Vegemite Used To Brew Alcohol In Remote Communites

[icyfroth]

The Prime Minister has warned against a ban on Vegemite in remote communities after reports the spread was being used to make home-brewed alcohol, saying the last thing he wanted was a "Vegemite watch".

A spokeswoman for Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said the minister heard reports the popular spread was being used to concoct home brew in some dry Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

"Addiction of any type is a concern but communities, especially where alcohol is banned, must work to ensure home brewing of this type does not occur," Mr Scullion said in a statement.

The minister stopped short of placing restrictions or bans on the sale of the spread or other yeast-based products in such communities.

Tony Abbott quashed the idea of a ban.

"This is a deregulatory Government and the last thing I want to do is to have a Vegemite watch ... because Vegemite, quite properly, is for most people a reasonably nutritious spread on your morning toast or on your sandwiches," he said.

"What's important is that we ensure that remote communities, all communities, are being properly policed."

Entire Article Here

OMG! I can't imagine what it tastes like. Apparently you mix Vegemite with orange juice. The yeast in Vegemite gets the fermentation process going.

Apparently it does the job lol.

[lloydslights]

What an opportune time to get the "cooks" and sponsors of cooking or science education together for a positive outcome.  

Because in my mind, someone who thinks up these "recipes" is very clever..... and to make it actually work too, shows that they are capable enough to research or practice using those undeveloped skills.

DEB

[lloydslights]

By the way Icy, have you got new glasses?  That print is awfully small.

DEB

[icyfroth]

lol no I don't have new glasses and yes the print looked very small to me as I was typing but I didn't have my glasses on at the time.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

During WWII, torpedomen used to drain the alcohol out of the torpedo gyros, mix it with prune juice, and party hearty.........

[imastawka]

They're a bit late to the party.

Vegemite was used extensively in jails for home brews well into the 80's

Also potatoes - which is how vodka is made.

If they want alcohol, they will find a way

[monman12]

"During WWII, torpedomen used to drain the alcohol out of the torpedo gyros, mix it with prune juice, and party hearty...."

Sorry,  but as ex military I can not let that pass !

Gyroscopes do not run in liquid as  they have a very high speed rotor.

Alcohol was taken in the US Navy from US torpedoes which used it as part of the steam propulsion system, it was  then mixed with fruit juice, normally pineapple. The USN caught-on and coloured the alcohol with a foul tasting pink dye (hence pink lady cocktails) and eventually used a replacement lethal liquid.

 

[monman12]

You have to "love" the media when parliament is on Hols, it is a weekend, and in many cases they have no clue! The story gives the impression that Vegemite itself  is being turned into beer, it was even on BBC TV news !

The Vegemite as mentioned above  is just a source of  yeast.  Why not buy a small packet of baking yeast?,  or do as i did many years ago, tip the dregs of a few bottles of my favourite beer (contains yeast) into a container and add sugar and water. In fact after one "brew" you have a permanent supply of yeast from the resulting residue (sludge) and do not have to source any more.

The story behind Vodka is that potatoes are easy to grow in northern Europe  unlike  sugar beet and cane, So the starch in the potatoes is naturally converted into  a form of sugar which the hungry yeast  can munch, grow, and produce CO2 and alcohol.

[imastawka]

Methinks you did not read the article, John.

Remote indigenous communities are not going to have packets of yeast

hanging around.   Also being 'dry' communites, they will not have dregs

of their beer to use.  The sugar component comes from the orange juice.

Like I said,  if they want alcohol they will find a way to use what's at hand

[lionrose.7]

I saw on Tv one night that in Jail you can do it with bread and orange juice, some one will always find a way to make plonk.