT members went on about showing their MILs the wrong end of shotgun if they were poking around their 'castles'. So much testosterone, so little common sense