Incredible price rise

[mrbojangles]

My prior job in the states I worked for the company that owns Jack Daniels,

Utopia. What was the staff discount

I was in Manchester recently as well.....went to the Etihad stadium.......Singha beer.....£ 4.50 a pint.............225 bht......I nearly chocked on my Bovril....

That's about the norm at Prem matches, probably a lot more at Chelsea or Arsenal.

[Globeman]

The fact that you could drink 8 cases of beer before it turned skunky....that sound I hear must be the screaming from your liver.

Some people have these things called "friends"...

[Globeman]

Cheers X-tra

You obviously have no taste buds...

totster

Funny to see beer snobbery in a place where all the commercial beers are absolute crap. It's like an argument over coke or Pepsi, McDonald's or Mosburger, Tinned Nescafe or Birdy...

"You drink an inferior brand of liquid sh*te to mine... therefore, YOU are unsophisticated, whereas I... I am a discerning man of the world."

============================

I wonder sometimes if some of the more active the members of this forum have any idea just what enormous a*seholes they are.

[A1Str8]

The thread just got owned.

[tingtongteesood]

coke or Pepsi, McDonald's or Mosburger, Tinned Nescafe or Birdy..

Pepsi, Mosburger and Nescafe - every time ! Much better than the alternatives.

[HerbalEd]

I wonder how many men would drink "light" beers if they were called what they actually are which is "diet beers."? I gotta feeling a lot wouldn't ... even though they'll drink Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. No "real" man's going to drink diet beer.

Gotta give due credit to the marketing wizard who came up with the name light (or lite) beer.

Think you are getting confused there, this aint Kansas.

By light/lite they mean alcohol content, Singha Light = 3.5%, norman Singha = 5%.

You want to see a real anomaly, check out the price of NON alcohlic German beer.

Actually light/lite beers are much lower in calories because of the lower alcohol content. Most people never think of alcohol as a high source of calories, but indeed it is.

[jbrain]

An extra 29 baht per box of beer? Outrageous!

hey had 8 cases at the old price of 482Baht, so i bought them all. Yesterday on my monthly visit to Makro I went to buy some Singha Lite and could not believe the price rise, it had gone up to 605 baht a case.

For your convenience

[Travel2003]

I'm suprised that anyone would drink that crap anyway .After 25 years here the one thing I still miss in a good pint of English ale none o this lager slops . Was a time you could get Draught Guinness in a can . No more alas! I wonder why ?

You are not from the land of the manly beverages of Shandy and Cider, are you?

[jbrain]

I'm suprised that anyone would drink that crap anyway .After 25 years here the one thing I still miss in a good pint of English ale none o this lager slops . Was a time you could get Draught Guinness in a can . No more alas! I wonder why ?

I even remember you could get Guinness in 0.75l bottles at, I think around 60 Baht.

[davidstipek]

In Koh Phangan the average price for all the small bottle beers has gone up 103 bt a box, so at 4.2 baht a bottle or so at my restaurant I raised all my prices 5 baht. In theory that really isnt even a price raise just a tax hike. Most everyone in the country should expect at least that when ever establishments reprint their menus.

My prior job in the states I worked for the company that owns Jack Daniels, Brown Forman. There was nothing more the company loved then a state wide tax increase on spirits. This was the one time that we could raise our prices and hide the price increase in the consumers assumption that the price raise was entirely tax. This explains why different brands are showing different price increases. Some companies are smart enough to employ this strategy right away while others take a while longer to exploit the opportunity for of course.....more corporate profits.

In my opinion beer and alcohol are not cheap in thailand on a wholesale level, in fact its quite expensive. Us drinkers only benifit from the fact that in Thailand most (obviously not ritzy hotels, clubs etc) on premise accounts (bar or restaurants) mark up alcohol only 100%. Lets just hope that the country continues to give anyone with a pulse and 1200 baht a liquor license. If those licenses become set in number or difficult to get you can kiss that small mark up goodbye and we are all going to be making the trip to Cambo to get drunk!

Although the temperature is far from ideal here for home brewing, I would love to see that take off like it has in the states. Someone get off your couch in Bangkok and open a home brew equipment store. I can already imagine killer asian style fusion beers like a kaffir leaf lemongrass Belgian style tipple! 8% yum!!!

Taco

I think the issue here is that besides being illegal getting Yeast to do this is next to impossible. I know they find it to make Rice Wine around Song Kran Festival but I have tried to buy some for several years without any luck.

I even ordered from a Brewery in Canada and had them send several (4) types of yeast as we didn't know what was going to work here and which would fail. After 2 shippments sent by Certified Return Receipt, and tracking from New Foundland accross Canada. Onboard Aircraft in Vancouver, Unloaded in Bangkok... It Disapeared! I probably almost started a International Incident as Claims were filed By Shipper In New Foundland and they tracked parcels all the way to Thailand, Thailand said they never Received.. International Post Proved they did! I received 2 Special Deliverys the next Day! No Appologizes... No one Gained any favors, Post Master here in Chiang Mai helpped me on this end. I was told they found a "Group" internally that seemed to specialize in gathering what they seemed to believe would be loosable Postal Items.... Seems things get here quicker now!

But I was informed that this was concidered a Controled Substance, and that it was Illegal to have in your possession, But The Post Master said " This is for Medical Use, Correct?" okay, Then its okay!

Just thought I would put my 2 cents in and surmize why we haven't seen a "Home Brew / Equipment Store " Here...

Yes I did Make some Fantastic Longkran Wine/Champange ended up at a alcohol content in the range of 28%-35%. Took some to a Thai Wedding and put the Groom & Bride under the table... Was a super tasting semi sweet lingering palate, everyone that tasted wanted to take home a couple of bottles. Next Harvest at our Orchard... guess where the pickin's are going! Also did a Blueberry about 10 liters worth, same affect! got a 5 Star Rating... so I guess we will try to do some Hybred planting and come up with .50 Hectare of Land in a corner of the Orchard that we can semi shade and keep watered, Those that don't know that a little over an Acre) Probably can grow 125-150 bushes Let's see what Nature lets me grow!

[GettingOlder]

Yes I did Make some Fantastic Longkran Wine/Champange ended up at a alcohol content in the range of 28%-35%. Took some to a Thai Wedding and put the Groom & Bride under the table... Was a super tasting semi sweet lingering palate, everyone that tasted wanted to take home a couple of bottles. Next Harvest at our Orchard... guess where the pickin's are going! Also did a Blueberry about 10 liters worth, same affect! got a 5 Star Rating... so I guess we will try to do some Hybred planting and come up with .50 Hectare of Land in a corner of the Orchard that we can semi shade and keep watered, Those that don't know that a little over an Acre) Probably can grow 125-150 bushes Let's see what Nature lets me grow!

Hmm, certainly interesting, although probably far from beer taste....and less % would also do it.

Maybe you can share a bit more regarding the raw materials - any fruit preference yet, and what about securing steady inflow of suitable yeast?

And equipment wise - just a glass bowl in the corner with air back flow control, and some filtering through a coffee filter - or more sophisticated?

Hope to receive updates from these pioneer studies

[DGIE]

they are trying to prevent you to drink much.

[davidstipek]

Yes I did Make some Fantastic Longkran Wine/Champange ended up at a alcohol content in the range of 28%-35%. Took some to a Thai Wedding and put the Groom & Bride under the table... Was a super tasting semi sweet lingering palate, everyone that tasted wanted to take home a couple of bottles. Next Harvest at our Orchard... guess where the pickin's are going! Also did a Blueberry about 10 liters worth, same affect! got a 5 Star Rating... so I guess we will try to do some Hybred planting and come up with .50 Hectare of Land in a corner of the Orchard that we can semi shade and keep watered, Those that don't know that a little over an Acre) Probably can grow 125-150 bushes Let's see what Nature lets me grow!

Hmm, certainly interesting, although probably far from beer taste....and less % would also do it.

Maybe you can share a bit more regarding the raw materials - any fruit preference yet, and what about securing steady inflow of suitable yeast?

And equipment wise - just a glass bowl in the corner with air back flow control, and some filtering through a coffee filter - or more sophisticated?

Hope to receive updates from these pioneer studies

Okay...

The Yeast that seemed to like Thailand was "71B-1122 or Saccharomyces cerevisiae (I.N.R.A. Narbonne) it worked for an extended period and also seemed to enjoy the addition of Diabasic Ammonium Phosphate. after it slowed down this addition spurred the fermentation on for an additional 2 months. Just a note, seemed that K1-V1116

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (I.N.R.A. Montpellier) did not like the Climate here, may have done better if I had, had a way to cool the room off. Probably could have dug a kind of Root Celler, and gone down 10-15 feet. Then I would have worried abot snakes likeing this enviroment too

I used Glass water jugs, with rubber corks like labs would use. Double holes, one for thermometer and the other for a glass loop (3 loops 1st 4" diameter, 2nd 5" diameter and last 3"... Going away from 90 degree bend into jug. Inserted to extend just 1/2" below cork into jug above must (Mixture of what I hope will turn into wine.)

I used Longkran and Blueberries. Could use any fruit here as long as it had a lot of juice (per item). the water jug I am assuming to be around 10L, I used 4 Pounds white sugar 5 pounds of fruit (longkran was pitted and skinned) put the fruit in large stainless pot and crushed to a fine liquified solution then I added the sugar and about 3L of water and brought mixture to a boil. let it simmer for an hour constantly adding water as it boiled off. This is called the "Must".

I then took some Campden Tablets and added (3) to a liter of boiling water, saving 50 mL for yeast mix before adding tablets to the rest and poured into jug to sanitize rinsing the whole inside by swishing it around. then I poured it out and let jug stand upside down to dry. Save a little to sanitize your cork, funnel tools glass tube and ladle for scooping Must into jug.

After the Must had cooled down to 40-43 degree C. (104-109 degree F.) took the 50 mL of water and checked that it was about same temp or a little cooler added 5-7 g of yeast to this small glass of water add mix to desolve and suspend the yeast. Must can be off heat at this point and cooling. after yeast is totally dissolved pour it in center of your must and stir it in good for about 3-4 minutes.

Now is the fun part (Takes two people - unless you are up for a mess!) Hopefully you saved a little of the campden solution sanitize everything that will touch the Must mixture let it dry. The take jug and insert funnel and proceed to scoop yur must into the jug. Its still going to be a little warm so not to worry. take your cork and from inside insert thermometer up through one hole and your glass loop through the other... pay attention as tube is a vent and needs to be not inserted into must mixture, the opposite for thermometer it needs to be in as far as you can and still be able to read it!

Okay now... bottled water is good here as you are going to add to jug to bring level to about 1" below glass vent tube (Note: here be sure and add about 1 1/2" of water into looped vent tube as a Air Lock rotate it so it gets into center loop. A little more or less is okay. I ran a plastic length of surgical tubing from the end of this loop tube into a wide based jar with a small neck. Pickle jar is good r you want something not easily overturned. I had a few fish tank stones that act as airiaters andput on on end so tube would stay in jar, then filled it with water. Is already getting c02 bubbles by this time. Make sure everything is sealed tight! The pickle jar thing was a extra as I had several jugs working at same time and this insured if water in loop tube evaporated I had a backup plan

(Yes! You need to watch a few things as reason demands, ok?)

The whole point is you want the least amount of oxygen in contact with your Must mixture as prolonged contact will create Vineger... probably the best Thailand has ever seen

you will use a campden solution to clean your bottles and corks when you get ready to bottle just insure they have dried internally before you pour your mix into them. Now a word here to not worry. When I did the Blueberry mix it was almost all gone by the time it was done fermenting, Had alot of base still to be filtered out when I did the Longkran. most will settle out and you can siphon the liquid into your bottles. I siphoned the longkran thru a set of coffee filters used 6 as one clogged I just lifted it out and continued into the next one (Stacking the filters was easiest part) this I filled another jug so I could see if there was more to sedimate to setttle out after a couple days if fermentation had stopped I bottled and corked and labled. be sure to as you do this to seal any container your wine is in... Until you uncork and drink it! As your probably going to be tempted... go ahead and do a sample taste test as you are filtering it. At least your going to know before hand if your skills as a Winemaker are any good!

As I stated in previous Email here, I tried to find the large Thai Yeast Tablets. I am sure they would adapt extremely well. I suppose if you knew someone who made the rice wine around Song Kran time to do some trading Then Buy some and Offer to share a Bottle or 2. To insure a continued supply (Horse Trading never hurt anyone... Not even the "Horse"!

Edited October 13, 2013 by davidstipek

[hellyes2oo2]

Can I take the easy option here, and just buy some from you.

[MAJIC]

I buy LEO. The price at Tesco increased from 495 to 568 baht/case or 15% 1ncrease. If were you I would have just filled my basket with the single bottles that they had, piss on the box!

Agreed - bought two cases of 24 small bottle at TL Ubon yesterday. The case of Leo had gone up 15% and the case of Singha only 7%. Odd games being played either by the manufacturers or Tesco. Manufacturer I reckon

Somebody should tell Wikipedia, which still says:

"Boon Rawd Brewery also makes Leo, a non-premium beer" *

Not any more! They are rapidly closing the gap on Singha - probably because Leo is making them good money and has pretty much killed off the once serious competition to Singha provided by Chang!

*[boon Rawd also make Singha in case you didn't know]

Boon Rawd can keep it, Singha is the only beer that has ever given me a headache,in a lifetime of drinking, no joking you couldn't give it to me for free!

[MAJIC]

I buy LEO. The price at Tesco increased from 495 to 568 baht/case or 15% 1ncrease. If were you I would have just filled my basket with the single bottles that they had, piss on the box!

Agreed - bought two cases of 24 small bottle at TL Ubon yesterday. The case of Leo had gone up 15% and the case of Singha only 7%. Odd games being played either by the manufacturers or Tesco. Manufacturer I reckon

Somebody should tell Wikipedia, which still says:

"Boon Rawd Brewery also makes Leo, a non-premium beer" *

Not any more! They are rapidly closing the gap on Singha - probably because Leo is making them good money and has pretty much killed off the once serious competition to Singha provided by Chang!

*[boon Rawd also make Singha in case you didn't know]

Boon Rawd can keep it, Singha is the only beer that has ever given me a headache,in a lifetime of drinking, no joking you couldn't give it to me for free!

[NeverSure]

If the beer isn't pasteurized, you can use some of it as a starter and grow your own yeast. I don't know if there's a supply of hops in LOS. ??

[GettingOlder]

Okay...

The Yeast that seemed to like Thailand was "71B-1122 or Saccharomyces cerevisiae (I.N.R.A. Narbonne) it worked for an extended period and also seemed to enjoy the addition of Diabasic Ammonium Phosphate. after it slowed down this addition spurred the fermentation on for an additional 2 months. Just a note, seemed that K1-V1116 Saccharomyces cerevisiae (I.N.R.A. Montpellier) did not like the Climate here, may have done better if I had, had a way to cool the room off. Probably could have dug a kind of Root Celler, and gone down 10-15 feet. Then I would have worried abot snakes likeing this enviroment too

I used Glass water jugs, with rubber corks like labs would use. Double holes, one for thermometer and the other for a glass loop (3 loops 1st 4" diameter, 2nd 5" diameter and last 3"... Going away from 90 degree bend into jug. Inserted to extend just 1/2" below cork into jug above must (Mixture of what I hope will turn into wine.)

I used Longkran and Blueberries. Could use any fruit here as long as it had a lot of juice (per item). the water jug I am assuming to be around 10L, I used 4 Pounds white sugar 5 pounds of fruit (longkran was pitted and skinned) put the fruit in large stainless pot and crushed to a fine liquified solution then I added the sugar and about 3L of water and brought mixture to a boil. let it simmer for an hour constantly adding water as it boiled off. This is called the "Must".

I then took some Campden Tablets and added (3) to a liter of boiling water, saving 50 mL for yeast mix before adding tablets to the rest and poured into jug to sanitize rinsing the whole inside by swishing it around. then I poured it out and let jug stand upside down to dry. Save a little to sanitize your cork, funnel tools glass tube and ladle for scooping Must into jug.

After the Must had cooled down to 40-43 degree C. (104-109 degree F.) took the 50 mL of water and checked that it was about same temp or a little cooler added 5-7 g of yeast to this small glass of water add mix to desolve and suspend the yeast. Must can be off heat at this point and cooling. after yeast is totally dissolved pour it in center of your must and stir it in good for about 3-4 minutes.

Now is the fun part (Takes two people - unless you are up for a mess!) Hopefully you saved a little of the campden solution sanitize everything that will touch the Must mixture let it dry. The take jug and insert funnel and proceed to scoop yur must into the jug. Its still going to be a little warm so not to worry. take your cork and from inside insert thermometer up through one hole and your glass loop through the other... pay attention as tube is a vent and needs to be not inserted into must mixture, the opposite for thermometer it needs to be in as far as you can and still be able to read it!

Okay now... bottled water is good here as you are going to add to jug to bring level to about 1" below glass vent tube (Note: here be sure and add about 1 1/2" of water into looped vent tube as a Air Lock rotate it so it gets into center loop. A little more or less is okay. I ran a plastic length of surgical tubing from the end of this loop tube into a wide based jar with a small neck. Pickle jar is good r you want something not easily overturned. I had a few fish tank stones that act as airiaters andput on on end so tube would stay in jar, then filled it with water. Is already getting c02 bubbles by this time. Make sure everything is sealed tight! The pickle jar thing was a extra as I had several jugs working at same time and this insured if water in loop tube evaporated I had a backup plan

(Yes! You need to watch a few things as reason demands, ok?)

The whole point is you want the least amount of oxygen in contact with your Must mixture as prolonged contact will create Vineger... probably the best Thailand has ever seen

you will use a campden solution to clean your bottles and corks when you get ready to bottle just insure they have dried internally before you pour your mix into them. Now a word here to not worry. When I did the Blueberry mix it was almost all gone by the time it was done fermenting, Had alot of base still to be filtered out when I did the Longkran. most will settle out and you can siphon the liquid into your bottles. I siphoned the longkran thru a set of coffee filters used 6 as one clogged I just lifted it out and continued into the next one (Stacking the filters was easiest part) this I filled another jug so I could see if there was more to sedimate to setttle out after a couple days if fermentation had stopped I bottled and corked and labled. be sure to as you do this to seal any container your wine is in... Until you uncork and drink it! As your probably going to be tempted... go ahead and do a sample taste test as you are filtering it. At least your going to know before hand if your skills as a Winemaker are any good!

As I stated in previous Email here, I tried to find the large Thai Yeast Tablets. I am sure they would adapt extremely well. I suppose if you knew someone who made the rice wine around Song Kran time to do some trading Then Buy some and Offer to share a Bottle or 2. To insure a continued supply (Horse Trading never hurt anyone... Not even the "Horse"!

David, thanks - this was far more than I had hoped for...Now just waiting for a couple photos to back it up

Also curious how far you could take the fermentation - I doubt that strength approaches 30%, but anyway it does not matter much compared to the taste.

Like another post stated, when do you open a small outlet so we can taste the goods?

Your info certainly tempted me for setting up a small plant - cannot wait until I semi-retire in a few months time.

Maybe we should start independent thread about beer/wine making...

[wayned]

they are trying to prevent you to drink much.

Not true, they will raise the tax on any product that you can not do without, booze, fuel, cigarettes, etc.! If they raised the tax on underwear I just wouldn't wear it, oops, haven't worn it in years!

[Gonsalviz]

In Koh Phangan the average price for all the small bottle beers has gone up 103 bt a box, so at 4.2 baht a bottle or so at my restaurant I raised all my prices 5 baht. In theory that really isnt even a price raise just a tax hike. Most everyone in the country should expect at least that when ever establishments reprint their menus.

My prior job in the states I worked for the company that owns Jack Daniels, Brown Forman. There was nothing more the company loved then a state wide tax increase on spirits. This was the one time that we could raise our prices and hide the price increase in the consumers assumption that the price raise was entirely tax. This explains why different brands are showing different price increases. Some companies are smart enough to employ this strategy right away while others take a while longer to exploit the opportunity for of course.....more corporate profits.

In my opinion beer and alcohol are not cheap in thailand on a wholesale level, in fact its quite expensive. Us drinkers only benifit from the fact that in Thailand most (obviously not ritzy hotels, clubs etc) on premise accounts (bar or restaurants) mark up alcohol only 100%. Lets just hope that the country continues to give anyone with a pulse and 1200 baht a liquor license. If those licenses become set in number or difficult to get you can kiss that small mark up goodbye and we are all going to be making the trip to Cambo to get drunk!

Although the temperature is far from ideal here for home brewing, I would love to see that take off like it has in the states. Someone get off your couch in Bangkok and open a home brew equipment store. I can already imagine killer asian style fusion beers like a kaffir leaf lemongrass Belgian style tipple! 8% yum!!!

I do believe there is a website for homebrew kits in BKK. I saw it posted here before.

[Gonsalviz]

The fact that you could drink 8 cases of beer before it turned skunky....that sound I hear must be the screaming from your liver.

Some people have these things called "friends"...

And Family.

[maprao]

Family will see that quantity off in a weekend!

But the extreme extra expediture can be attributed to the rise in cost of this

Edited October 15, 2013 by maprao