Save that beer!

[FedoraDave]

I've had some problems this year with some of my beers. I think I traced the gushers to poorly-cleaned bottles, and I've stepped up my procedures in that area. No problems thus far.

But I'm more disappointed in the Scotch Strong Ale that Foothiller and I did for the last RCE. Mine turned out to be vinegar. I really need to make that recipe again, because it promised to be a good beer. Maybe next fall, so I'll have it for the winter.

But I haven't gotten rid of those bottles of Scotch Strong Vinegar. Mostly out of laziness, I'll admit, but whatever the reason, they're still there.

So it occurred to me.... I'm smoking a couple racks of ribs this weekend, and I usually make a mop sauce out of apple cider, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and some other ingredients. Adds some nice flavor while keeping the bones moist. But why not start with a base of this beer-gone-bad? Some Worcestershire sauce, some Liquid Smoke, a little of this, a little of that....

Just because you can't drink your homebrew doesn't mean you can't repurpose it.

[John Sand]

Good point Dave. As posted, I recently mixed a mediocre batch with craft beer and had good results. I actually intended to dump those, just had not got around to it.

[FedoraDave]

John, some accidents can't be saved. When I had my gushers, the beer was fine, but salvaging a couple of ounces from the spewing bottle wasn't worth it, so they got dumped.

But if I can take something that didn't work out (I don't mean just a disappointing beer; I'll drink disappointing homebrew) and still use it for BBQ or a beef stew (which I've also done with happy results), why the heck not? It's ingredients for food, it sure as heck ain't gonna make me sick, and repurposing this kind of thing has a long and glorious tradition. My mom's family has deep roots in Tennessee, and those "backward hillbillies" knew how to make awesome food out of stuff that went a little sour, or didn't turn out the way it was supposed to.

[Chuck N]

Careful with that, Dave. I had some stout that had gone bad in the bottles too. I thought I could use one to boil some brats in before I put them on the grill. The brats had that "infected beer" flavor in the back-ground when they were done.

[FedoraDave]

Chuck, I'll be tasting the beer before I mix up the mop sauce, just to be sure.

[John Sand]

John, some accidents can't be saved. When I had my gushers, the beer was fine, but salvaging a couple of ounces from the spewing bottle wasn't worth it, so they got dumped.

But if I can take something that didn't work out (I don't mean just a disappointing beer; I'll drink disappointing homebrew) and still use it for BBQ or a beef stew (which I've also done with happy results), why the heck not? It's ingredients for food, it sure as heck ain't gonna make me sick, and repurposing this kind of thing has a long and glorious tradition. My mom's family has deep roots in Tennessee, and those "backward hillbillies" knew how to make awesome food out of stuff that went a little sour, or didn't turn out the way it was supposed to.

For sure, Dave. I didn't mean to imply that you could mix your vinegar for drinking! I just like the idea of making the best of setbacks. So, after the rub, what will you do with the other 4+ gallons of vinegar? It cleans uncured glue, prevents mildew, and of course, pickles vegetables.

[FedoraDave]

Well, the bottle I opened turned out to be a gusher. So I figured tellwiddit, and used a bottle of Crown Top Pale Ale, which is a little green, but it's good beer. That, some Apple cider vinegar, some Worcestershire sauce, some Liquid Smoke, a couple of drops of Cholula, and I got my mop sauce.

The bones turned out superb, and I have enough left over for about six or eight servings (vacuum packed and frozen; heated up properly, it's like they just came off the smoker).

[John Sand]

Sounds great! My youngest son is a butcher, and a good cook. He just recently bought a smoker.

[FedoraDave]

Sounds great! My youngest son is a butcher, and a good cook. He just recently bought a smoker.

A vertical? I used to have a horizontal grill with a side firebox, but it was really more than I needed, so when it wore out, I got a vertical, and it's so efficient, it's mind-boggling.

[John Sand]

I don't know, I haven't seen it. He doesn't live home.

[FedoraDave]

Well, tell him to smoke you some good barbecue and invite you over! What kind of a son is he, anyway?

[John Sand]

Actually, he's going to bring the meat here, and drink some home-brew!

[FedoraDave]

Almost as good.