OT: The end of civilization as we know it!

[paulh]

News item: The price of hops( a necessary ingredient of a certain beverage that is a favorite of many forumites) is going up, in some cases anywhere from $5 per pound to a high of an increase of $45 per pound.

This is part of the ongoing ethanol scam to put food in the fuel tank. They've been taking hop acres and putting them into corn. Hey, hops, or more accurately, the final product is FOOD too, right?

How will we cope? Will you give up your post ride dry hopped ale or other favorite?

[Pete Serotta]

How can that be :confused: :confused:

I am told that the annual rate of inflation is less than 3%. :confused: :confused:

oh yeah, that does not include food or energy :rolleyes:


Have grapes gone up? :D

[ti_boi]

Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.

Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

The legendary singer and performer, known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat, was an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, and received a lifetime achievement award in 1999 at the Grammy Awards. In recent years he also played for the elder President Bush and President Clinton.

Diddley appreciated the honors he received, "but it didn't put no figures in my checkbook."

[Tom]

Actually, in 1992 there were about 235,000 acres of hops being grown and there was a wonderful crop. Hops extract is very stable so there was a glut on the market and prices stayed depressed for years and so now there are maybe 115,000 acres of hops being grown. Last year the European growers had a terrible year and the supply of extract from 1992 just about dried up, a neat coincidence. It's not so much the whole ethanol thing of the last couple of years as people just not able to make money growing hops unless they had a contract with one of the big boys.

[Ken Robb]

one "solution" (pun intended) will be to drink Budweiser because as far as I can tell it hasn't any hops in it. :rolleyes: :beer: here's to real beer--whatever the cost.

[Sasha18]

How will we cope? Will you give up your post ride dry hopped ale or other favorite?

Hard Cider? It's bubbly, refreshing, and can have a good kick if you homebrew. In Europe, it's not even considered a drink for the ladies.

[gt6267a]

Hard Cider? It's bubbly, refreshing, and can have a good kick if you homebrew. In Europe, it's not even considered a drink for the ladies.

so, you are saying its a children's drink? :banana:

[Ginger]

Hard Cider? It's bubbly, refreshing, and can have a good kick if you homebrew. In Europe, it's not even considered a drink for the ladies.

Cooking esoterica: When you come across an older recipe that calls for cider, it isn't talking about apple cider, but hard cider.

Some hard ciders are even gluten free (so often my option if I choose to drink at a bar)

[Sasha18]

so, you are saying its a children's drink? :banana:

Only if you want to get them to bed without a fuss.

[Ginger]

Only if you want to get them to bed without a fuss.

There are sooooo many things to say...

but I'll take the high road...grandma always suggested a 1/4 shot of whiskey with honey.

[johnnymossville]

If he's got too much for his own use, maybe he can sell a few ounces and get a Serotta! :)

[Sasha18]

Hops take a few years to come to full maturity. He should put his name on a waitlist. In six years, with a full harvest, he could have the bike of his dreams.

[Tom]

There are plenty of other things to use besides hops for preservation - which is what hops were originally used for.

Spruce tips make a particularly good porter.

[gone]

If he's got too much for his own use, maybe he can sell a few ounces and get a Serotta! :)
I can see it now: seedy neighborhood, dimly lit corner, shady looking dude pulls out a baggie and says "Hey man, wanna buy some hops?"

This Bud's for you. Not.

[goonster]

Hops are a bit overrated, but with respect to price:

1. There was a huge warehouse fire in Oregon last year, destroying a not-insignificant portion of the annual harvest.
2. The quickly growing craft beer sector is using rapidly escalating megaquantities of certain specialty hops.
3. Newly planted hop bines produce very low yields in their first year, so it takes two years to ramp up production.
4. The ethanol thing doesn't help either.

Prime example: Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA. Pretty darn good, actually, but it tripled in price since last summer.

The downside with cider is that it takes at least a year to really taste good. But it's worth the wait. :beer:

There are plenty of tasty low-hop styles. I could make Rauchbier and Scotch Ales, hopped with floor sweepings, and be OK for a long time . . .

[RPS]

How can that be :confused: :confused:

I am told that the annual rate of inflation is less than 3%. :confused: :confused:

oh yeah, that does not include food or energy :rolleyes:


Have grapes gone up? :DDo I detect a little political edge to your comments. :beer:

Let’s just say that the actual cost of Suburbans is down significantly this year.
Big screen TVs and computers (for same exact units) continue to go down in price.
Aren’t some bicycles -- under pricing pressure from Taiwan and China – down?
The Avocet saddle I bought today cost about the same as one over 10 years ago.
It’s not all bad news, is it?

Specific fuel costs are indeed up, but thanks to the shock factor I spent less last month on gas than in years. Is that inflation or deflation? :rolleyes:

[acorn_user]

so, you are saying its a children's drink? :banana:
Too right! I'm from the cider capital of the world, Hereford. I heard some old guys explaining why they got to be so old: "not a drop of anything but their mother's milk and cider". Arr.

[M.Sommers]

Crop circles.
Aliens.
Dicuss.

[Ahneida Ride]

A Hostess Twinkie has gone from 10 cents to 1.40 frn ....