Plastic free? Possible?

[fury_tea]

The wife(and I)'s quite anti waste and anti plastic. I'm getting told off a bit for the amount of plastic waste I'm producing. We did a few months of single use plastic free living and that's one of the reasons I thought about brewing my own beer again (started with a tin can and some sugar). The m ore I got into brewing the more plastic waste I started producing. Wondering if anyone has any plastic free (or at least not single use plastic) ways of getting grains, hops etc for brewing?

I've started buying larger batches of things (thinking one large bag is less plastic than 10 small ones) and plan on getting a 25kg sack of grain soon and a container to store it. Any other ideas?

Hops etc always come vacuum sealed (which is great for freshness) but that means loads of plastic. Yeast is the same.

Cheers

 

[Gerryjo]

Buying in bulk will certainly help reduce your wastage as I tend to buy 25kg sacks and split into two containers,and buy hops in larger quantities...

 

[Gerryjo]

It existed mate!

Seriously though, I am actually trying to get some ideas here. I was thinking of ringing contact my lbhs and asking if they can give me grains without the packaging but they probably get them in plastic bags and I don't drive so I'd have to carry it home. Anyone reading this, there's a gap in the market for plastic free homebrew ingredients!

You could enquire with them and get yourself a larger container to store and take it to the shop for them to fill therefore reducing your contribution.

 

[fury_tea]

You could enquire with them and get yourself a larger container to store and take it to the shop for them to fill therefore reducing your contribution.

We do this with meat and fish at the butcher and fishmonger, bring our own boxes. But that's 500g of product, not 25kg, and I don't drive.
I'll still enquire I think, but they only sell 500g bags of grain, they are more geared towards kit brewers.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I love coincidences, i have posted this having just visited BBC News - https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/oxford-waitrose-unpacked.82215/

.

 

[Gerryjo]

We do this with meat and fish at the butcher and fishmonger, bring our own boxes. But that's 500g of product, not 25kg, and I don't drive.
I'll still enquire I think, but they only sell 500g bags of grain, they are more geared towards kit brewers.

I order from The homebrew company who the forum have a discount with and they deliver in an actual grain bag from which they receive from their suppliers which I suppose is another way as they used to have this enclosed in a large cardboard box.

 

[jceg316]

I tried to do this, GEB sell 10kgs of grain in sacks but they are plastic lined. Those sacks can be used for growing potatoes or maybe other veg. For storing root veg you need to cut the plastic lining out. GEB did say they are trying to use paper bags but that seems to not have materialised.

One option is to reuse plastic bags. Good for keeping sandwiches in to take to work. Alternatively try and offset, cut down on meat.

 

[fury_tea]

Hi

I tried to do this, GEB sell 10kgs of grain in sacks but they are plastic lined. Those sacks can be used for growing potatoes or maybe other veg. For storing root veg you need to cut the plastic lining out. GEB did say they are trying to use paper bags but that seems to not have materialised.

One option is to reuse plastic bags. Good for keeping sandwiches in to take to work. Alternatively try and offset, cut down on meat.

Mate the Mrs has become pescatarian, but I just love a steak and a bacon butty. I am trying to cut down on meat. I try to buy stuff that's going out of date (I walk past a supermarket after work at 7pm which is their reduction time) or from the butcher's or veg stalls. Hops is a hard one but I guess buying them in large batches is the best option at the moment.

 

[GerritT]

Doesn't CML sell them in aluminium bags?

 

[fury_tea]

Doesn't CML sell them in aluminium bags?

Are they 100% aluminium? I doubt that. I've bought from them and they feel plasticy

 

[GerritT]

Probably half-half. There are limited ways to store them safe from air and light exposure.
Unless you grow them yourselves, they make nice outside plants.

 

[simon12]

You can get grain delivered loose if you buy a tonne and I think the 5kg hop bales are in pure metal foil packs.
The point I am making is brew more and save the world.

 

[Richie_asg1]

They would be foil laminated plastic which is technically best of both worlds for storage freshness but worst of both worlds for recyclability.

You could always go back to a 2 can kit in a cardboard box. - no plastic there. (other than the yeast)

 

[terrym]

It's very laudable for all those 'save the planet' types to try to eliminate or seriously curtail their use of plastics, but for every one of them there are probably 99,999 others who don't give a monkeys through ignorance, laziness, convenience, necessity, or commercial gain, and I'm sure there are other reasons too numerous to mention. And that comes from somebody who make reasonable and sensible efforts to restrict waste, and that includes fuel, water and other consumables, as well as plastics.
I'm afraid the horse has bolted as far as our use of plastic is concerned, because its so adaptable, relatively cheap and in most cases really useful, and that means it's here to stay (until the oil runs out)
So whilst trying to cut down on the amount of plastic foil on a bag of hops may be a salve to your emotions it really doesn't make one jot of difference in the 'bigger picture' because there are 99,999 other folk out there who will still continue to unthinkingly consume mountains of plastic, many of whom don't give a flying f*** whether it ends up in the gutter, a hedge in the countryside, at the bottom of the sea, in their landfill bin, or even their recycle bin. And even if it ends up in recycle, half the time no one really knows what to do with it because its the wrong type of plastic, or its too small to get picked up by the sensor, or the colour is wrong etc etc.
So my message is chill out, do what you feel comfortable with in terms of plastic use, but don't let it become a matter to get too concerned about. The other 99,999 certainly don't let it worry them and will continue to be like that, and sadly, through sheer numerical supremacy, they are the folks who are governing our destiny.

 

[Harbey]

I'd not really considered the disposable plastic involved in brewing but I always feel guilty about the amount of water I end up throwing down the drain on a brew day.

 

[fury_tea]

I'd not really considered the disposable plastic involved in brewing but I always feel guilty about the amount of water I end up throwing down the drain on a brew day.

Yeah that's another one, I save some for cleaning but you get more than 5 times enough. I've considered the no chill method, but that means no cold break. The Australians seem to make it work though.

 

[fury_tea]

It's very laudable for all those 'save the planet' types to try to eliminate or seriously curtail their use of plastics, but for every one of them there are probably 99,999 others who don't give a monkeys through ignorance, laziness, convenience, necessity, or commercial gain, and I'm sure there are other reasons too numerous to mention. And that comes from somebody who make reasonable and sensible efforts to restrict waste, and that includes fuel, water and other consumables, as well as plastics.
I'm afraid the horse has bolted as far as our use of plastic is concerned, because its so adaptable, relatively cheap and in most cases really useful, and that means it's here to stay (until the oil runs out)
So whilst trying to cut down on the amount of plastic foil on a bag of hops may be a salve to your emotions it really doesn't make one jot of difference in the 'bigger picture' because there are 99,999 other folk out there who will still continue to unthinkingly consume mountains of plastic, many of whom don't give a flying f*** whether it ends up in the gutter, a hedge in the countryside, at the bottom of the sea, in their landfill bin, or even their recycle bin. And even if it ends up in recycle, half the time no one really knows what to do with it because its the wrong type of plastic, or its too small to get picked up by the sensor, or the colour is wrong etc etc.
So my message is chill out, do what you feel comfortable with in terms of plastic use, but don't let it become a matter to get too concerned about. The other 99,999 certainly don't let it worry them and will continue to be like that, and sadly, through sheer numerical supremacy, they are the folks who are governing our destiny.

Listen man, I do agree with you. But if even a few more of those 99,999 thought a bit more about what they were doing, then maybe it could become 88,888? I'm not staunchly into zero plastic, I know it is useful sometimes, but it's nice to try to reduce as well, vote with our wallets. I wasn't trying to start a war of ideals here, just wondered if anyone had any ideas.

 

[chrissyr63]

I use the cooled water to water our plants - hops and tomatoes need lots of water in summer. Maybe not so in winter but you usually need less water to cool then.

Have to agree with some others here just do your best and not beat yourself up about it.

 

[fury_tea]

I use the cooled water to water our plants - hops and tomatoes need lots of water in summer. Maybe not so in winter but you usually need less water to cool then.

Have to agree with some others here just do your best and not beat yourself up about it.

Not beating myself up, didn't realise it was going to rile people up so much. I'm just trying to save myself some hassle from the Mrs and feel better that I'm not wasting so much.

I'll just buy bigger bags. Just means I'll have to brew more which is the ultimate goal anyway.

 

[chrissyr63]

Don't think people are riled (I'm not) just think home brew 'impact' is limited:

Compost your grain
Reuse your water
Reduced transport costs (driving home with those bottles from the supermarket)
We recycle our own glass bottles

Couple of plastic bags for your grain and hops - now if you flew to the US to get some nice fresh citra hops