Sober September anyone?

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Replies

  • leeanneowens
    leeanneowens Posts: 319 Member
    I'm in but I don't drink anyway.:laugh:
  • FYI, there are such things as alcohol free beers as a quick Google will confirm (e.g. http://www.alcoholfree.co.uk/index.php?cPath=2_65_50). I brew my own beer and wine (or used to), so I know its possible. You just have to boil the almost finished beer and the alcohol will evaporate before the water. 0% beers are even allowed by Islam for example.

    However, as tempted as I was (and I almost bought a 6 pack of alcohol free beer on Sunday), I figured I was just continuing my need for alcohol if I did. So instead, I bought some schloer and some ginger beer and some fruit juice. Its much better for me and cheaper and if I am honest, its tastier. There's a reason that when I first started drinking beer I didnt like it... thats because it doesnt actually taste that good.

    That said, I was watching Evan Almighty last night and in one scene I have no clue what was being said as I was just looking / drooling at the wine glass on the table... mmm mmm :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    No matter how long you boil it, you will never get every bit of alcohol out of beer. Same thing with cooking with alcohol. Even with hours of boiling, there are still trace amounts of alcohol left. You might be able to round it down to zero, but it will never truly be zero.
  • No matter how long you boil it, you will never get every bit of alcohol out of beer. Same thing with cooking with alcohol. Even with hours of boiling, there are still trace amounts of alcohol left. You might be able to round it down to zero, but it will never truly be zero.

    Why dont you actually read about this subject rather than just quoting what you believe? What you are saying is wrong. They can remove all the alcohol from alcoholic drinks. They can do this by boiling (especially at higher pressures which then means the alcohol will evaporate at room temperatue) and by using filters which only allow the alcohol and the water through.

    What you are saying is just not true. There are too many people on MFP who just state things that they believe without actually reading up on the facts.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Then why are non-alcoholic commercial beers labeled as having 0.5% abv?
    Nonalcoholic” beverages still contain some alcohol, because it’s difficult and prohibitively expensive to get every single bit of it out. In order to be called nonalcoholic under federal laws, a beverage can contain up to half a percent of alcohol by volume. (Something with no alcohol at all is called alcohol-free.) So people who are forbidden to drink alcohol, like devout Muslims, can’t partake in so-called nonalcoholic beer and wine. Nor can people under the age of 21, according to the law. It takes about 10 nonalcoholic malt beverages to equal the alcohol in one American-style lager, says George Reisch, a veteran brewer with Anheuser-Busch and the former brewmaster of O’Doul’s.
    http://www.chow.com/food-news/53912/how-are-nonalcoholic-beer-and-wine-made/

    True 0% alcohol beer isn't fermented, and to me, that isn't actually beer.
  • @Tigersword.

    I agree that the vast majority of what are referred to as "alcohol free" drinks, especially those in a bar or supermarket, are in actuality "low alcohol" and have ~0.5% or less alcohol in them (they SHOULD be >0.05% to be classed as alcohol free to be honest). That means that in many places kids are allowed to drink them by law. However, it does NOT make them 0%.

    However, you can make alcohol free (0%) beer and wines that have previously been fermented (Eg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bavaria_0.0% ). As far as I'm aware the only beer that is commercially available that is 0% and not fermented is Kirin Free, (http://www.kirin.com/KIRINFREE.aspx) but there could be others. The usual method is to brew as normal then filter using reverse osmosis which removes all the alcohol. You can get the idea at this link http://www.chow.com/food-news/53912/how-are-nonalcoholic-beer-and-wine-made/ which you linked to. That shows that they ferment and then filter.

    Upside of these low and alcohol free beers is they are also low calorie. Downside is, they tend(ed) to taste pretty awful. These days, they are tasting a lot better, but I'd probably not try them warm. They are also almost the same price as "regular" beers, so its a bit pointless getting them when a soda is so much cheaper and probably nicer.

    Anyway, all this talking about beer is REALLY not helping my desire to not drink, which is what this thread is about after all. So we can agree to disagree and move on and just support all those ex alcoholics who are trying to do something good for their bodies.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Good job everyone!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    There's really no such thing as alcohol free beer. Non-alcoholic beers (besides tasting horrible) still have alcohol in them, just much less than a normal beer. Just like how a zero calorie diet soda actually has about 3 calories in it.

    Alcohol is what makes beer. It's impossible to completely remove it after brewing.
    and??? Is the suggestion that the folks drinking N/A/ beer some how aren't doing a "sober september"?
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,260 Member
    There's really no such thing as alcohol free beer. Non-alcoholic beers (besides tasting horrible) still have alcohol in them, just much less than a normal beer. Just like how a zero calorie diet soda actually has about 3 calories in it.

    Alcohol is what makes beer. It's impossible to completely remove it after brewing.
    and??? Is the suggestion that the folks drinking N/A/ beer some how aren't doing a "sober september"?

    Dunno, but I think a bad Puritanical streak is edging in here, maybe we should all go down the pub? :drinker:

    For me I shall not even have a shandy,which can legally [in UK] be sold to children if under 2% ABV
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,260 Member
    Today was an eye opener, I popped into the Spotted Cow to check on the charity collecting tin [not much in it] and decided to have half pint of diet cola, no ice

    I was bloody charged £1.60, that makes it £3.30 a pint which is same price as HSB, and that is 4.8% ABV and taxed accordingly
    http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=51

    Nearly drove me to drink :drinker:

    Last time I buy cola in a pub, I shall stick to beer once I come of this wagon
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    5 years sober today.

    Stopping drinking was the best decision I ever made in my entire life.

    I have lost 40 lbs and 15% body fat since I stopped. I am now training for a half marathon and I actually have enjoyed 5 wonderful trips to the beach with my nieces and nephews instead of being mad at them for not going to bed so I could start drinking or being noisy the next day because I was hungover.

    IF ANYONE decides that they are sick and tired of being sick and tired bound by the chains of alcohol, please feel free to message me, I will be happy to help you out and point you in the right direction.
  • kiittenforever
    kiittenforever Posts: 478 Member
    Count me in. 15 days so far...
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 639 Member
    I tried, I couldn't.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    5 years sober today.

    Stopping drinking was the best decision I ever made in my entire life.

    I have lost 40 lbs and 15% body fat since I stopped. I am now training for a half marathon and I actually have enjoyed 5 wonderful trips to the beach with my nieces and nephews instead of being mad at them for not going to bed so I could start drinking or being noisy the next day because I was hungover.

    IF ANYONE decides that they are sick and tired of being sick and tired bound by the chains of alcohol, please feel free to message me, I will be happy to help you out and point you in the right direction.

    Wow! That is amazing! You rock!
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
    I've already had some alcohol but I have been cutting it out - so count me partially in.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
    I'm in - except, can I take Communion on Sunday - AND do I have to log the wafer in my food diary?
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    You can count on me, been sober since 1989!
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    5 years sober today.

    Stopping drinking was the best decision I ever made in my entire life.

    I have lost 40 lbs and 15% body fat since I stopped. I am now training for a half marathon and I actually have enjoyed 5 wonderful trips to the beach with my nieces and nephews instead of being mad at them for not going to bed so I could start drinking or being noisy the next day because I was hungover.

    IF ANYONE decides that they are sick and tired of being sick and tired bound by the chains of alcohol, please feel free to message me, I will be happy to help you out and point you in the right direction.

    Wow! That is amazing! You rock!


    Thank you! I am incredibly blessed and very thankful for the willingness to stop. This girl loved her some Grey Goose now, let me tell ya that. I would also like to state that I have also calculated the savings to be around 800 bucks a month. This includes cigarettes, greasy McDonalds hangover food and the maid that cleaned because I was to lazy to.

    That money adds up, I now have the Viking kitchen of my dreams. :)
  • Tiff1124
    Tiff1124 Posts: 261 Member
    I actually tried giving up beer for Lent this year. I made it about 3 days.. haha

    That is why I drink low carb/low cal beer. If I try to give it up completely, I'd fail miserably :D
  • Tiff1124
    Tiff1124 Posts: 261 Member
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  • survivor1952
    survivor1952 Posts: 250 Member
    nope.

    By the way... I DO NOT like your pic of dog over Steelers emblem!
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    39 days - alcohol free
  • afhusted
    afhusted Posts: 5 Member
    I decided to give up alcohol for September. It's only difficult when I am out (I do a few acoutic nights, folk clubs etc. in pubs). I run a monthly open mic session which is tomorrow night. That will be a tricky night not to have a drink.

    I was at a session on Tuesday and had two pints of diet coke instead of my usual 3 pints of Guiness. It is the first time I've come home from a session and not made a scooby-snack.

    I joined MFP about a week ago and cannot believe how the weight is dropping off. I guess being aware of your calorie intake makes a big difference. And not having a Guinness/glass of wine every night must help.

    Anyway, good luck to anyone trying to go tea-total for the month.
  • Went to a 50th birthday party today and managed to survive it. I was there from 6 until just after 9. I drank "Bavaria Holland" 0% beer. It wont win any prizes when it comes to taste for certain, but I was able to drink it and it "sort of" tasted like beer and I fit in better than if I was drinking water. It was only £3 for 10 of them too.

    Like I say, it wont win any taste prizes, but it got me through. Have to say I'm getting to the stage where I am very conscious of just how prevalent alcohol is and that almost every social function seems to revolve around it. I'm also considering going longer than September with this. I will have to see. I'm just a bit appalled how aware I am getting of people's dependence on it (mine included) and the affect it has on us.

    Oh and obviously I am 15 days in now. Its a little easier.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Went to a 50th birthday party today and managed to survive it. I was there from 6 until just after 9. I drank "Bavaria Holland" 0% beer. It wont win any prizes when it comes to taste for certain, but I was able to drink it and it "sort of" tasted like beer and I fit in better than if I was drinking water. It was only £3 for 10 of them too.

    Like I say, it wont win any taste prizes, but it got me through. Have to say I'm getting to the stage where I am very conscious of just how prevalent alcohol is and that almost every social function seems to revolve around it. I'm also considering going longer than September with this. I will have to see. I'm just a bit appalled how aware I am getting of people's dependence on it (mine included) and the affect it has on us.

    Oh and obviously I am 15 days in now. Its a little easier.
    Hmm, I guess I don't have the same experience, really. My friends go out. Some have a glass or two of wine, some don't. I'm going to a big sporting event tonight. 10 of us going, maybe 4 will partake.
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
    Ha!
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Went to a 50th birthday party today and managed to survive it. I was there from 6 until just after 9. I drank "Bavaria Holland" 0% beer. It wont win any prizes when it comes to taste for certain, but I was able to drink it and it "sort of" tasted like beer and I fit in better than if I was drinking water. It was only £3 for 10 of them too.

    Like I say, it wont win any taste prizes, but it got me through. Have to say I'm getting to the stage where I am very conscious of just how prevalent alcohol is and that almost every social function seems to revolve around it. I'm also considering going longer than September with this. I will have to see. I'm just a bit appalled how aware I am getting of people's dependence on it (mine included) and the affect it has on us.

    Oh and obviously I am 15 days in now. Its a little easier.


    :flowerforyou:
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    Doesn't really count because I don't drink anyway... I'll be sober in Sept just like August and October.

    Great job to those of you cutting down or cutting it out of your lives. Alcohol is a nice escape sometimes but can easily fall in the wrong direction
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    I am always sober. :) except once or twice a year when I might have a glass of wine or two.
  • LeggyAmericanGirl
    LeggyAmericanGirl Posts: 285 Member
    Im sober til my goal weight. 8 months so far !