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Vegemite is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewer's yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It is renowned for its salty, sometimes yeasty flavor. While it is a beloved staple for many Australians, some prisoners have been using Vegemite to make alcohol. As a result, Vegemite has been banned in some Australian jails to prevent inmates from extracting yeast to make home brew.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for ban | Vegemite is banned in some Australian jails to prevent inmates from using the yeast in it to make homebrew |
| Alcohol content of homebrew | Between 3.5 to 5 percent |
| Taste of homebrew | Awful |
| Cost of homebrew | AUD 0.27 for 375ml |
| Commercial cost | AUD 1.60 for 375ml |
| Banned in | Victorian prisons, New South Wales prisons |
| Year of ban | 2007 |
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What You'll Learn
Vegemite is banned in Victorian jails
Vegemite, a thick, dark brown Australian food spread, has been banned in Victorian jails since the 1990s. The salty, yeasty spread is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. While Vegemite does not contain any live yeast, it is still used by inmates to produce alcohol. The process involves melting the Vegemite and using it to ferment common carbs or sugars into bootleg liquor.
The Australian prison hooch, also known as "Vegemite Beer", has gained notoriety for its ability to assist in fermentation despite its salt content. The spread's high yeast content makes it a potent yeast nutrient, and with the right ingredients, it can contribute to a homebrew with an alcohol content of 3.5 to 5 percent. The University of Queensland researchers found that 375 ml of homemade Vegemite beer would cost only about 27 cents, making it a cost-effective way for prisoners to produce alcohol.
The issue of prison wine brewing, also known as "pruno", is not unique to Australia. It is an international phenomenon that has cropped up in prisons worldwide, with fruit such as oranges being a key ingredient. However, the use of Vegemite in the brewing process is particularly prevalent in Australian jails, leading to its ban in Victorian prisons.
The ban on Vegemite in Victorian jails is part of a broader effort by authorities to crack down on the production of jailhouse hooch. While some may question the effectiveness of the ban considering the availability of other ingredients for brewing, the high yeast content of Vegemite makes it a convenient and effective catalyst for fermentation.
The decision to ban Vegemite in Victorian jails highlights the challenges faced by correctional facilities in maintaining order and safety within their walls. With prisoners constantly devising new ways to create alcoholic beverages, the ban on Vegemite is just one of the many measures implemented to address this issue.
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Inmates use Vegemite to make alcohol
Vegemite, a thick, dark brown Australian food spread, has been banned in some Australian jails and prisons. The reason behind this ban is inmates' misuse of the spread to make alcohol.
Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It is usually spread on sandwiches, toast, crumpets, and cracker biscuits and used as a filling for pastries. The spread is similar to other yeast-based spreads such as Marmite from the UK, and its New Zealand version, Australian Promite, MightyMite, AussieMite, OzEmite, German Vitam-R, and Swiss Cenovis. It has a salty, slightly bitter, malty, and umami flavor similar to beef bouillon due to its richness in glutamates.
Despite containing no live yeast, the high yeast content in Vegemite can be used to make alcohol. Inmates have been melting the spread and fermenting it with common carbs, sugar, or fruit to make bootleg alcoholic beverages. This practice has been particularly common during the lead-up to the holiday season. The Department of Justice has banned Vegemite in prisons to crack down on these activities.
University of Queensland researchers have found that 375 ml of homemade Vegemite beer would cost about 27 cents, compared to the $1.60 cost of a commercial bottle. However, it has been described as "pretty awful stuff" and "pretty awful." It has been called "jailhouse hooch" and is considered part of the "wine of crime."
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Vegemite beer is cheap to make
Vegemite, a breakfast spread with a peanut butter-like consistency, is made from brewers' yeast extract. It is a staple in Australia, renowned for its salty, yeasty flavour.
Vegemite has been banned in some Australian jails to prevent inmates from using it to make homebrew. The yeast-heavy spread is conducive to brewing alcohol, with prisoners melting it down to ferment carbs, sugar, or other ingredients into bootleg liquor.
University of Queensland researchers found that 375ml of homemade Vegemite beer costs about 27 cents, compared to the $1.60 price tag of a commercial bottle. However, the taste of Vegemite beer has been described as \"awful\" and \"bland,\" with a distinct Vegemite aftertaste.
To make Vegemite beer, sugar, Vegemite, and yeast are needed. While it is a cheap alternative to commercial beer, the trade-off is the taste, which may not be for everyone.
- Wash the yeast by placing it in a jar of water, allowing it to settle, and then pouring off the water. Repeat this process several times to remove the bitter taste.
- Combine the washed yeast with sugar, Vegemite, and water to initiate the fermentation process.
- The fermentation process will convert sugars to alcohol using microorganisms like yeast.
- Additional ingredients like fruit, bread, ketchup, or cordial can be added for flavour, as seen in prison "pruno" or "jailhouse hooch."
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![Vegemite (7.7 ounce) by Vegemite [Foods]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514fm2IwHwL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
It's called jailhouse hooch
Vegemite, a thick, dark brown Australian food spread, has been banned in some Australian jails. The reason for this is not because of its unique taste, but because prisoners have been using it to make alcohol.
The process, known as "jailhouse hooch", involves prisoners extracting yeast from the spread to make homebrew. With the right ingredients, this can produce alcohol with a content of between 3.5% and 5%. The process has become so common that authorities have been cracking down on it, with the Department of Justice banning Vegemite in some prisons.
The University of Queensland's Ben Shultz has admitted that the resulting brew is "'pretty awful stuff". However, he also noted that "at a stretch, you can call it beer". The university's researchers found that 375ml of homemade Vegemite beer would cost around 27 cents, compared to $1.60 for a commercial bottle.
The process of making "jailhouse hooch" involves melting down the Vegemite and fermenting it with common ingredients such as basic carbs or sugar. Fruits such as oranges can also be used, as well as other ingredients like bread, ketchup, or cordial.
Despite Vegemite containing no live yeast, it can still be used as a substrate for other microorganisms that can produce alcohol. This has led to its banning in Victorian prisons since the 1990s and more recently in jails in New South Wales.
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The taste is described as awful
Vegemite is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewer's yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It is renowned for its salty, sometimes yeasty flavour and has been described as having an umami taste similar to beef bouillon. While it is a beloved staple in Australia, it is certainly an acquired taste, and some people find it downright awful.
The spread's high yeast content has made it a target for prisoners looking to brew their own alcohol, leading to its ban in some Australian jails. Despite Vegemite containing no live yeast, it can be used as a substrate for other microorganisms that can produce alcohol through fermentation. This has resulted in a crackdown on the spread in correctional facilities, particularly during the lead-up to the holiday season when bootleg booze production tends to increase.
The process of making "jailhouse hooch" or "prison wine" involves melting down the Vegemite and fermenting it with common ingredients like fruit, water, sugar, bread, or ketchup. The resulting alcohol content can range from 3.5% to 5%, which is comparable to commercial beer.
Some have described the taste of this homemade brew as "pretty awful stuff," and it is unclear how palatable it truly is. However, the motivation for prisoners to attempt brewing their own alcohol outweighs any potential unpleasantness in the taste.
While the taste of the brew may be questionable, Vegemite itself has a dedicated fan base in Australia, where it is often considered a comfort food. It is commonly eaten on toast or other breakfast items and is known for being rich in B vitamins. For many Australians, it is a beloved and iconic food item that they crave due to its familiarity.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Vegemite has been banned in some Australian jails.
Vegemite is banned in some Australian jails to prevent inmates from using the yeast in the spread to make alcohol.
Inmates melt down Vegemite and ferment it with common carbs or sugar to make bootleg alcohol.
Vegemite is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewer's yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives.
