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Dave2 wrote:

knotquiteawake wrote:Just gotta plug the "homebrewing" hobby. Its really great, you learn a lot about your favorite drinks (wine, mead, hard cider, beer...). If you don't count the setup costs, the price per batch of beer is a lot cheaper than the premium craft brews, and tastes as good or better. Its of course not as cheap as bud/miller/coors though.

What are the setup costs?

I order from Austin Homebrew Supply, they have been a great company to work with. On their site a starter kit (fermentor, bottles, sanitizer, etc) is going to range between $78-$138 and $200-250 for some of the deluxe type kits.
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php ... 91b15e3ee7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I started brewing 4 years ago so I consider it all a sunk cost at this point. For a 5 gallon batch of all grain (no extracts) its about $25 for 5 gallons which is about 50 beers. So about $0.50 for a good craft beer you made yourself. Craft beer in the store is usually $1.20 a bottle. If you do extract batches (basically somebody gets the sugars out of the grains for you and turns it into a syrup instead of you soaking grains in hot water) its a little more expensive, maybe closer to $0.80-$1.00 a bottle for homebrew. Still worth it IMO. The stronger your beer the longer the shelf life. So if you brew some strong stuff it will probably make it with you through the apocalypse.

mamabearCali wrote:I am stockpiling tea, sugar, bullet, and flour.....why? Cause I think just about everyone down south we be perfectly happy living on venizon, biscuits, and sweet tea! As far as alcohol goes I am sure putting some up would be a smart idea. I also think that perhaps learning how to make it would be wise as well. Thinking wine here y'all....don't want the feds to bust down my door.

mamabear, you can make wine, mead, beer, or any other kind of non-distilled alcohol up to 200gallons per person per household for personal use. If you have grapes or bees (for honey) you pretty much are all set to be in the post-apocalyptic spirits business!
I already make my own beer and have my first batch of mead fermenting. Wine is even easier! Probably the easiest to make! It can be as simple as pouring grape juice and some water into a plastic bucket, covering it, adding some yeast, waiting a couple months, bottle and cork it, wait 6-12 months, and voila! You have wine!
Beer involves seeping grains, adding hops, boiling wort, so its a bit more complicated but I can go "grain to glass" in about 3 weeks with a 5 gallon batch.
Mead is about as easy as wine, mix honey and water, adding some raisins or spices or other fruit, let it ferment for 6months or so, bottle it for a year, and its ready.

Just gotta plug the "homebrewing" hobby. Its really great, you learn a lot about your favorite drinks (wine, mead, hard cider, beer...). If you don't count the setup costs, the price per batch of beer is a lot cheaper than the premium craft brews, and tastes as good or better. Its of course not as cheap as bud/miller/coors though.

OldCannon wrote: This goes back to why I kind of laugh when people say they're hoarding gold/silver for the impending economic collapse.

Me, I'm going to have a secret warehouse filled with cheap whiskey and vodka, cigarettes, medical supplies, ammunition, and toilet paper. I will be the king of the new survival economy

My plan is to buy hundreds of lbs of green coffee beans and roast them to be bartered for food and supplies... Once the coffee runs out people are going to need their fix and i'll be there for them with my fresh roasted coffee beans.
Along the same lines, I'm planning on owning a couple beehives, I will be able to make mead indefinitely (we also live right next to a lake).

Two things people will always want:Coffee and Alcohol.

Since seeing this thread last month I've done some prepping. I've got just over a weeks worth of water, extra batteries/flashlights, and tested the camp stove to make sure it's working. We usually have a weeks worth or more of canned goods so for now we're not doing any food prepping for now.

I want to get started on prepping. What are some resources or first steps? We've probably got about 1-2 weeks worth of food usually in the pantry at all times but beyond that we don't have much else. Heck, all i've got for ammo is what I carry plus one reload for the dresser revolver.