Cost of living crisis.

[phantom]

See, like everyone, I also dig around for the cheapest sugar etc.

But, as a "non-accounting/financial" wizard, I wonder how it pans out cost-wise when we factor in the cost of any stilling kit and our labour/time. Because only then would we have a truly accurate costing.

Sure, it's likely to always be cheaper than retail whatever (differing products/different prices etc).

See, I know that big business will use different "accounts" to spread out the numbers but in the longer term, it must be hard to work out because we've no way of knowing what the longevity of the hardware is. But I'm thinking that working it out like the corporates would/might, but even then it's not easy.

An acquaintance who was with BT explained it a bit with I.T. kit. A new computer has an accounting life of say, 5 years, but the value may be it's initial cost in the first year but it's then annually depreciated until the 5th year, so that by the end of that year it may still work fine, but has an accounting value of zero - and accordingly, it makes more money.........

[buffalobob]

I'm out of sugar as of yesterday and did a search for it online. Coop site quoted 74p per kilo but instore its actually a quid per kilo like everywhere else at the moment. It's at an 11year high now, thats 52% up on what it used to be.

[phantom]

I'm out of sugar as of yesterday and did a search for it online. Coop site quoted 74p per kilo but instore its actually a quid per kilo like everywhere else at the moment. It's at an 11year high now, thats 52% up on what it used to be.

Some of the stuff I see/read at various places have said that sugar is the commodity that's gone up the most in the last 12 months (while others go further because everywhere has seen increases, but we're getting hammered even more because of the "B word").......

[WelshGin]

Eh? Brexit..., or Bollock..., or Boris...., or Butin...., Eh which one!

Buck em all!

[Mash]

Brandy.... Beer makers.... Biscuits... Blondes...

What's going on

[gaza the instructor]

There is a load of crap being talked as per. and profiteering.

[buffalobob]

I read something about sugar crops being damaged by unseasonably bad weather, climate change probably then, and you're right phantom the B word isn't helping.

[WelshGin]

Ok. Worth a surf, I know we grow beat sugar in the uk, do we grow cane sugar (haven't seen any) or don't we have a suitable climate?

Are we self sufficient regarding sugar in the UK? I assume we import some, do we export too?

I Like an island mentality. I like Brexit, not so much Boris now. It's a Bank Holiday Let's have a Beautiful day.

I have put my bike back together. Those big ice cubes just fit in the water bottle nicely, I need to buy a box of those little tonic cans, they fit in small saddle pouch, I always have a knife in said pouch so a lemon has to go in there as well.

[WelshGin]

No. There is a crisis, I will decant fresh tonic from a litre bottle into a smaller bottle.
I don't need to buy anything.

[WelshGin]

So no, our sugar grown in the UK derived from sugar beets. We reprocess cane sugar which is imported. I choose the wrong island......are we (net) self sufficient? Yes, we could be, but the vagueries of the international/global sugar market determine we are often not.

I will put some more air in the bike tyres......

[WelshGin]

And while I am on, .....while producing nuetral has anyone noticed the difference between fermenting with beet or cane sugar? Maybe this island is OK......

[gaza the instructor]

Now you have gone and done it WG, Mash will be all excited and give
you the answer to your sugar question.
You have been warned.

[phantom]

Doesn't have to be Mash.........

It could be all in my head, but I try to make sure that it's cane sugar that I use as I'm sure I can taste a sort of low level dust/soil/dirt flavour note from beet sugar.

Sure, if that's all I can find at the time and if I have plenty of neutral stocked (from cane sugar) I'll get it, make the batch and once it's distilled, mix them up (about 4 to 1, cane to beet spirit).

Similar to me only using RO water, as local tap (very hard) water seems to give me a harsh flavour note.....

[gaza the instructor]

Well Mr P if the difference is large, maybe we need to get used to beet sugar as
it grows here and all cane sugar is imported so will become lots more Dolla.

[buffalobob]

I prefer cane to beat but I'm not sure if there is a marked difference between the two. I've only used beat on a few occasions when saino's were out of cane
If they are both the same price or not much in it I know which I'll be getting

[gaza the instructor]

Thats for sure BB I buy T&L from Costcos and put it on the house keep bill.
Up there for thinking etc.... Trouble is I pay the house keep bill anyway.

[buffalobob]

I was in Saino's this morning 5kg bags of sugar are down to £4.75 so down a little bit

[gaza the instructor]

Its the usual story BB, fast to rise and slow to fall. Its like your mortgage, bank rate rise and its like a
whip crack and they all move together, but when the rate drops it can take weeks.

[buffalobob]

Us brewists should rise up, I think you're the man to lead the great sugar revolt Gazza, we'll all be behind you dude

[WelshGin]

Yes I agree. Let's all us distillers march on Parliament and object to this, un-agreeable rise in sugar products. Feck the diabetics, they can roll along in their wheel chairs too.... They presumably want as much fully leaded coke and ckocky at a reasonable price too.

It would however be a great change in government policy. Don't see it happening, let's stay where we are and continue to look for the offers...

However, if there is a reasonable overpowering argument to be made, Gazza is our man! What might he call our party? I want to vote, up for this I am.....

[gaza the instructor]

Why don't we just call our Party "The Party" and do just that.
We vow to party hard 24/7 .

[Mash]

I vote for "The party"

[WelshGin]

True. We are the Party.

[gaza the instructor]

Ohhh Yeahh !!

[WelshGin]

Unfortunately I do no not foresee our 'party' getting 'in' and I don't believe it would be wise to come 'out'. So, as I am unsure of my position I will have a G&T and deliberate the issue.

Waiting for the Co Op offers email, they always discount sugar products, satisfying the addicts, they continue with this as they offer funeral plans and services, must be a connection....

Up 'The Party'.