The Continuing Saga

Water problems part 2.

The other day I saw a puddle on the basement floor, like the pooch couldn't wait to go out, so he ran down to the basement to do it there.   

The odd thing about it was the floor was wet behind the tank too. The well tank, to a dog must look like a hydrant, so let 'er rip. How could he resist the temptation.

I mopped up the mess and kept the pooch upstairs, but sure enough, the puddle formed again. 

So today I stopped at the hardware store to get some 3 piece couplings so I can get the well fitting off, in order to inspect the bottom tank connections.  My hunch was the plumber used insufficient pipe dope on the threaded fittings. 

In preparation, we fill two water jugs and four 5 gal buckets with water. Some for coffee and the rest for flushing. I figured there is a good chance the tank rotted through. 

Getting to 1-1/4 pipe nipple off was a real chore. The joint was so tight that I bent the bottom he tank by torquing the nipple so hard.

I cleaned up all the threads to the tank, elbow and pressure switch fitting and started reassembly when I saw this little blister on the side if the tank. I popped it like a water blister you get from raking leaves in the fall. I dried off the spot with a rag and sure enough, it wetted again. 

Son of a B! Now I have to round up a 50 gal tank at the tune of $300. 

On the other hand, Wifey is out of town so now I have an excuse to skip doing dishes. 

Black IPA #33

Brew Date 11/05/14

Once again I found myself at the brew store so I couldn't let an oportunity go to waste. On the spot I figured something dark and hoppy. 

Because I didn't have my grain bucket Chris gave me a 2 row bag. 

I started with 12 pounds. 

Then added two pounds of:

Followed up with a quarter pound of:

For body. 

Then addeded the usual suspects:

What better way to spend a blustery Saturday afternoon than brewing?

 Hops addition:
:00- 1/3 G
:20- 1/3 G, 1/3 UK
:40- 1/3 G, 1/3 UK, 1/2 C
:55 -1/3 UK, 1/2 C
 
 Wifey was needing the kitchen at 5PM, which coincided with the end of the one hour boil, so I put the pot out on the porch to cool. This gave me the idea to try something different, for me. Strain the hops out while transferring the wort to the primary fermenter. Ordinarily I leave the hops in the primary.
 
Another change to procedure was made in sparging. I started with ~4gallons of water at 170 deg which is a little hot for 14.25 lbs of grain. So I started mashing anyway and added ~1/2 gal at 80 deg to bring the temp down to the 140 deg range. Then I heated another ~4 gallons to ~150 deg and added it to the mash before running off the first pass. I ended up with ~7 gal of wort before boiling and ended with 6 gal.

Had the guys over for pool night and stogies. No one didn't finish theirs. 

Brew #32 Rye Not So Pale Ale

Brew Date: 10/5/2013

Went to the brew store on a whim. When I arrived I could smell the sweet scent of whole Amarillo hops. I said give 'me two oz', before I even knew what I was gonna get.

So today it's Rye Not So Pale Ale.

Notes

Today I screwed up royally. I started mashing without the false bottom and so I had to transfer the mash tun contents to the boiling pot. What I discovered is that I'm not using nearly enough water to mash with and will have to adjust my ratios accordingly.

I am also mashing this one at 140deg F because batch #31 had a tanginess that I believe to be from mashing too hot. I read somewhere the tannins from the husks will become prevalent. Well that's the story, and I'm sticking to it. 

Yeast is doing well. 

Regarding the whole hops. I ran into a snag while siphoning. Three quarters of they way into transferring the wort into the primary, the flow stopped because the hop buds plugged up the hose. So I resorted to scooping the remainder of wort with a sauce pan an poured it through a strainer that rested in a large funnel. Then I had to press the oily residue out of the hop buds with my stirring spoon. 

Most of the pellitized hops made it through so I hop this batch has a nice bite to it. 

Typical for ales, I let the hops go along for the ride in the primary. 

Ginger Beer

Brew date: Sept 13th

Recipe 

1 gallon water

12 oz ginger root chopped in food processor

1.5 cups sugar

1 lemon juiced and zested

1 lime juiced and zested. 

Add ginger and sugar to water. 

Boil for 30 minutes. 

Remove from heat, add lemon and lime zest, grated rind. 

After on hour, add lemon and lime juice 

Continue to cool unit below 120 deg F. 

Strain into fermentor. 

Pitch yeast later when room temp. 

Ferment till yeast fizzles out in about a week. 

Boil 1/8 cup sugar water for bottling fizz. 

Bottle condition for one week. 

Refrigerate. 

Enjoy. 

This is our first effort in making ginger beer. Next run will include several pounds of two row barley and some rye instead of the sugar. 

Will let you know how it turns out.

Update: The lemon is too heavy and the ginger is too faint. Probably boiled too long, and fermented too long. Adding simple sugar helps but the verdict is that wifey will purchase her Crabby's when she whats a bottle.

Update 2: The other day I poured equal parts simple syrup and ginger beer over a couple of ice cubes, added a lemon wedge and had a taste. It really is kind of refreshing.  I think I'll try it again.

Which Criminal Approved This?

I'm in Raleigh NC helping my SIL reside his garage. 

I want to know the criminals in Georgia Pacific who foisted cardboard sheathing and siding on the American public. 

I would ask them how much money did they need to bribe the ASTM in order to get this siding approved. 

Here is a load of siding that is headed to the dump. How can banks give 30 year notes on homes that are only designed to last 20 years?

This is a disgrace to all things decent and proper. The architects who specified this and the contractors who installed this garbage aught be publicly humiliated.

End rant. 

Fair Exchange

A couple of weeks ago I helped a friend of mine with some electrical work. He returned the favor by giving me this. 

He turned it on a potters wheel then cut the grooves with a knife. The quality is outstanding by my simple judgement. 

On the Road Show they are always looking at the artist's trade mark. After we are gone, this mark is likely to be if high value, not for this ash tray, but for his other work. 

Last night I set out to Christen it but I just couldn't do it. Will do it, later. 

This Settles It

Not flying through Atlanta anymore.

When the trains go down, people end up getted mobbed in the tunnel that runs between the concourses.

Probably going to miss my connection. 

Update: I made the connection but if I had been 5 minutes later in arriving to the gate, I might have been waiting for the next flight. 

Traveling is no longer enjoyable. I got up at 6:00AM to give myself plenty of time to navigate the crazy roads in Tampa. I get on the plane for an on-time departure at 9:45. The plane starts taxiing when an electrical problem sends us back to the gate. The part had to be flown in from Atlanta, so 3 1/2 hours later we board the plane. 

When I landed in Atlanta, the trains were out of service. I arrived at the Terminal and had to get to concouse D. The pics above are at the mid way point. 

Here is the annoying part about humanity: people starting running down the moving sidewalks in the wrong direction only to be pushed back by waves of oncoming foot traffic. 

People are too stupid to allow room for the counter flow of traffic. 

As I closed in on my destination, I experienced the same scenario where I had to push trough waves of on-coming traffic. Fortunately, only at a fraction of the volume. 

What are we teaching people in our schools and in our media? Can't people be civil and learn to stay right and to allow room for oncoming traffic. 

Today I was thinking, this is what the first hour of the apocalypse will be like. Total mob hysteria. 

Batch #31 sTevo's Porter #17

Brew date: 8/2/14

I am involved in another corporate sponsored head shrinking seminar designed to foster trust between the ranks in the organization. I need to get feed back in one of those 360 degree anonymous surveys, so I opened the statistical pool by inviting a couple of buddies. It seems all my peers have moved on, and I don't have anyone left to play with. In order to bribe my buddies properly I offered booze or money as a payment, to help foster their participation.

So Randy asked for some #17, and me being true to my word, I brewed a batch of #17. 

Now we just have to wait a month or so and we will drinking some#17.

Brew notes.

Later on, I will post my 360 review and see if two groups emerge in the report, after my head is properly shrunken, again. I am expecting to see a bi-modal distribution.

Sunday August 10th update

Added the remainder of Kent hops then tried something new. Using an air mattress inflater with my siphon hose not shown, and battery charger, I aerated the wort. Let's see if the yeast picks up some steam. Will keep you posted.

Usually the beer is aerated while being transferred to the secondary. I have been in th habit of letting the beer slosh around  by holding the siphon hose at the top of the in-flowing Carboy. 

I didn't want the yeast to get all asthmatic the way I do after a brisk start of some aerobic activity. 

Regarding head shrinking truth or dare customer feedback questionnaires; I let the cat out of the bag about widening the gene pool by adding outside participants, so now my coworkers are demanding payments. I can see this isn't going to end well. 

Update: Devoured most of the batch one evening during Pool Night. Every one enjoyed it and thought it was great. I knew of the structure problems, but none of the others are beer snobs, so they couldn't tell. Or, they are too generous and couldn't bite the hand that feeds them. So, you think my beer sucks... we'll, see if you ever have a taste of it again... There, I'm sure they don't want to go.

 

Cigar Paraphenalia

Regarding lighters:

Someone in China heard my wish to make an inexpensive torch lighter with a large reservoir. 

When I'm at a convenient store, I will grab a low budget torch like this:

Who hasn't picked up a lighter during checkout, flicked it a few times, said cool, and picked one up? The problem with this unit, and others like it, is that they run out of fuel so fast. It's to the point that I have given up on them.  

Then, imagine having a triple burner like this:

I am lucky to get a half a dozen lights out of it. This guy even has a bottle opener and a mini LED flashlight built into the end of it. Just another example of a multifunction tool that doesn't do anything well. I have figured out that you can use the bottom of a Bic to open a bottle quite efficiently, and the phone has a light so I'm good without this guy too. 

We'll today I found the answer to my wish. The low budget jumbo torch:

He stands head and shoulders above all the little toy lighters that I have in my humi-drawer. And, it only cost $4.99 at the local emporium. I could have a four burner Rocky Patel lighter, but then I would have to drop $80. Who knows, I may just do that some day, if ever I have the oportunity to invite one of the executive VP's over for dinner. But for now, I'll be using the jumbo. 

The Superior Roach Clip

We were hanging out at Aficionado's talking about all things to do with enjoying our favorite cigars. After spending an exhausting day at the office, filling out requisitions and typing our fingers to the bone we like to settle down and burn one. Then our moment of satisfaction must come to an end. We have all been there and we have all tested methods for savoring that last half inch of cigar.

Comparing notes, some of us have used toothpicks, stainless steel ringed finishing nails, forceps, needle nose pliers etc. 

Each method has it's pros and cons. The toothpick, for instance will produce generous hints of burning wood and charcoal when you near the end. To be honest, it requires skill to use a toothpick because if you push the envelope, you will end up with a roach in your lap. I confess to doing it. 

The ring nail has the advantage of holding up to the heat but has the disadvantage of not having enough friction to keep longer butts extended out straight. 

The forceps solve both of the above issues but has the disadvantage of size, and the same goes for the pliers. 

While hanging out in NY the other week, I stumbled on the ultimate devise. The corn on the cob holder. 

The double SS prong solves the heat and stability issues and it's light weight and compactness make it the best tool for the job.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to market this new and novel invention to the cigar community. 

Second Harvest

The first harvest was asparagus and it was good.

Today we picked banana peppers. They came from the four lonely plants in the right front bed. These tiny plants produce a surprising number of peppers. 

So I decided today I would pickle them so I can put them on my sammiches. 

I found a recipe on the line , as Vince Vaughn would say, and will find the link later. 

Four plants fill a 24 oz jar. 

This is what we have to look forward to in a couple of weeks after the green beens are ready. 

Dilly Beans. 

Dumb kid wrecking my car

I go to the tire store to have new tires put on wifey's car. I specifically ask the counter guy 'you guys know how to drive VW's, right?' He says yeah sure. 

So I am standing outside because I hate the airconditioning on such beautiful days.  

I see this kid walk up to the car and he is just there staring at it likes he's never seen a German car before. He starts it up and immediately stalls. 

I figure it's time for some intervention or the cars gonna get towed home because this dude was wrecking my clutch and parking brake in one shot.

I walk up to the car and the kid says can I help you? I say do you know how to drive this car? It was a rhetorical question because it was obvious he couldn't. 

I said first you have to release the electronic parking brake. He is saying this is all so new to me. I said Step on the clutch and brake and push the button on the dash. So he did. 

Then I told him how to get reverse. Push down on the shift and move toward first. 

After long moments of hesitation the kid eases off the clutch. He eventually managed to back up the car. 

I figured this would happen and I normally leave a note in the car explaining  German engineering. Good thing I wasn't temped to walk over to the burger joint, or I woulda been walking home. 

File Under Things That Should Be Outlawed

I want to know the communist infiltrator who thought it was a good idea to put finger jointed brick molding on exterior doors. 

Like I don't have better things to do than to have to change this every 7 years. 

Then you go to the lumber yard and all you can find is the same crap and plastic stuff that doesn't match the existing surround. 

Solution: get a 2 x 4 of treated clear southern yellow pine and make my molding. It just takes a couple of passes on the table saw and some light sanding. 

Now all I have to do is get the crappy stuff off without wrecking the jamb.

Note To Self

Don't use sub-standard bottles...

Or it will make you sad.

Trail Magic

We live close enough to the Appalachian Trail so we set out to make some hikers' day. 

So Lee, Tess, and I headed to a spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway to do some trail magic. 

Wifey posted the menu items over here.

We set up camp in a nice shady spot.

Here is view from our spot.

Now all we need are some customers. 

This is Indy, take 1, notice the folks in the background. they were out for a stroll with their cat Precious.

 

This is take 2 of Indy and I didn't want to delete the pic. still working on my phone app blog-fu.

 

We had a nice chat with David Horton. He set the record on the AT and the PCT for time. He is an ultra runner and was out on the trail for the day after having a knee replacement just two weeks ago.

A mother and son couple passed thru heading south. I had a hunch they were Korean so I asked and they were. I confessed to them that I am big K drama fan. It gave us something to chat about as they enjoyed a Mountain Dew. Wifey got a big kick out of it. To bad I didn't get their pic.

Here are Wings from Indiana and Gofar from Fargo, ND. Talk about high energy, these guys are ripping up the trail but we managed to slow them down for an hour or so. 

This is Just Smiling Bob from northern Virginia.He was stressing about re-suppling, so we extended his time by one meal.

This is Stark from Columbus Ohio.Stark is an English major, just back from being abroad. I didn't tell him this on the trail, but if I saw him again I would say to him 'those who can't do, teach, those who can't teach, hike the A.T.'. I'm sure he woulda got a kick out of it.

We'll this sums up our day. It was a beautiful weather and we made some hikers very happy and very full. 

Checking on the bees

Theme music by Muddy Waters

This is an eight-frame hive.

The first super was full so we added a second super.

Here is a frame with pre-laid foundation

The bees are making natural comb.

Looking for a queen. We quickly found her on frame #4.

Here they are making their "Bee Wear" fashion statement.

Think Mead.