Vegemite brewed into beer in remote communities

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DU99

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Australian favourite Vegemite is being removed from shelves in remote Aboriginal communities because it is reportedly being used to brew alcohol.
The Abbott government is insisting that several dry communities in the Top End remove the iconic spread from shops to stop it becoming what Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion described as "precursor to misery".

The yeast-based product is reportedly being made into alcoholic drinks in large quantities, News Corp reports, leading to increases in drunken violence and child neglect.
Senator Scullion said that in some remote communities children were going on benders and waking up too hung over to attend school.

Rather than ban the product outright, the Abbott government is insisting businesses mediate or restrict the sale to avoid the government introducing a legislative fix.
The Country Liberal senator said he was tired of hearing about "people's rights" and wanted people to consider the affect upon women and children in remote communities.
“Wouldn’t it be terrible to ban Vegemite? Well it’s a precursor to misery in (some) communities,” he said.

“We are in discussions with many communities, particularly in terms of community-owned stores, not only about healthy products, but about products that are used as precursors to the production of alcohol.’’
The sale of alcohol is restricted or banned in 19 communities across Queensland Senator Scullion did not single out specific townships where Vegemite was being brewed into alcoholic.


News Source
 
What in vegemite specifically? I think jam would do a better job.

How about sugar, baker's yeast, water?
Very confusing story.
 
More media crap??> If its fact then provide the detail.

"because it is reportedly being used to brew alcohol", "The yeast-based product is reportedly being made...", "Senator Scullion did not single out specific.....".
 
The critical word in the article is 'reportedly'. No idea how you could use it to brew considering there's no active yeast in it.
 
Perhaps they are just using the vegemite to kill the shit taste of what ever they may be "reportedly" making.
 
Perhaps they are whacking it up. Years ago I knew a girl who tried it, nearly cost her an arm.
 
Rediculouse media, rediculouse pea brain pollitics. If thats the only sollution they can come up with you would have a lot of empty shelves after removing everything that could be fermeneted. Why not like medications- you can only buy in small quantities. How many friggen jars of vegimite would it take to make a brew anyhow???? :unsure: Bizzare.
 
It is impossible to use vegemite as a yeast source as all cells are dead. Also the salt content would inhibit yeast growth
 
Ducatiboy stu said:
It is impossible to use vegemite as a yeast source as all cells are dead. Also the salt content would inhibit yeast growth
Cant expect basic facts get in the way of pollitical decisions now. This is Australia.
 
Yeah great article, if you're going to ban vegemite I guess they'll also have to ban sugar or anything with sugar in it, fruit, vegetables, bread, grains and anything else that could theoretically be turned into booze.
 
It's a myth that extends as far as QLD prisons.
 
Still dodgy reporting. One newspaper using another newspaper as it's only source and negating what that source claimed only a paragraph or so later.

If it is true, it's daft. Firstly that anyone would consider vegemite a good choice for either yeast or carbohydrate source, secondly than removing it from sale is going to make alcohol or related issues go away.
You can make alcohol from nothing more than a pile of fruit.
 
When I was in Far north qld, either Vegemite or tomato paste were the go to nutrients to add to a couple of kilos of white sugar and half a cup of bakers yeast.

One of the ramifications of "Dry Zones"
 
So nutrient?
Presumably without the nutrient, you can still make the booze. If the reporting is based in fact, it's a strange target and powers that be might need to do more research.
Quick banz the vegemites!
 
Tomatoe paste is well know for making a spirit wash for those that d********
 
manticle said:
Presumably without the nutrient, you can still make the booze.
Without the Vegemite or tomato paste, they needed a lot more yeast to get a similar yield. The problem with tomato paste was it attracted every fruit fly for miles and there would even be fruit fly grubs swimming in the airlock.
 
No need for airlock just use a 20 liter drum and leave the cap loose or put a plastic bag over the drum .Wheatbix will work just as good as the tomato paste .Western Australia has solved this problem by trying to close remote communities.
 

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