I like this time at night on HBT

[Leadgolem]

2 #10 cans of mandarin oranges in light syrup. 2 cans of water. 3.4 lbs of table sugar. 1 5 gram packet of montrachet yeast. OG 1.080. This should be an interesting one. I'm hoping it finishes between 9-10% so it has some sweetness left. Since a fair amount of the sugar is from a syrup the fruit was packed in, I find this likely. That stuff doesn't usually ferment dry.

Next up, I'm going to pull a sample of the black cherry wine. I haven't like the smells I've been getting from the brew closet the last couple of times I've opened it. I hope it's not vinegar.

 

[Leadgolem]

My black cherry wine is vinegar. On the up side, it's actually really good for vinegar. Still, it wasn't what I was going for.

EDIT: On the upside, the spiced cider right next to it I completely forgot about is perfectly fine.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

My black cherry wine is vinegar. On the up side, it's actually really good for vinegar. Still, it wasn't what I was going for.

EDIT: On the upside, the spiced cider right next to it I completely forgot about is perfectly fine.

That's too bad about the black cheery wine. I have a banana wine batch that as I look at it, I see I didn't top off so their is too much air space. Hopefully, there is no bacteria eating the alcohol and 02, making it into banana vinegar.

 

[Dan]

Banana vinegar? Hmm.. that would be interesting.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Banana vinegar? Hmm.. that would be interesting.

It would be, but I'd rather make a batch of vinegar intentional than to have go that way because I made a mistake.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I just noticed my post count, now I'm staring at it like an odometer

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Good morning later nighters! Enjoying a great cup of coffee because PP posted those roasting pics. I wish I had a paper newspaper.

 

[passedpawn]

Good morning later nighters! Enjoying a great cup of coffee because PP posted those roasting pics. I wish I had a paper newspaper.

I just got back from a bike ride. I'm going to grind those beans today and taste test them. I'm enjoying some of the local coffee at the moment.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

I just got back from a bike ride. I'm going to grind those beans today and taste test them. I'm enjoying some of the local coffee at the moment.

I made a 1 gallon coffee porter (stout?) lager with these beans (its been lagering about 2 months so far), just because my neighbor have my some dried lager yeast. I hope this smooth bitterness comes through.

 

[lschiavo]

Hey all,

Wow that roasting coffee looks cool. I have a few of those air poppers hanging around too. I guess I am obligated to try it now.

I just checked on my apple wine we started sometime last September. This stuff takes a long time to clear but it is finally getting close after nearly 6 months. I may rack it one more time and use some K-C finings soon. We made 20 gallons so I will get 50 bottles after I split with my buddy. I still have the apples in the freezer to make another 20 gallons.

I made my first mozzarella this morning with my son/sous chef. I did not get quite the texture I was shooting for but it tastes great and the kids love it. I think I was a bit timid with heating the curd. I heated it in a brine and was shooting for about 135.

I have been on a huge Asian style soup kick lately. I am going to experiment with some pork, shiitake, daikon, tofu, etc...concoction tonight. I took some ideas from about 10 different recipes I found online. It seems like all my soups turn out pretty good and if they are not so great, a little extra sesame oil does wonders. I am using some pork steaks from our half of last years pig. The kids will most likely not eat the soup so we are going to braise a few steaks with potatoes and carrots for them. I better get started.

 

[opus345]

Gotta share.

I tried to call the wife, but I know what she will say when I tell her I am in an uber cool place, "That's nice honey!". It's hard to add the right attitude here, but she is really saying, "I can't believe you called to tell me you are there and didn't take me with you." Yipes!

OK, on to the good stuff. I'm currently sitting at Hop Dogma Brewing Company in Half Moon Bay. I have had a couple Hop Nectars and a "The Nothing" Black IPA. These are fantastic craft brews and I've already had a chance to talk to one of the principal brewers. There is an acoustical guitar strumming in the corner (with an IPA in his hand). I found a table where I am watching the sun slowly start to sink. My goodness, what a fantastic experience. Finding inner peace in the tasting room of a small California brewing company.

I didn't make it down to Duarte's Tavern, but I ended up having an Albacore Tuna sandwich from the EL Granada Hardware & Café. And it was really good. OK, that might be the Black IPA talking, but I thought it tasted good!

Here is the fun part, I get to pick up the boss at SFO at 9PM. Yee Haw!

 

[lschiavo]

Soup was pretty good. The kids inhaled the braised pork. It was a good Sunday with nothing of any real importance accomplished.

 

[Dan]

Soup was pretty good. The kids inhaled the braised pork. It was a good Sunday with nothing of any real importance accomplished.

That looks delicious Ischiavo. Sound like a great Sunday!

 

[BobbiLynn]

Hubby's "online" friend arrived today to stay with us for a couple days, the guy brought his wife along. They are staying 2 nights and it's a guy that hubby met through a tractor forum he belongs to. Hubby seems a little aggravated by the visit even though he is the one who invited them!! He says to me, an hour before their arrival, "what are you doing??" (I was chatting with my daughter on Facebook) "they will be here in an hour!" Then he says to me, "You have to get ready for them!". I'm thinking, this is your friend, you invited him here... Then it sunk in that I have to get their room ready, figure out what I am going to feed them, etc... So what do I do? I snap to it and get everything ready... And it goes even further than this, the expectations, hubby says "you need to figure out where you are going to take them/how you are going to entertain them if the weather isn't good enough for the beach. Forecast is calling for rain. The beach is my go-to place, months ago when he said he wanted to invite his friend and his friend's wife here in the spring, I said, "Oh, sure, I'll take them to the beach". I love the beach and know all the good places to go.

This is what I mean by just reacting to life, I don't know what each day will throw at me. One thing for hubby to tell his friends, "oh, stop in the next time you are in Florida!" He runs this past me and I'm like, "Oh, sure, whatever". But 2 days before their arrival, I hear that they might be coming here, then the day they arrive, I'm asked, "Why don't you have everything ready for them????"

I will tend to his friends and do what I gotta do, but I also went ahead and booked a trip(for just me) to go see my friends and family and I booked it one way. I'll book my return trip when I'm good and ready to come back. Seriously, I booked my trip to see my family and friends as a one-way ticket.

 

[Dan]

Glad to hear you have family to visit BobbiLynn. Enjoy your time with them! Everybody needs a break once in a while to re-charge their batteries and remember where they came from. Best of luck to you, truly Sis.

 

[BobbiLynn]

Thanks. I'm leaving in 14 days. In order to really proceed in life as a proactive person instead of a reactive one, I would have to give up my role as wife and caretaker. I can't do that so I have to strike some kind of balance.

For this trip, the one in 2 weeks, I told hubby's family that I won't be here... so they need to figure out who will be taking over for me while I'm out of town. End of story, after this date, I won't be here to take care of things. They are expecting me back by the weekend, I'm sure, but we'll see how that turns out. My life feels like a roller coaster and right now I feel like I'm heading toward the slow climb to the top. When people look at me like they feel sorry for me, especially when hubby was looking really bad.... and then they look at me like "Oh, you poor woman". I don't feel like a poor woman. I feel like I am taking a test and I really want to get an A+.

 

[Dan]

I like your roller coaster analogy. Slow ride to the top. But look out Bobbi, then a fast and furious rides comes with twists and turns and loop de loops and before you know it, it's all over.

I actually really like the roller coaster analogy. And as far as that being some sort of advice. I've reconsidered. It's just life, I think.

 

[BobbiLynn]

Hubby truly was my "other half", or even "the better half of me", losing that really is like losing half of yourself. I never had to worry, he would always be at my side. My life was complete, I had him and that's all I needed. Now, I have his shell to take care of. He won't be back like he was, I'm smart enough to know that. I'm there in the hospitals, talking to the other spouses, I'm not stupid, I know that the hands of time do not turn back!! For those that don't know, hubby's cancer was caught late and it's just been a long struggle. Sorry to dampen the mood, but this'll probably be the last post of the day and tomorrow will be a new day.

 

[Dan]

BobbiLynn, you know there's enough mass of heart and souls here to absorb some bad news. We all have troubling times. None of us are right there with you but understand sometimes a person just has to get things off their chest.. Say it, write it, tell the dog about it.. whatever. Don't worry about bringing the thread down because it and you are going to bounce right back up.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

My first attempt at bread. SWMBO says I should have made sourdough. Hmm, maybe easier said than done. I'll have to do some reading on the keeping a starter going thing.

 

[ChefRex]

My first attempt at bread. SWMBO says I should have made sourdough. Hmm, maybe easier said than done. I'll have to do some reading on the keeping a starter going thing.

If you would like a starter let me know, I have been using the same culture for 10+ years. It's easy to maintain, colder months I use it regularly, summertime I might pull it out and fed it once a month.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

If you would like a starter let me know, I have been using the same culture for 10+ years. It's easy to maintain, colder months I use it regularly, summertime I might pull it out and fed it once a month.

Thanks Chef, I might take you up on that. I'm going to read about giving the starter a good home tonight.

 

[ChefRex]

Just PM me and I'll dry some out and it will be on its way.

 

[ChefRex]

Have you been on the bread thread?

 

[lschiavo]

My first attempt at bread. SWMBO says I should have made sourdough. Hmm, maybe easier said than done. I'll have to do some reading on the keeping a starter going thing.

Looks really nice especially for a first attempt! Tell her to shut up and be happy you made any damn bread at all

Actually, sourdough is the only bread I would ever need so that is a reasonable request. If I ever get serious I know who to ask for a starter now

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Have you been on the bread thread?

Yep, that (and some earlier posts here) is what inspired me to try. Btw, my son loved the bread this morning, still warm. We mixed the same no knead batch when we got home and it's resting now. He wants to make it into Kaiser roll shapes from (your post?) video jn that thread.

 

[ChefRex]

The rolls are pretty easy to do, I only recently started doing them and they come out great but you may want to get a couple more loafs under your belt first.

 

[lschiavo]

I'm working tonight. I have a bid due in the morning so I have to finish it tonight. Stauff will recognize this scene:

I am pretty much done so I'm having a shot of wine and screwing around here.

This has been a permanent fixture in my office since the start.

My shelf of electrical catalogs. I can only guess how many years it has been since I have taken one off the shelf. Judging by the dust, it has been many. The internet has made them officially obsolete. I am not sure if I should get rid of them though we have been through a lot together I'm spring cleaning a month (3 UP months) early because work is a little slow. I cannot believe the things that I put on a shelf or stood in a corner and have not touched for 10 years. I have either been busy or lazy...

 

[Stauffbier]

I'm working tonight. I have a bid due in the morning so I have to finish it tonight. Stauff will recognize this scene...

Yep! Looks familiar!

 

[Leadgolem]