The bottom line....

[Libertytree]

Been crunching some numbers, looking at bulk buys of all my ingredients and the results are in, as of right now my next batch will cost me about $5 per case, it could get as high as $5.50 but all in all $5 is my target and that's pretty close. Retail is $18-$20 for what I normally drink, so I just saved myself 75% of what I normally spend, freeing up $ for other things! If I find specials on those things then the cost gets driven down even more.

Same thing with smokes too, rolling your own saves so much money it's ridiculous. Bulk is the key in both!

Depriving the fed gov and corp america out of these $ is a joy in my heart and my poor prepper pockets love it too.

[EE_]

Been crunching some numbers, looking at bulk buys of all my ingredients and the results are in, as of right now my next batch will cost me about $5 per case, it could get as high as $5.50 but all in all $5 is my target and that's pretty close. Retail is $18-$20 for what I normally drink, so I just saved myself 75% of what I normally spend, freeing up $ for other things! If I find specials on those things then the cost gets driven down even more.

Same thing with smokes too, rolling your own saves so much money it's ridiculous. Bulk is the key in both!

Depriving the fed gov and corp america out of these $ is a joy in my heart and my poor prepper pockets love it too.

Cigarettes here are $29 a carton. I thought about stopping at one of the many tobacco farms here to see if they'll sell some to store away. Might be a good prep.

What's the alcohol content of your beer. Is there a cheap way to test it?

What's the latest on the bottle washer?

[Libertytree]

Cigarettes here are $29 a carton. I thought about stopping at one of the many tobacco farms here to see if they'll sell some to store away. Might be a good prep.

What's the alcohol content of your beer. Is there a cheap way to test it?

What's the latest on the bottle washer?

My beer should go at about from 4% to 5%, Ill get more specific in the other thread when I know for sure. I have the tech to test it.

The bottle washer will have to wait for now, for a month or so.

As far as buying/storing tobacco, you can buy 5lbs already sealed up, just keep it as cool as possible. If you're gonna use it as a barter item you'll want to have papers, tubes/rolling machines to go along with it. Pipes if nothing else.

[EE_]

As far as buying/storing tobacco, you can buy 5lbs already sealed up, just keep it as cool as possible. If you're gonna use it as a barter item you'll want to have papers, tubes/rolling machines to go along with it. Pipes if nothing else.

You ever buy it that way?

Probably need one of these too. I'll have to keep my eye out for an old shredder at an auction.
http://cfrankdavis.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/tobacco-shredder.png?w=640

[milehi]

My mead is ready for bottling finally. The only problem is there's only a half gallon left.

[gunny highway]

And you taught yourself a valuable skill. Props to you Liberty.

[Libertytree]

All the time, 5lbs for $53 + shipping. In Fl a lb is $30, online it's $14 or less per lb.

Grinding tobacco isn't a very fun job and it's time consuming.

[Libertytree]

And you taught yourself a valuable skill. Props to you Liberty.

Thanks Gunny but truthfully I've had a lot of help along the way and continue learning from them. The reality of it is I still don't know squat compared to others.

[JohnQPublic]

My beer should go at about from 4% to 5%, Ill get more specific in the other thread when I know for sure. I have the tech to test it.

...

Is that by volume (Gay Lussac) or weight? Most beer is 5-6% by volume (until you get to Belgium!), and I think that is 4-5% by weight. Wine is usually measured by volume, so to me it is more intuitive. But for measurement purposes weight is easier because you can use floats to measure it.

[Libertytree]

Is that by volume (Gay Lussac) or weight? Most beer is 5-6% by volume (until you get to Belgium!), and I think that is 4-5% by weight. Wine is usually measured by volume, so to me it is more intuitive. But for measurement purposes weight is easier because you can use floats to measure it.

ABV can be weighed as well with a hydrometer, ie a float measuring device.

[BrewTech]

Is that by volume (Gay Lussac) or weight? Most beer is 5-6% by volume (until you get to Belgium!), and I think that is 4-5% by weight. Wine is usually measured by volume, so to me it is more intuitive. But for measurement purposes weight is easier because you can use floats to measure it.

To put it simply, ABW will be 80% ABV. One milliliter of water weighs one gram. One milliliter of ethanol weighs 0.8 grams. The infamous "three-two" beer is 3.2% ABW. It's actually 4.0% ABV.

ABV can be determined by taking specific gravity measurements of wort (or must, if you're making wine) prior to the addition of yeast, and again post-fermentation. As the sugars in the wort are converted to CO2 and ETOH, the solution's specific gravity (the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a standard, usually water for a liquid or solid, and air for a gas) will decrease. The disappearance of the sugars can be monitored during fermentation using a device called a hydrometer (http://img.fruugo.com/product/8/22/hydrometer-beer_1476228_0280_0260.jpg). A calculation can be done using these values to determine ABV.



http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/d/3/a/d3a280b69bb001608cd6fbd58dfa54a4.png

I usually just use this calculator (http://www.rooftopbrew.net/abv.php), because I'm lazy.

[Libertytree]

To put it simply, ABW will be 80% ABV. One milliliter of water weighs one gram. One milliliter of ethanol weighs 0.8 grams. The infamous "three-two" beer is 3.2% ABW. It's actually 4.0% ABV.

ABV can be determined by taking specific gravity measurements of wort (or must, if you're making wine) prior to the addition of yeast, and again post-fermentation. As the sugars in the wort are converted to CO2 and ETOH, the solution's specific gravity (the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a standard, usually water for a liquid or solid, and air for a gas) will decrease. The disappearance of the sugars can be monitored during fermentation using a device called a hydrometer (http://img.fruugo.com/product/8/22/hydrometer-beer_1476228_0280_0260.jpg). A calculation can be done using these values to determine ABV.



http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/d/3/a/d3a280b69bb001608cd6fbd58dfa54a4.png

I usually just use this calculator (http://www.rooftopbrew.net/abv.php), because I'm lazy.

Thank you for the info BT, I talk in generalities and you speak in specifics, I learn more everyday....if...I can retain it? :)