What do you do about the kids?

[snowboybrown7]

Hey folks,

I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub today redoing the plumbing for my stovetop LM still. We live in a smallish apartment and I don't have access to a good shop space. Anything that can get wet happens in the bathtub.

Then my 2 year old busts in and asks what I'm doing. He's really bright for his age and we like to involve him in whatever is going on, so I show him how I'm using different sizes of tube for bushings, and how a hose clamp works, how the tubing cutter works, etc...

Anyway he runs off, and I'm left thinking.

What the hell am I going to do when he's 12 or 14? I plan on becoming more and more involved with this hobby over the next few years, probably for the rest of my life. We're due to have another baby in September, and what do I when the phone rings, 13-15 years from now, and the boys were caught at a school dance with a bottle labelled UJSSM?

Some of you guys must have kids that age. Anyone ever find mysterious stockpots in the kids closets? Or that the barrel is a little lighter than it ought to be?

Any stories?

[Bushman]

It's even worse when they are at the University in the same town, legal age, not living at home but know where you store your liquor.

[LWTCS]

I make em hold the funnel.

[MuleKicker]

that would be the same as anyones kid robbing the likker cabinet. My worry is when the kid goes to school and tells his buddies... "hey guys, guess what my dad does?" Then his friends get interested, they all start talking.... And the teacher overhears the conversation... .Next thing ya know, Johnny law is knockin at yer door

I make em hold the funnel.

I dont doubt you a bit LW

[Prairiepiss]

I am lucky my kids have turned out to be great. I really don't know how it happened. But it did. But they all three know that dad makes beer and wine. And they also know to stay out of the closet. So far they have been really good about it. One of them actually was trying to convince one of my friends that knows about my hobby that I just make beer and wine. My friend had fun with him for a while. And said my sin was very convincing if he didn't know better he would have gone with what he was telling him. I have 3 boys 13 15 and 18 I was honest with them. And told them the deal. But they are home schooled and don't have to brag to their friends at school. So that makes a big difference. But if they were younger I would have stuck with just the beer thing until they got older. Younger kids love to just blurt out what ever answer they have. And unless they are in trouble its usually the truth. Because they don't care.

We got video of Larry having the help hold the funnel.

[LWTCS]

We got video of Larry having the help hold the funnel.

You see him diggin in his britches

My princess is the video production manager

Luv my babies,,,,they better not tell on their ole pap

[MuleKicker]

And they also know to stay out of the closet. So far they have been really good about it

Now Piss.... Think about this, If you were a kid, and you were told to stay out of a certain area.... What would you do? I was a kid once, and I was told to stay out of certain areas..... Made me want in even more Your kids have been in the closet. Weather you believe it, or not.

[Prairiepiss]

I can tell you how much should be in each jar. So far so good. But I here you. I'm waiting it will happen.

[fullhouse]

my 19 yr old son makes a good still hand...those 8 and 10 gal batchs are rough on the old back..25 yrs of construction took its toll on me

[MuleKicker]

I can tell you how much should be in each jar.

check the proof. i watered down more than 1 bottle of likker in my day

[Kiwikeg]

My kids just refer to it to their mates as me making beer. I do keep the 90%+ locked up and well labelled. I dont hide what I am doing from my kids instead I talk to them about the safety risks fire, methonol, theft and drinking alcohol in general. And that loose lips sink ships, we dont have the legal issues here in NZ but I do worry about some kids breaking in to steal a bottle.
My kids are aged from 10 to 18, have inquiring minds like all kids, sometimes they will come an help or watch if i am doing a batch and before you know it they are rabbiting on about boyfriends, school, who is doing what. They only complaint is about the smell when i am running the reflux column.
I think its like the Rifles and archery gear, they know what it is, what its for, what it does, how to keep safe and that its probily not a good thing to blab about to the wider community for all sorts of reasons.
tell your kids your making beer and let them help stir the wash. you never know what they might tell you about while they are doing it.

[retlaw]

children are much smarter then anyone things,
they will figure out one day that you are lying and wonder what else you have been lying able,
then they will think, mom and dad told me not to lie, but they turn around and lie to me,

talk to them, explain things to them, and create scenarios where they might be a time where they will be questioned about things and how they should handle it,

remember what Hitler did,
he asked the kids in school who did their dad vote for?
and when the kids came home from school, dad was never seen again,

if their dads only talked to their kids and were not so naive,
being taught to keeping ones mouth shut or simply saying "i don' t know", is a very good lesson to be taught,
never trust a man in a uniform is another one,

[Coyote]

I found the easiest thing has been to let our grown adult children live in other cities and even other states

Seems to be working out well so far

[Tater]

Gave a friend some peach once.He likes it cold so was keeping it in the freezer. came by one day and told me that qt jar had frozen and burst in his freezer.Told him then that someone was sipping and putting water back.Come to find out his boy who wouldn't do such a thing .Did

[Prairiepiss]

My parents had a bottle of jd that grew mold.

[RumBrewer]

Honestly?
Tell them all about how it works and why.
Let them help when it's safe.... Make sure they know to keep their yap shut!

They'll grow up better for it!

[Fastill]

My kids are all grown up and my son wants to build a still of his own, but just can't stop chasin the girls long enough to put solder to copper.
I also don't worry about them telling cause if they do they will have to start buying stuff from the store. And that shit is expensive.

[rgarry]

Mine help me out but I worry that they will tell the wrong person. They know; don't tell anyone and no warrant=you ain't coming in. With that said kids will be kids

[akrandy]

well mine know its not ok to make spirits but it is ok to make gas lol lol

[pistachio_nut]

I plan on telling my girls about shine the same as rocking a Victoria's Secret t-shirt. What do you want people to think about you? Do you want them thinking about your private parts? I suppose it's OK at a party or something, but you don't want to walk around the hood like that. Same with shine. If you talk about it, somebody might get interested in it and want to know more. Is that who you want poking around my yard?

Don't come crying to me if you leave your Lexus with the door open, keys in the ignition, and the motor running, and you want a cab ride home. Think about it before you do it. What kind of attention do you want to attract?

[akrandy]

I plan on telling my girls about shine the same as rocking a Victoria's Secret t-shirt. What do you want people to think about you? Do you want them thinking about your private parts? I suppose it's OK at a party or something, but you don't want to walk around the hood like that. Same with shine. If you talk about it, somebody might get interested in it and want to know more. Is that who you want poking around my yard?

Don't come crying to me if you leave your Lexus with the door open, keys in the ignition, and the motor running, and you want a cab ride home. Think about it before you do it. What kind of attention do you want to attract?

what color t-shirt would you be wearing though? i think that makes a BIG differents lol

[johnny108]

"If you talk about daddy's still, daddy will kill Santa...."

[heartcut]

My kids both took stuff from the fridge and liquor cabinet when they were teenagers and got over it. Our potential legal issues we discussed with them and neither one ever said the wrong thing to an outsider that I know of. I love them, but understand why tigers sometimes eat their young.

[retlaw]

[heartcut]

That might make a good flake stand.

[jus teasin]

My son is growen and is the single dad of the two greatest Grand kids ever. They think grandpa is awsome. I have to be very carful what I say and do around them because they spend weekends with their mom. if she found out oh shit.I am very glad I didn't start until she was gone.Damn I'm glad she's gone.
Be Careful people split up.
JT

[islandrunner]

It just like when the old people on the farm shot a deer, We knew it when we wernt to know.

[pistachio_nut]

My kids both took stuff from the fridge and liquor cabinet when they were teenagers and got over it. Our potential legal issues we discussed with them and neither one ever said the wrong thing to an outsider that I know of. I love them, but understand why tigers sometimes eat their young.

I must have drained my old man's liquor cabinet DRY every weekend I was home from college. He was an unrepentant drunk too, so there was lots to sample from. It took three days before the bottles were measurably lighter... probably because there must have been 50 of them or more.

I'll tell my daughters what I do. Since I work in medicine, I'll let them know that it's a bad idea to drink alcohol before you're 25 for physiological and psychological reasons. Find other ways to get your ya-ya's out until then, and we'll share in whatever I have after you're 25. Hell, if you help me (I'll be 65 by then) you can probably have most of it.

If you tell on Papa before then, I have copies of Emancipated Minor paperwork printed out with your names on it. Good luck to you, no really the best of luck to you, and call me when you're 25.