Back To Basics

[mwd]

Make a hell of a mess if the bag splits and what are you going to tell Customs if they ask "What is This?"

You can remove the labels off cans but that attracts suspicions.

 

[hoppy2B]

Hops in various forms are used to assist sleep and sold by health food proprietors. If you can get some of them delivered perhaps? Then you could really get away with using just a kilo of brown sugar and a kilo or two of white sugar along with the yeast you have in your pocket, then you can make a pretty basic beer with just a bittering hop addition.
Won't be the worlds best brew but it will do the job. B)

 

[bum]

It is the likelihood/risk I want to quantify. If done in a clean environment I am hoping the chances of contamnation are minimal. I will give it a go. Thanks.

Likelihood is too hard to pin down. But you can assume with a high degree of certainty that sterilising the bag will not completely remove the risk. Even when active starters are pitched immediately wort is never guaranteed to be infection free. I would say that risk is significant enough to not even consider it. If there is an issue there is no chance the bag will withstand the pressure of any CO2 production and you'll have a suitcase full of krausen. The higher density of the goop may make it less likely, I dunno, but it seems just as logical to me that it may increase the chance.

None of this is even the real issue I have with the idea, of course. Have you looked into what penalty is imposed for intending to brew alcohol in the country you are going to? You sound like you're hoping to bring in gear for more than one batch - what if they decide this is more than is required for personal consumption and you intend to supply? The best possible outcome will be that you're turned around and put on the next plane home.

 

[Helles]

Likelihood is too hard to pin down. But you can assume with a high degree of certainty that sterilising the bag will not completely remove the risk. Even when active starters are pitched immediately wort is never guaranteed to be infection free. I would say that risk is significant enough to not even consider it. If there is an issue there is no chance the bag will withstand the pressure of any CO2 production and you'll have a suitcase full of krausen. The higher density of the goop may make it less likely, I dunno, but it seems just as logical to me that it may increase the chance.

None of this is even the real issue I have with the idea, of course. Have you looked into what penalty is imposed for intending to brew alcohol in the country you are going to? You sound like you're hoping to bring in gear for more than one batch - what if they decide this is more than is required for personal consumption and you intend to supply? The best possible outcome will be that you're turned around and put on the next plane home.

This would be best if by home you mean somewhere your allowed to brew beer

 

[gambit]

I lived in Libya for 2 years - I used to buy a dry beer kit in the UK made my Hamilton Bard - it was basically dry malt extract, hop extract and yeast. I used to remove the kit from the box and put the clear plastic bag of dry malt extract into a zip lock bag. I was stopped and had my bags searched once and they did not even question the bags of malt extract.

The kit made a very drinkable beer. The only deviation I made from the kit instructions was I used a quarter demara sugar.

 

[Florian]

The higher density of the goop may make it less likely, I dunno, but it seems just as logical to me that it may increase the chance.

Goop is basically wort with an OG of 1.300 or something ridiculous high like that, I don't think that any airborne yeast could transform the bag into a Co2 bomb in any short period of time.

Ever seen a marshmallow fermenting?

Agree with your other reasoning, though.


To the OP:
I would just get a few bags of dry malt extract, unbranded (from memory the coopers stuff comes in clear unmarked plastic bags once you rip the carton off), check with your local customs if this is a prohibited item (unlikely, but check), and if they ask tell them you mix it with milk and chocolate to get something like Ovomaltine (or Ovaltine in some countries).

If you can't get hops in you might be able to source some other bittering agents like Yarrow, or mugwort. If you insist on adding flavour additions your possibilities are endless from teas over herbs to Juniper.

EDIT: Also have a look here for unhopped beer recipes.

 

[Helles]

A fermenting marshmellow

 

[thecentennial]

Goop is basically wort with an OG of 1.300 or something ridiculous high like that, I don't think that any airborne yeast could transform the bag into a Co2 bomb in any short period of time.

Ever seen a marshmallow fermenting?

Agree with your other reasoning, though.


To the OP:
I would just get a few bags of dry malt extract, unbranded (from memory the coopers stuff comes in clear unmarked plastic bags once you rip the carton off), check with your local customs if this is a prohibited item (unlikely, but check), and if they ask tell them you mix it with milk and chocolate to get something like Ovomaltine (or Ovaltine in some countries).

If you can't get hops in you might be able to source some other bittering agents like Yarrow, or mugwort. If you insist on adding flavour additions your possibilities are endless from teas over herbs to Juniper.

EDIT: Also have a look here for unhopped beer recipes.

Beautiful. Just what I was lookng for.
Guys, appreciate the feedback on customs etc, Though just looking for basic info re recipies. I have all I need now. Thanks.