Home Distiller

Due to the Coronavirus we are all either already quarantined or going in that direction. Would now be a good time to petition our local/state/federal governments to allow home distilling for personal use?

I don't post often, but I'm a long time reader(10 years or more). I'm sitting here loading up on supplies to keep me busy in the coming months and figured I would post this question. What do you guys think?

i was in my local grocery store today and they had pallets of sugar and flour sitting by the front door. I guess that the households around here are anticipating a lot of baking.

But I was wanting to get some baker’s yeast. And the store was almost completely sold out of yeast. Only about a dozen 3-packs left in the store.

So, in addition to a run on toilet paper and canned goods, it seems like yeast may be the next shortage. Brewers beware!
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DANM!

You just reminded me, I went to the store yesterday and forgot to get the brick of yeast that was on my list. Now I need to go back and see if they have any of that.

c dub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:20 pm Due to the Coronavirus we are all either already quarantined or going in that direction. Would now be a good time to petition our local/state/federal governments to allow home distilling for personal use?

Well it is certainly a time that highlights doing things yourself should be explored for many things. Personally, I ran my boka with SPP to get some more 95% alcohol to help make some sanitizer for folks that were having a hard time finding it. I kept the best of the hearts for drinking.

I checked my bread yeast and it's two years past it's use by date

NZChris wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 11:24 pm I checked my bread yeast and it's two years past it's use by date

I'll post you some if your starter doesn't fire.

In the supermarket today and saw plenty of toilet paper, but bread and flour were out of stock. I didn't check out the yeast, but I'm fairly sure it would be too.

NZChris wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 11:24 pm I checked my bread yeast and it's two years past it's use by date

Test it....if it's been sealed and refrigerated its probably fine.

My yeast is always refrigerated. I made bread a couple of months ago and it worked.

I haven't checked the dates on the yeast I use for rum, UJSSM & neutral but I'm sure they'll be ok.

The blackcurrant and apple cider I put down on Tuesday is going nuts, so that yeast is ok

NZChris wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 11:24 pm I checked my bread yeast and it's two years past it's use by date

Mine too! That's why I needed to get a new brick of it. I used some for cinnamon rolls a couple weeks ago, It took a while to proof but eventually did. It took overnight to rise properly but they were good cinnamon rolls .

A while back I bought 50 pounds of flour to make play dough out of as part of a mold making process for a steering wheel and haven't gotten around to using it so it is now in my emergency supplies. I prefer home made bread anyway and if I wind up out of work I hope to have time and energy to make it. Plus I have rum makings I need to get around to.

c dub wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:20 pmWould now be a good time to petition our local/state/federal governments to allow home distilling for personal use?

I think it would be a hard sell right now. I like the idea of enabling people to do for themselves, just not sure the image of a bunch of moonshiners will soothe the greater public. And of course the lawmakers probably have their hands full right now. But maybe soon.

I purchased a 50 lbs sack of flour the other day. It was the last sack of flour on the shelf. I figured that I will more likely make whiskey than be used for emergency supplies.

I use a sourdough colony that I started a year ago for bread yeast, then still have brick of baker's for whiskey.

NZChris wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 11:24 pm I checked my bread yeast and it's two years past it's use by date

Don't sweat that use by date. I have used yeast that was 5 years or more out of date. It didn't start as quite as rapidly or as vigorously as normal, but started nonetheless. I would suggest proofing it first with a cup of 85 degree water with 1/3 cup of sweet wort or sugar sweetened water. It should foam up within an hour or two if viable. Before this is all over, we may need to be washing, storing, and reusing yeast cultures.

My wife went to the store yesterday and scored a brick of bread yeast so I might have to put the old stuff to use making a neutral wash so my wife has something to replace alcohol swabs for diabetic testing.