Priest brews in washing machine German adheres to Reinheitsgebot - no soapy taste Feb 4, 2003 - A German priest has found a way to brew beer in his washing machine. Michael Fey, of Duisburg, built a computer interface into the machine to let it run an automatic brewing program. ADVERTISEMENT

The process includes turning and heating, but not spinning, according to a report in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. "A priest without alcohol, that's the wrong combination," he said. "Jesus didn't say, take this healthy camomile tea, he offered wine." Fey brews 30 liter every six weeks, the legal limit for homebrewing in Germany. He has pictures (like the one below) on his website. He said he was inspired by the tradition of monks who brewed beer in a cauldron over a fire. To imitate the technique, he opted for a toploader washing machine. Before he started brewing, he ran it about 20 times to remove any soap residue. The priest brews in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law that dictates only water, malt, hops (and now yeast) shall be used in making beer.

