Rations

[coastaltrash]

Re: And speaking of coffee

I would guess the big thing they had with them that shot fire and bullets from the end. A GUN. or they figured a way out by trial and error

[Charles Heath]

Re: And speaking of coffee

I noticed the lads didn't complain too much about the pine sawdust, horse hair, shop floor sweepings, and other additives used to stretch that gov't coffee at Pittsburg Landing this past weekend. Something hot, black, and slightly bitter was good enough.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: And speaking of coffee

It made for great coffee at Pittsburg Landing, but we're still not too sure about that supposed "stew" on Saturday!

[redleggeddevil]

Re: And speaking of coffee

My contacts in the National Park Service have asked me to suppress any an all discussion of the "stew" served at Shiloh. My understanding is that, due to the heavy rains, there is a good possibility that some of the remnants may have washed into the Tennessee River.

That being the case, all shipping on the river has been suspended indefinitely, and the EPA is scrambling to bring all available staff into the area, making it the largest Superfund site in history. The Governor of Tennessee, speaking off the record, has said that "This spill has the potential to make Chernobyl look like an overturned soft drink."

But the coffee was good.

[Charles Heath]

Re: And speaking of coffee

Stew? What stew? We had stew?

I noticed the slops bucket ended up on the serving line Sunday morning. It had some fish remains, fried onions, kraut, corned beef, beans, cabbage, carrots and whatever else it in. Rumor has four men actually partook of it....

Must have been Norwegians.

Okay, more about that in the appropriate thread. This is supposed to be about coffee, or reasonable facsimiles thereof.

[Amtmann]

Re: And speaking of coffee

Why not leave the beans whole? You can boil them a couple of times and then sell them to unsuspecting civilians (From what rumors I've heard about the Feds doing that down South).

[lthull3rdla]

Re: And speaking of coffee

Hello Gentleman, tis I, Ronnie Hull from Louisiana, who started this recent coffee thread! Well here is what I did this past weekend. I ground some fresh roasted Community beans in a small antique coffee grinder ( made them kinda rough, not too fine), put it in a poke sack and made a pot of very nuclear coffee. Around the campfire saturday night, we couldn't decide if it would put hair on or take hair off. I know it lit my rocket and I stayed awake most of the night listening to the drunk.. er.. I mean soldier, in the next company street, snore to the tune of stars and stripes forever. Man.. that was some coffee.

Sunday morning I added a little water to what was left and reheated it.

I saw the battle of Malvern Hill in living color..

I'm gonna try to make vicksburg in june

Ronnie

[edwardwatson]

ISO Mechanical Baking

Tried calling Mechanical Baking at 309-353-2414 but it is disconnected. Anyone have a good contact number for them?

[ephraim_zook]

Re: ISO Mechanical Baking

I tried to get in touch with them for the last several events I've "commissaried" at, without success. The last contact I had with them was exactly two years ago, for McDowell '05. I suspect they are long gone.

Ron Myzie

[Charles Heath]

Re: ISO Mechanical Baking

For what it is worth, I went ahead and consolidated several of these ISO Mech Baking threads, so the next fellow won't have as much search engine work to do.

What a shame it would be if their dies, presses, and other machinery went to the scrapper without anyone having a chance to bid on it.

[Brigand]

Re: And speaking of coffee

The coffee being too weak is the easy part. Make it stronger than you like and water down to suit your taste. Once it's done, you can weaken it all you want but you can't make it stronger. This also helps prevent you from being accused of being a "coffee cooler".

Robert Hooker

[Charles Heath]

Re: Dessicated Vegetables

Try some 'taters this year.

We've fed desiccated potatoes at a number of events, and most of the time the boys don't notice the little dried spud cubes are what they are, which is either a sign their taste buds are plum worn out, or they have become familiar with mule feed, moist hardtack, and other delights.

Of the several sources for dehydrated potatoes fitting the description, this product is pretty darn good:

http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/cat...67/1065785.htm

Nope, they aren't an approved vendor, but I'm hoping the vendor police will understand not too many folks are hand stitching potatoes these days. One question frequently asked is "jus' how many hongree dawgs doth yonder poke feed?" The 52 oz container yields enough to feed 12-15 lads when combined with cubed ham, beef, or salt pork in the form of a hash, just as mentioned in several period receipts.

One company at the recent SCAR Shiloh NPS LH had this for breakfast Sunday morning, and suffered few, if any, digestion related casualties. When Dave Frohmader says, "Some of the downsides to the event [included] breakfast both mornings," you know the food service situation has arrived. While we don't know on precisely which side of the River Styx it has landed, or if Charon is going to be paid in-kind, the vittles have definitely arrived on or near Hades.

The dehydrated potato product also comes in smaller and larger quantities.

[Charles Heath]

Pickled Potatoes Post Mortem

Nobody died, but like the pickled potatoes of yore, they weren't too popular with the officer's mess at the recent SCAR Shiloh NPS LH. Fact is, I'm not sure they were actually touched other than a few scowl inducing samples handed directly to a couple of particpants. :confused_

Next....

[Parault]

Essence of Coffee

Would an Essence of Coffee Label be early war,or late war? or,for that matter period at all. I am looking for this particular label. If anyone knows where I can find this, it would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: Essence of Coffee

I don't know what type of label you are looking for, if a particular type, but Jarnagan's carries a label and tin container , at least as of late April when I bought one from them.