Recent content by Tim_Hall

Thanks for the replies. I may just experiment with a couple of the bines, and try something more conventional with the rest. I don't think mold will be an issue (bugs maybe) as the plants are already elevated in a pot and they don't stay damp in my climate.

So I've been to Hallertau during the harvest and the Hopfenfest, so I've seen how these things are grown conventionally, and I know what I'm going to suggest here is totally unorthodox. Anyone know if hops can be pruned into a 'shrub' like some other vining plants? Will pinching off tips...

I'd be inclined to make a small batch and see what you have. IMO it might be better to source the yeast again (if possible) from the apple skins in a few weeks rather than try to keep this particular culture alive and kicking. Reason being: A) you'll find out whether it's worth pitching into...

Nice. I like the rubber grommet in the metal lid. Pitch it!

If you hold the wort at a good temperature, say in the 90's, you can get a lot of sourness in just 24-48hrs. A lot of the aromatics will boil off, but the acidity will remain.

If you're doubly lucky it might be reproducible. Hard to know if the wild bugs came from the grain or your brewing environment. Just like your standard fermentation, the quality/character of your "pre" fermentation is dependent on a lot of factors (particular strains of bacteria/yeast...

I concur with Barc. In my opinion 48-72 hours is a more realistic time-frame to see active spontaneous fermentation. If I have a starter that sits longer than that without bubbling, I pitch it in the compost and start another. I shudder at the thought of waiting 2 weeks to see fermentation.

Again, you guys might want to check out Wild Fermentation Forum

In addition to bringing nectar into the hive, bees also bring in pollen. The pollen carries with it yeasts and bacteria. The bees also have a diverse gut flora. The bees mix the pollen with digestive enzymes and small amounts of honey, then pack the pollen-honey-enzyme mix into the cells...

The yeasts are probably not dead (at least not all of them). They will become active if you bring up the temperature. But you need to really baby a wild starter (lots of stirring, aeration), otherwise it will become populated with bacteria before the yeasts take hold.

El Excorcisto, you can indeed (and I often do too) revive the yeast in your honey. But the haze you are seeing is likely minute air bubbles and small amounts of hive debris that invariably get trapped and slowly rise to the surface of honey. Unfiltered honey and crudely processed honey is...

Also, you will need to bring your wort up to a reasonable temperature. Even if some yeast falls into it, it probably won't hit a good growth phase until it's in the mid 60's.

Honey will contain some yeast spores, but it's not likely it would foam (or fog) the surface. That "fog" is probably hive debris (wax, pollen, etc.) If you have any kind of fruit still left on trees/bushes, especially those that form a whitish bloom on their skins, you can inoculate your wort...

I know this thread is old, but I have a little experience here. I've used damiana in brews several times. I recommend adding just before flameout (let it steep for at least 5 mins), plus "dry hopping." You can use a decent amount. The flavor is somewhat akin to sage, but not as earthy - a...