Talk to me about biodiesel

[G-spotter]

Oil crops and grain crops are two different things. Using food to make fuel raises the price of food, sure. Using the right data when you are arguing also makes for a stronger argument.

 

Speaking of which, over the course of 2007, food prices in Canada increased 0.2%.

[JayB]

Oil crops and grain crops are two different things. Using food to make fuel raises the price of food, sure. Using the right data when you are arguing also makes for a stronger argument.

 

Speaking of which, over the course of 2007, food prices in Canada increased 0.2%.

 

People stop growing food crops when they can make more money growing crops for fuel.

 

Brewers are apparently having a hard time finding hops now that the folks who used to sell it to them have switched to growing corn.

[Dechristo]

So, switch to cornbeer. The Tarahumara Indians swear by the shit.

[Chad_A]

Oil crops and grain crops are two different things. Using food to make fuel raises the price of food, sure. Using the right data when you are arguing also makes for a stronger argument.

 

Speaking of which, over the course of 2007, food prices in Canada increased 0.2%.

 

I could be wrong, but I think he's getting at the less availability of food with the presence of more land being used to grow oilseed, or whatever. Hell, what do I know.

 

Similar to what JayB states about hops. Hops prices are going through the roof because less land is being utilized to grow them, as it's more lucrative to grow other crops- and hops are more finicky to grow, and take more specialized equipment to do it. I've spoken to a couple of the local brewers and they've said that they're buying up the hops all they can. It's going to make the super hoppy West Coast IPAs pretty expensive to produce.

 

I bet the beer prices in Canada didn't raise any, though, because there isn't much hops in Canadian beer...if any at all

 

BTW, Kevin, I had a VW pal of mine tell me that VW will warranty up to 5% BD, but that may have changed- I haven't looked into it lately.

Edited April 25, 2008 by Chad_A

[Chad_A]

Kevin, here you go-

 

http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=413

[grtmtnchic]

Hops prices are going through the roof because less land is being utilized to grow them, as it's more lucrative to grow other crops- and hops are more finicky to grow, and take more specialized equipment to do it. I've spoken to a couple of the local brewers and they've said that they're buying up the hops all they can. It's going to make the super hoppy West Coast IPAs pretty expensive to produce.

 

Well, what I was taught in my Ag. classes is that the problem with hops started when the process of preserving the useful part of the hop cone (lupulin) was put into practice. Farmers stopped growing hops because there was a glut of preserved hops that would supply brewers for many years out...less market (lower price) for fresh hops. It's kinda ironic that there's a shortage now! A lot of farmers in E. Wash. put housing developments (not corn) ontop their hop fields and made a lot more money off of them!

 

I'm sure the beer "crisis" will get a lot more attention than any kind of food crisis and will be sorted out quickly

 

 

 

 

[G-spotter]

It's classic market economics. People will grow hops again when they can turn a profit doing it.

 

Isn't American beer all piss-flavoured hop because you've been brainwashed into thinking more is better? Quantity is not quality.

[olyclimber]

what about those that prefer the taste of piss you high and mighty canuck???????

[G-spotter]

Well, for you, lie down and open your mouth cause I have a triple Canadiano coming through my kidneys.

[Chad_A]

Hops prices are going through the roof because less land is being utilized to grow them, as it's more lucrative to grow other crops- and hops are more finicky to grow, and take more specialized equipment to do it. I've spoken to a couple of the local brewers and they've said that they're buying up the hops all they can. It's going to make the super hoppy West Coast IPAs pretty expensive to produce.

 

Well, what I was taught in my Ag. classes is that the problem with hops started when the process of preserving the useful part of the hop cone (lupulin) was put into practice. Farmers stopped growing hops because there was a glut of preserved hops that would supply brewers for many years out...less market (lower price) for fresh hops. It's kinda ironic that there's a shortage now! A lot of farmers in E. Wash. put housing developments (not corn) ontop their hop fields and made a lot more money off of them!

 

I'm sure the beer "crisis" will get a lot more attention than any kind of food crisis and will be sorted out quickly

 

That's probably a more accurate statement- I just know what the brewers and beer 'zines tell me. And that's one thing that's definitely true- the "shortage" will turn into an abundance once again, for sure.

 

G-spot- you sound more bitter than the hops you're missing out on

[rob]

As I understand it, and from talking to brew supply shops, the high-cost of hops has a lot to do with a disasterous 2006 growing season combined with a large warehouse fire which destroyed 4% of the entire US crop.

 

On top of that, as grtmtnchic points out, a lot of hop farmers quit the business a decade ago when there was a glut of hops on the market, but now all that oversupply has been depleted, allowing no relief to the awful season of 2006.

 

The big brewers tend to manage their own hop farms to ensure consistent "quality" so I think its mostly micro-brewers and home-brewers being hit by the rising cost of hops.

[grtmtnchic]

As I understand it, and from talking to brew supply shops, the high-cost of hops has a lot to do with a disasterous 2006 growing season combined with a large warehouse fire which destroyed 4% of the entire US crop.

 

On top of that, as grtmtnchic points out, a lot of hop farmers quit the business a decade ago when there was a glut of hops on the market, but now all that oversupply has been depleted, allowing no relief to the awful season of 2006.

 

The big brewers tend to manage their own hop farms to ensure consistent "quality" so I think its mostly micro-brewers and home-brewers being hit by the rising cost of hops.

 

Oh yeah, I remember hearing about that! I mostly stopped paying attention to it when my ag education ended in 2002, so my info is old! Thanks for the more up to date info.

 

Either way, the depletion of hops has little to nothing to do with farmers switching to corn for ethanol production like someone suggested.

 

As a biofuel, ethanol SUCKS, and it's giving biodiesel a bad rap. Now congress (ruled by oil barons) is HOPING to restrict ALL biofuels because of the food "crisis", and they want to blanket all biofuels because of the impact ethanol crops have had on the food economy. The real story is they want to persuade everyone through fear tactics that all biofuels are bad so that we'll keep driving on gasoline and they'll keep getting rich off of us. There is a HUGE difference between crops used for ethanol and crops used for biodiesel - biodiesel uses byproducts of the food industry and doesn't take away from food production whereas ethanol uses a whole crop and directly competes with the food supply. While they are both technically biofuels, one is far more sustainable (and efficient) than the other.

 

Just pay attention to the hype that is rampant in the news right now and you will notice that there is (intentionally) rarely a distinction made between biodiesel and ethanol...it's a total conspiracy to convince people that BOTH are bad and BOTH are causing the rise in food prices when really the problem is only being caused by Ethanol. Friggin' oil bastards! Will they ever be rich enough?