• End of planting time for hops is quickly approaching

    From Bill Velek@billvelek@windstream.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Sun Apr 5 13:36:57 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    For any of you homebrewers who have been 'sitting on the fence' waiting
    to decide if you will grow hops, the time for planting is quickly
    running out depending upon where you are located. The northern areas
    probably still have another month or so, but in the southern climes you
    need to get your rhizomes planted ASAP. In addition, the window for
    obtaining rhizomes is quickly closing; many suppliers are already out of stock, and growers such as myself are reluctant to dig up rhizomes once
    they have major growth of their plants. However, you might be lucky to
    find some rhizomes on "clearance" at some local homebrew shops, and
    based on some recent posts in our Grow-Hops group, it appears that
    members in the north, especially Canada, might still be able to provide rhizomes, as well. Here is our list of links to sources that you can
    check to see what they still have in stock: http://tinyurl.com/growhops

    If anyone needs advice on any aspect of growing, harvesting, or storing homegrown hops, our Grow-Hops group currently has 2,840 members, which includes many experienced growers and several commercial growers as
    well, so we are undoubtedly the best Internet resource for information
    to assist you. If interested: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Grow-Hops

    It is not difficult to grow hops, and once they are established each
    plant should provide between one and two pounds of dried hops;
    considering the price of hops, that's a pretty good value.

    Cheers.

    Bill Velek
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Ben Crowell@crowell09@lightSPAMandISmatterEVIL.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Sun Apr 5 13:18:09 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    I just got two rhizomes planted last week. I'm in Southern California.
    One has a nice big growing shoot now.
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From dshesnicky@dshesnicky@yahoo.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 03:29:30 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    it appears that
    members in the north, especially Canada

    You can say that again, slight dusting of snow last night and guys are reporting their hops are still under a foot of snow. Good for outdoor
    lagering though.
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Frater Mus@nntp20080705.fratermus@spamgourmet.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 17:31:36 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    ["Followup-To:" header set to alt.homebrewing.]

    On 2009-04-05, <billvelek@windstream.net> wrote:

    probably still have another month or so, but in the southern climes you
    need to get your rhizomes planted ASAP. In addition, the window for

    My cascade and golding hops from last year haven't sprouted yet
    (Texas). I ordered/planted one rhizome of tettnang last week on a
    whim. I don't expect it to survive in Tx.

    --
    frater mus
    Adequate Mousetrap Brewhouse
    http://www.mousetrap.net/mouse/brewing/
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From AL@lithar@hamiltoncom.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 14:18:10 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    Bill Velek wrote:
    For any of you homebrewers who have been 'sitting on the fence' waiting
    to decide if you will grow hops, the time for planting is quickly
    running out depending upon where you are located.


    Yeah but from what I've learned in another newsgroup its the beginning
    of the pot planting season. I've heard those flower tops make a
    wonderful adjunct to a batch of home brew - can't testify to that myself
    but thought I'd pass that along...
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Bill Velek@billvelek@windstream.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 17:07:59 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    dshesnicky@yahoo.com wrote:

    it appears that
    members in the north, especially Canada

    You can say that again, slight dusting of snow last night and guys are reporting their hops are still under a foot of snow. Good for outdoor lagering though.

    But interestingly, there are Canadian homebrewers looking for hop
    rhizomes and they can't seem to get them; probably because they haven't
    been able to be harvested yet. And of course I don't track the weather everywhere; I just know that for many homebrewers' locations, time is _starting_ to get short -- at least for ordering them from commercial
    sources because we're getting lots of reports that many sources are out
    of stock already. Here in Arkansas, I have some hop bines that are 7'
    tall now, so we are well beyond the start of planting, and the way our
    weather is here, if a brewer plants rhizomes three weeks from now, they
    might very well need to struggle a bit. My point is that if anyone is considering planting hops this year, I wouldn't wait any time at all to
    order the rhizomes (and by the way, I don't see them; I give them away
    for free).

    Cheers.

    Bill Velek, www.tinyurl.com/BVELEK => to my following homebrewer sites: Grow-Hops: Homebrewer's Garden: hops/barley/herbs, with 2,800+ members! BrewEquip: exclusively about brewing equipment, now has 1,200+ members! "Homebrewers" Team donated 216+ YEARS of computing to medical research!
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Bill Velek@billvelek@windstream.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 17:17:15 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    AL wrote:

    Bill Velek wrote:

    For any of you homebrewers who have been 'sitting on the fence'
    waiting to decide if you will grow hops, the time for planting is
    quickly running out depending upon where you are located.

    Yeah but from what I've learned in another newsgroup its the beginning
    of the pot planting season. I've heard those flower tops make a
    wonderful adjunct to a batch of home brew - can't testify to that myself
    but thought I'd pass that along...

    Maybe so re the planting time, but I thought that stuff required higher
    temps than mere boiling in order to extract the THC; been told that it
    takes something like three or four hundred degrees. Basically, I've
    heard that adding it to beer for extra 'kick' is just an urban myth.
    Never tried it myself, so I have no personal knowledge. Don't know what
    it does to the quality of beer, either. Seems to me that it might be
    better to keep them separate; drink your homebrew and smoke a joint.

    Speaking of that stuff, you do know that hops is in the same family as cannabus (sp?), don't you. Consequently, there have been a number of
    efforts to try to graft one onto another -- hops onto maryjane and vice
    versa. So far no THC in the resulting product.

    Cheers.

    Bill Velek, www.tinyurl.com/BVELEK => to my following homebrewer sites: Grow-Hops: Homebrewer's Garden: hops/barley/herbs, with 2,800+ members! BrewEquip: exclusively about brewing equipment, now has 1,200+ members! "Homebrewers" Team donated 216+ YEARS of computing to medical research!
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From AL@lithar@hamiltoncom.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 17:41:30 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    Bill Velek wrote:
    AL wrote:

    Bill Velek wrote:

    For any of you homebrewers who have been 'sitting on the fence'
    waiting to decide if you will grow hops, the time for planting is
    quickly running out depending upon where you are located.

    Yeah but from what I've learned in another newsgroup its the beginning
    of the pot planting season. I've heard those flower tops make a
    wonderful adjunct to a batch of home brew - can't testify to that
    myself but thought I'd pass that along...


    [...]
    better to keep them separate; drink your homebrew and smoke a joint.

    sound advice!
    from the 70's - God made grass, man made booze - who do YOU trust?



    Speaking of that stuff, you do know that hops is in the same family as cannabus (sp?), don't you.

    yes


    Consequently, there have been a number of
    efforts to try to graft one onto another -- hops onto maryjane and vice versa. So far no THC in the resulting product.

    aaawww maaaannn, that's a bummer..


    :)
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From barnabyr@barnabyr@ureach.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 18:23:16 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    I agree, draconian drug laws in the over the past 50 yrs have stifled
    research with marijuana in the US.
    Speaking of that stuff, you do know that hops is in the same family as cannabus (sp?), don't you.  Consequently, there have been a number of
    efforts to try to graft one onto another -- hops onto maryjane and vice versa.  So far no THC in the resulting product.
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Ben Crowell@crowell09@lightSPAMandISmatterEVIL.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Tue Apr 7 20:11:23 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    barnabyr@ureach.com wrote:
    I agree, draconian drug laws in the over the past 50 yrs have stifled research with marijuana in the US.

    It's just Prohibition all over again. What's really crazy is the cost.
    Here in California we have a budget crisis, which wouldn't exist if we
    weren't spending more on prisons than on schools. Personally I'd be
    a lot more upset if my kids started smoking tobacco than if they started smoking marijuana now and then on a weekend.
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From barnabyr@barnabyr@ureach.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Wed Apr 8 05:49:52 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    taxing legal marijuana would add new revenue to the federal/state/
    local government, free up prison space currently filled with non-
    violent offenders, and reduce drug violence in Mexico. What's not to
    like?

    Roger
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Mark R@mray001@comcast.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Wed Apr 8 08:20:58 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    On Apr 8, 7:49 am, barna...@ureach.com wrote:
    taxing legal marijuana would add new revenue to the federal/state/
    local government, free up prison space currently filled with non-
    violent offenders, and reduce drug violence in Mexico. What's not to
    like?

    Roger
    Just one more thing to go buy on the reservation to avoid federal
    taxes. ;-)
    Mark
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From AL@lithar@hamiltoncom.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Wed Apr 8 10:38:07 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    barnabyr@ureach.com wrote:
    taxing legal marijuana would add new revenue to the federal/state/
    local government, free up prison space currently filled with non-
    violent offenders, and reduce drug violence in Mexico. What's not to
    like?

    Roger


    Free up prison space, yes, reduce violent crime, maybe, but don't count
    on tax revenue. Pot can grow in nearly any region of the US and since
    the plant requires no particular processing before use, folks would just
    grow it at home along with their garden or house plants. There are more reasonable arguments in favor of decriminalizing than here are in favor
    of outlawing it, but using the tax revenue argument isn't very
    persuasive. Take us for example, we brew our own beer and are allowed to
    do so by law up to certain generous quantities so other than the sales
    tax we might pay for some of the ingredients and equipment there are no
    tax revenues on our home brew/wine. I'm curious - has anyone here ever
    been "audited" on their homebrewing?
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From LouF@Lfab53@nofinspamhotmail.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Wed Apr 8 12:56:42 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    AL wrote:
    barnabyr@ureach.com wrote:
    taxing legal marijuana would add new revenue to the federal/state/
    local government, free up prison space currently filled with non-
    violent offenders, and reduce drug violence in Mexico. What's not to
    like?

    Roger


    Free up prison space, yes, reduce violent crime, maybe, but don't count
    on tax revenue. Pot can grow in nearly any region of the US and since
    the plant requires no particular processing before use, folks would just grow it at home along with their garden or house plants. There are more reasonable arguments in favor of decriminalizing than here are in favor
    of outlawing it, but using the tax revenue argument isn't very
    persuasive. Take us for example, we brew our own beer and are allowed to
    do so by law up to certain generous quantities so other than the sales
    tax we might pay for some of the ingredients and equipment there are no
    tax revenues on our home brew/wine. I'm curious - has anyone here ever
    been "audited" on their homebrewing?
    Nope and I've been doing it openly since 1976
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From barnabyr@barnabyr@ureach.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Wed Apr 8 17:47:30 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    Way less than 1% of the beer drunk in the US is home-brewed and
    escapes taxation. So, I would say that the tax on beer is pretty
    effective
    Roger
    using the tax revenue argument isn't very
    persuasive. Take us for example, we brew our own beer and are allowed to
    do so by law up to certain generous quantities so other than the sales
    tax we might pay for some of the ingredients and equipment there are no
    tax revenues on our home brew/wine.  I'm curious - has anyone here ever
    been "audited" on their homebrewing?
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From AL@lithar@hamiltoncom.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Thu Apr 9 14:00:45 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    I can't see the effort of sticking seeds in a garden bed or house
    planter being comparable to the effort of making even the simplest kit
    beer. So I would suspect way more than 1% of the pot smoked would be home-grown as compared to home-brew consumption, especially if the
    taxation drove the pot price to cigarette levels. I just don't see the
    tax revenue argument holding water.


    FWIW - bottom posting makes better usenet threads



    barnabyr@ureach.com wrote:

    Way less than 1% of the beer drunk in the US is home-brewed and
    escapes taxation. So, I would say that the tax on beer is pretty
    effective

    Roger

    using the tax revenue argument isn't very
    persuasive. Take us for example, we brew our own beer and are allowed to
    do so by law up to certain generous quantities so other than the sales
    tax we might pay for some of the ingredients and equipment there are no
    tax revenues on our home brew/wine. I'm curious - has anyone here ever
    been "audited" on their homebrewing?

    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From barnabyr@barnabyr@ureach.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Thu Apr 9 15:50:43 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    especially if the
    taxation drove the pot price to cigarette levels. I just don't see the
    tax revenue argument holding water.

    Ever hear of home-grown tobacco? Most of the price of cigarettes is
    tax, but I've never heard of anyone resorting to growing their own

    Roger
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Miles Bader@miles@gnu.org to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Fri Apr 10 08:28:42 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    barnabyr@ureach.com writes:
    especially if the taxation drove the pot price to cigarette levels. I
    just don't see the tax revenue argument holding water.

    Ever hear of home-grown tobacco? Most of the price of cigarettes is
    tax, but I've never heard of anyone resorting to growing their own

    I suspect the vast majority of people are simply wayyyy to lazy to grow
    their own if the store-bought price is anywhere near reasonable....

    -Miles

    --
    Cynic, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as
    they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic's eyes to improve his vision.
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From AL@lithar@hamiltoncom.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Thu Apr 9 18:51:55 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    barnabyr@ureach.com wrote:


    especially if the
    taxation drove the pot price to cigarette levels. I just don't see the
    tax revenue argument holding water.


    Ever hear of home-grown tobacco? Most of the price of cigarettes is
    tax, but I've never heard of anyone resorting to growing their own


    For good reasons, primarily due to the climate, soil, space and labor requirements - or simply put, inconvenience. Raising tobacco is like
    farming, raising pot is like keeping house plants. Tobacco isn't exactly
    ready for use at cutting time, consider more space and appropriate
    environment for proper curing. Several steps are required to bring a
    tobacco plant to the finished product. Pot is ready to use as soon as a
    few leaves, or buds, are plucked & dried.


    I'm not saying NO ONE would buy pot, but to argue that it will generate appreciable tax revenues, when growing the stuff at home is SO easy, is
    just not going to fly.
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Bob F@bobnospam@gmail.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Fri Apr 10 09:16:35 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    Bill Velek wrote:
    AL wrote:

    Bill Velek wrote:

    For any of you homebrewers who have been 'sitting on the fence'
    waiting to decide if you will grow hops, the time for planting is
    quickly running out depending upon where you are located.

    Yeah but from what I've learned in another newsgroup its the
    beginning of the pot planting season. I've heard those flower tops
    make a wonderful adjunct to a batch of home brew - can't testify to
    that myself but thought I'd pass that along...

    Maybe so re the planting time, but I thought that stuff required
    higher temps than mere boiling in order to extract the THC; been told
    that it takes something like three or four hundred degrees. Basically, I've heard that adding it to beer for extra 'kick' is just
    an urban myth.

    I remember a friend in college that freaked us out by making and drinking too much pot tea. It was the only time I ever saw someone pass out from excess on that stuff. So I suspect boiling does it OK.


    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From barnabyr@barnabyr@ureach.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Fri Apr 10 15:45:36 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    I remember a friend in college that freaked us out by making and drinking too much pot tea. It was the only time I ever saw someone pass out from excess on that stuff. So I suspect boiling does it OK.- Hide quoted text -


    When I lived in Saudi Arabia, I brewed 5 gal of hashish beer (thus
    breaking 2 laws). Tasted vile, but was potent.

    Roger

    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Ben Crowell@crowell09@lightSPAMandISmatterEVIL.com to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Sun Apr 12 21:34:03 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    AL wrote:
    I can't see the effort of sticking seeds in a garden bed or house
    planter being comparable to the effort of making even the simplest kit
    beer. So I would suspect way more than 1% of the pot smoked would be home-grown as compared to home-brew consumption, especially if the
    taxation drove the pot price to cigarette levels. I just don't see the
    tax revenue argument holding water.

    I know people who have grown marijuana for their own use, in a fairly
    rural area. The big thing they complained about was that their plants
    would mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night.
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108
  • From Mark R@mray001@comcast.net to rec.crafts.brewing,alt.beer.home-brewing,alt.homebrewing on Mon Apr 13 08:19:59 2009
    From Newsgroup: alt.beer.home-brewing

    On Apr 12, 11:34 pm, Ben Crowell
    <crowel...@lightSPAMandISmatterEVIL.com> wrote:
    AL wrote:
    I can't see the effort of sticking seeds in a garden bed or house
    planter being comparable to the effort of making even the simplest kit beer. So I would suspect way more than 1% of the pot smoked would be home-grown as compared to home-brew consumption, especially if the
    taxation drove the pot price to cigarette levels. I just don't see the
    tax revenue argument holding water.

    I know people who have grown marijuana for their own use, in a fairly
    rural area. The big thing they complained about was that their plants
    would mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night.
    Maybe Alien abduction? :-)
    Mark R
    --- Synchronet 3.17a-Linux NewsLink 1.108