9 Surprising Uses for Beer (Page 9)

7. Polish Pots
In the past, dregs of beer from spent kegs was collected and used to polish the copper vats in breweries. Because of beer’s subtle acidity, it can help boost shine without staining the metal like a higher-acidity liquid would. Try an inconspicuous test spot first–dampen a soft towel with beer, and buff. I also love some of Annie’s formulas for metal polishing.

8. Build a Beer Bottle Bungalow
Seriously? Many handmade houses employ the copious use of empty beer cans and bottles in their walls, like the amazing one pictured here, built by Tito Ingenieri in Quilmes, Argentina. He used 6 million beer bottles, can you imagine? All that newly-produced structural material foregone, all those bottles put to fabulous reuse. So maybe you don’t have 6 million bottles to recycle, or, a house to build? This method can be translated to retaining walls, patio walls, or perhaps a beer-bottle dog house.

9. Trap Fruit Flies
They say you can catch more flies with honey? Maybe they haven’t tried beer. Anyone with an indoor compost bin or worm farm had probably experienced a plague of fruit flies at some point. But guess what, not only do fruit flies dig fermenting organic matter, they love them some beer. Try this: put some beer in a cup; cut the corner off of a sandwich bag and place the cut corner in the cup; folding the rest around the cup and securing with a rubber band. Place the cup in the bin and say good bye to little flying guys. For irksome houseflies, learn how to make an all-natural pest strip here.

So what am I missing? Do you have any clever tips for using old beer? Share in the comments…

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Duane B.

8:08AM PDT on Mar 19, 2013

Thank you for sharing.

March 19
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Dale O.

8:21AM PDT on Jul 31, 2012

Intriguing, a conga line of fruit flies!
Several good uses for beer found here!

July 31
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Margaret M. F.

8:35PM PDT on May 2, 2012

Thank-you for the informative article. Is there a way with these types of articles, to put more on a page instead of giving each use its own page? That would be very much appreciated. For some, it's easier to scroll than to change each page after page.

May 2
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Valerie A.

7:28PM PDT on May 2, 2012

Thanks

2:23PM PDT on May 2, 2012

Useful tips.

Reggie T.

2:42PM PDT on Apr 30, 2012

Who in the world came up with concoction?really a pound of sugar!!!! I hope no one is crazy enough making this for them self instead for the Butterflies.(O_O)