I make beer, wine, cider, and whiskey. I have also been making herbal tinctures and I recently got into making essential oils. I think these are very good hobbies to be invested into. They all make for wonderful trade goods.
For someone who do doesn't drink
Would you think it'd still be a good idea to stock up on alcoholic drinks? I've read a lot of scenarios where alcohol might come in handy for bartering purposes, as a painkiller substitute, and I've even heard some people claim it's a decent substitute for rubbing alcohol.
How likely would a scenario where we go back to bartering for goods, specifically alcohol, rather than using some form of standardized currency be?
If you guys think it's worthwhile investing in alcoholic beverages, what should I invest in? I've got little knowledge of alcohol to begin with, other than generic terms for types of alcohol, like vodka, whiskey, ect. and a few of the big brand name beer and wine manufacturers. What would even be the best way to store them, just let them sit in my basement for 20 years?
How likely would a scenario where we go back to bartering for goods, specifically alcohol, rather than using some form of standardized currency be?
If you guys think it's worthwhile investing in alcoholic beverages, what should I invest in? I've got little knowledge of alcohol to begin with, other than generic terms for types of alcohol, like vodka, whiskey, ect. and a few of the big brand name beer and wine manufacturers. What would even be the best way to store them, just let them sit in my basement for 20 years?
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It is easier to just add everclear to apple juice. I have had issues fermenting cider. Too much pectin and it all turns into a solid glob.I have thought about using everclear to preserve some of my fruit juices. If I ferment my apple juice to make cider for instance, I am using/wasting some of the sugar in the juice. I've wondered why I couldn't add just the minimal amount of everclear to preserve it.
I have pasturized my juice, but that is pretty precision work, too hot and I destroy vitamins, too cool and the juice goes bad. I wish I could find some information about how to do this, but so far never have run into anything. Experimenting to find out for myself could take years, and I don't think we have years left to tinker.
The structuring of alcohol taxes is interesting. Alcoholic beverages are not taxed by proof. Instead they are taxed by volume.get maybe 6 bottles of the highest proof whisky you can afford.
Before I really got into local made liquors, I did a price comparison. If you look at alcohol prices by proof, you will often see that lower proof alcohols are more expensive than higher proof alcohols.
750ml of 190 proof everclear is available here in the store for $35. [that is a 95% alcohol solution, it has 712ml of pure alcohol in it].
Compared to 80proof whiskeys you pay a lot more for the alcohol in those.
Plus with most commercial grade whiskeys they have included all of the other 'spirits' [Acetone, Methanol, acetates, Propanols, Butanol, and Amyl alcohol] in it for 'flavor'. It is these other spirits that give you a hangover. If you get a chance to drink pure ethanol with all other spirits removed, you can not get a hangover from it. Because the 'bad' alcohols have been removed.
After a big snow storm anyone will plow out a driveway for a pint.what would you barter for?
1 bottle of booze for ?
Home Distilling forumsKeep Everclear and low cost vodka for medicinal tinctures but your best bang for the buck would brewing and distilling your own SHTE. The skill and equipment could give you a good sideline for bartering too.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/index.php
is a good place to learn.
You can convert ethanol to acetic acid [vinegar] and then you only need a solution of 7% to preserve anything.To preserve tinctures or juice, you need 24% alcohol or more to act as a preservative.
Our local Cooperative Extension Office has the state 'Food Safety' guy [he holds a phd in food safety], so I have asked him exactly what percentage of ethanol will make a solution for safe and fool-proof preservation. It seems that at every level of purity there is still some pathogen that can survive.
My wife hates pickled foods. But I know that alcohol is great for absorbing flavors. Like if you made a tincture of mint [creme de menthe ] and used that for preserving lamb.
Or I think you could use rosemary or thyme [really any garden herbs] in alcohol would carry the flavor from the herb directly into the meat.
But so far I can not get a solid 'thumbs up' from the food safety guy.
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