48 bottles of beer, take one out, pass it around...
Actually not yet.
Last night Husband and I spent 2 hours bottling our first batch of homebrew beer. It's not a difficult process. The hardest thing was trying to keep all the equipment sanitary, because any contaminant would ruin the whole 5 gallon batch.
It took a lot of water to wash 48 beer bottles and I kept thinking that we're in a drought situation, couldn't I save the water for something?
We were concerned the caustic cleaning agent we were using would harm the plants, otherwise I would use it for watering. As it was, it just went down the drain.
In the end, we got 45 and 3/4ths bottles filled, capped, and stored in the pantry. We would have had 46 bottles, but Husband did a little sampling along the way.
The beer has to sit for 2 weeks for it to be carbonated and drinkable, and 5 weeks for it to be optimum. Husband plans on sampling each week, just to see how it goes.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Close calls
Over the weekend, a tornado hit downtown Atlanta, blowing out windows of the CNN Center, various highrises, and tearing roofs off residences. A few people were killed and lots of property damage.
Brother Two called, wanting to see if we were alright, which we were. Some of the condos Husband and I have been looking at were narrowly missed and the night before the tornado hit, Husband and I were downtown at a Thrashers hockey game.
We've been that lucky before. On Sept 10, 2001, we flew out of Boston's Logan airport, on our way home from a wedding in Maine. Needless to say, the bride and groom didn't get to go on their honeymoon to Jamaica on Sept 11, 2001.
Then yesterday a construction crane in near the United Nations buildings in Manhattan fell, cutting through buildings and killing some people. I knew that Brother Two worked near the UN complex so it was my turn to call him to see if he was okay. He was, and said he didn't know the accident happened until evening.
Brother Two called, wanting to see if we were alright, which we were. Some of the condos Husband and I have been looking at were narrowly missed and the night before the tornado hit, Husband and I were downtown at a Thrashers hockey game.
We've been that lucky before. On Sept 10, 2001, we flew out of Boston's Logan airport, on our way home from a wedding in Maine. Needless to say, the bride and groom didn't get to go on their honeymoon to Jamaica on Sept 11, 2001.
Then yesterday a construction crane in near the United Nations buildings in Manhattan fell, cutting through buildings and killing some people. I knew that Brother Two worked near the UN complex so it was my turn to call him to see if he was okay. He was, and said he didn't know the accident happened until evening.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Beer update -- First time mistake?
Two people have asked me for a beer update, so here it is.
This is the first time we're making beer, and not sure if we're doing it right, but we're forging ahead anyway. .
On February 14, I got equipment and ingredients to make beer. First up, a Dortmunder beer. This was Husband's birthday present.
On February 21, while my parents were still here, we boiled up the wort and put it in the bucket with the yeast, for the first step. We didn't see much bubbles coming up but let it sit for a while anyway.
On February 26 I got 48 bottles from Winecraft and they said that I should transfer the beer from the bucket to a glass carboy, to let the sediment settle some more. When clear, then I should siphon from the carboy into the bottling bucket with the sugar, then let it sit about 21 days and finally bottle up the beer.
Sometime the week of Feb 26, before we went to Miami at the end of February, I transferred the beer from the bucket to a glass carboy and it's been sitting there for a few weeks now.
I think this weekend we'll move it back from the carboy to the bottling bucket with the sugar and see how it goes.
We're not sure if we're doing this right because we haven't seen much bubbling and carbonation throughout the process. I think at one point we could have added more yeast to make it happen, but we didn't.
But it's the first time we're making beer, and mistakes are bound to happen. Worst case scenario, it's totally flat and undrinkable for humans. Therefore we would pour it out into the compost heap, which would probably love it.
This is the first time we're making beer, and not sure if we're doing it right, but we're forging ahead anyway. .
On February 14, I got equipment and ingredients to make beer. First up, a Dortmunder beer. This was Husband's birthday present.
On February 21, while my parents were still here, we boiled up the wort and put it in the bucket with the yeast, for the first step. We didn't see much bubbles coming up but let it sit for a while anyway.
On February 26 I got 48 bottles from Winecraft and they said that I should transfer the beer from the bucket to a glass carboy, to let the sediment settle some more. When clear, then I should siphon from the carboy into the bottling bucket with the sugar, then let it sit about 21 days and finally bottle up the beer.
Sometime the week of Feb 26, before we went to Miami at the end of February, I transferred the beer from the bucket to a glass carboy and it's been sitting there for a few weeks now.
I think this weekend we'll move it back from the carboy to the bottling bucket with the sugar and see how it goes.
We're not sure if we're doing this right because we haven't seen much bubbling and carbonation throughout the process. I think at one point we could have added more yeast to make it happen, but we didn't.
But it's the first time we're making beer, and mistakes are bound to happen. Worst case scenario, it's totally flat and undrinkable for humans. Therefore we would pour it out into the compost heap, which would probably love it.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Talk it out
Okay, I didn't really talk it out, but e-mailed Best Friend and immediately felt better.
First, I got it off my chest. Second, I was able to identify the issues. Third, I articulated a solution, a plan, and a timeline for resolution by the end of the year. Now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and know when I would reach it.
This plan and timeline depends on a lot of factors I can't really control, but at least I have a plan. So much better than having various half-formed feelings floating around my head.
The yarn shopping and starting a bulky-knit sweater helps too. Something concrete and immediate that I could start now, while I work on the longer term things.
By the way, the Spring 2008 Knitty and Magknits are up and I've printed out Jaden from Knitty already.
First, I got it off my chest. Second, I was able to identify the issues. Third, I articulated a solution, a plan, and a timeline for resolution by the end of the year. Now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and know when I would reach it.
This plan and timeline depends on a lot of factors I can't really control, but at least I have a plan. So much better than having various half-formed feelings floating around my head.
The yarn shopping and starting a bulky-knit sweater helps too. Something concrete and immediate that I could start now, while I work on the longer term things.
By the way, the Spring 2008 Knitty and Magknits are up and I've printed out Jaden from Knitty already.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Why knitting makes me happy
Things in my life on more than one front are stressing me out and in those times, art comes to the rescue. Making things with my hands takes my mind off of things and in the end, there is something tangible to show for it.
The stress isn't awful, no one's going to hospital, jail, war, morgue, or being deported, but I've been in a funk lately.
I am taking pottery class, which normally calms me right down. But I am always late. Class is Monday night and Monday nights I usually work late. I should say that every day I usually am the last to leave at 6pm and sometimes later. But Mondays because it's the first day of the week, I always seem to be slow to start again and so feel like I have to stay later.
Pottery class starts at 6:30pm, I have a 50 minute commute home, then I have to change and go to class. So actually, having a class, another thing I have to do according to someone else's schedule is not as enjoyable as it usually is.
Knitting, on the other hand, is something I can do on my own schedule and pretty much at anytime. I have a portable project (mohair shawl, based loosely on the Scribble Lace scarves from Mason-Dixon Knitting and other places) I keep in my purse. At an International Women's Day lecture yesterday, I sat in the back, knitting. And I wasn't the only one. The one other knitter in the room sat with me working on a baby sweater. And when I spoke with one of the speakers later, I asked if she could see me knitting and she said no.
I also have various other works in progress that I have to do at home because of the size or stage of fiddly finishing.
But I've been itching to start a new project. So yesterday, between International Women's Day events (including a very tasty lunch at an Indian restaurant), I went to the Needle Nook and bought some yarn. A lot of yarn. Two sweaters' worth.
First I bought six skeins each of green Malabrigo in worsted weight merino: three in Verdes and three in Saphire Green (their spelling):
The stress isn't awful, no one's going to hospital, jail, war, morgue, or being deported, but I've been in a funk lately.
I am taking pottery class, which normally calms me right down. But I am always late. Class is Monday night and Monday nights I usually work late. I should say that every day I usually am the last to leave at 6pm and sometimes later. But Mondays because it's the first day of the week, I always seem to be slow to start again and so feel like I have to stay later.
Pottery class starts at 6:30pm, I have a 50 minute commute home, then I have to change and go to class. So actually, having a class, another thing I have to do according to someone else's schedule is not as enjoyable as it usually is.
Knitting, on the other hand, is something I can do on my own schedule and pretty much at anytime. I have a portable project (mohair shawl, based loosely on the Scribble Lace scarves from Mason-Dixon Knitting and other places) I keep in my purse. At an International Women's Day lecture yesterday, I sat in the back, knitting. And I wasn't the only one. The one other knitter in the room sat with me working on a baby sweater. And when I spoke with one of the speakers later, I asked if she could see me knitting and she said no.
I also have various other works in progress that I have to do at home because of the size or stage of fiddly finishing.
But I've been itching to start a new project. So yesterday, between International Women's Day events (including a very tasty lunch at an Indian restaurant), I went to the Needle Nook and bought some yarn. A lot of yarn. Two sweaters' worth.
First I bought six skeins each of green Malabrigo in worsted weight merino: three in Verdes and three in Saphire Green (their spelling):
Not sure what I'll make with it, but I'm thinking a striped cardigan, alternating between the solid-ish Saphire Green (top skein) and the kettle-dyed Verdes (bottom skein).
They also had silky merino, half silk half merino, like the name says. Lovely but not as much yardage. And for a sweater's worth, the yards per dollar ratio is important.
I also got 8 skeins of Lamb's Pride Bulky in the Ocean Waves colorway. It looks green here, despite being photographed under florescent lights on a white counter top. It's really a bright turquoise. I've linked to Yarnzilla's site so you can see the true color. At least you can see the varigation effect. Here it is swatched:
In preparation for making the Long Coat with Chevron Lace border, from Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel. Basically it's a long cardigan, v-neck with a lace border all the way around. It goes down to the knees but I'm not going to make it that long.
Today I swatched. Yarn calls for a size 10.5 US needle, giving 12 stitches = 4 inches. The pattern calls for a size 13 needle, giving 10 sts = 4 inches. The top swatch is with size 11 needles giving 12.5 sts = 4 inches. I tried using size 13 (bottom swatch) but the gauge didn't changing much. So I'm using size 11 needle and using the medium size instructions instead of small, and hoping that it works out.
The good thing is that the cardigan is a raglan sweater knitted from the top down. So I can try it on as I go and customize as necessary. I may never make anything other than top-down raglans ever again.
Tonight I did the first 15 rows while watching My Neighbor Totoro -- not one of my favorites from Hayao Miyazaki. That would be Spirited Away. Husband isn't a big fan of Miyazaki because all his films' protagonists are preteen girls who face some sort of challenge, with elements of fantasy and strange creatures. He thinks they're all the same. It's like saying all war movies are the same, or all westerns are all the same. They all follow a template, but the interest comes in the variations on a theme.
It's like complaining that all blankets are the same, when we know there are infinite variations to be found within that form. Look at the world of quilting.
Anyway, now I have a project I can look forward to coming home to and can go to bed happy.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Sad day for the Packers
Brett Favre has announced his retirement from the Green Bay Packers. Wisconsin is now awash in tears.
I share a birthday (and almost a birth year) with Brett. One year for my birthday, I got a bouquet of roses from Husband. The note said "Brett Favre's one year older too."
I share a birthday (and almost a birth year) with Brett. One year for my birthday, I got a bouquet of roses from Husband. The note said "Brett Favre's one year older too."
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Went Miami, and did nothing but eat, drink, and walk
This weekend, Husband and I went to South Beach, which is the southern tip of Miami Beach. South Beach has all the pastel Art Deco buildings, like these:
Nice, eh? Everyday, we spent a significant amount of time on that beach, soaking up the sun.
Not pictured: the various margaritas and mojitos we enjoyed, nor the food. Mmmmm, great cerviches and Italian. Also not pictured: the scantily clad beautiful people (hence the South Beach Diet), the other tourists, and the locals who lived there before the gentrification set in.
We made sure to get tables right on Ocean Drive so we could enjoy all the high end cars cruising up and down. By high end, I mean Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls Royces, and other cars Husband assured me were worth more than our house.
Don't know what it is, but it's expensive.
Yes, they like the neon and flash in South Beach.
But this is the first notable building we saw in South Beach
Made me think of this post by Crazy Aunt Purl about the Liquor Bank
Nice, eh? Everyday, we spent a significant amount of time on that beach, soaking up the sun. Husband and I talked to Father-in-Law in Wisconsin while lying out there. He said there was 2 feet of snow on the ground, that it hasn't stopped snowing since December. Made me enjoy the sun and sand even more.
After checking in, we went to Joe's Stone Crab for lunch. Cutting through an alley, we saw some white ibises and pigeons scavenging from the trash. When they saw us coming, they starting scooting away.
The rest of the trip was basically about walking up and down Ocean Drive or the beach. Really, we explored very, very little of South Beach. But that's okay. The purpose of the trip was, well, there was no real purpose, other than to enjoy ourselves.
And so we did, doing a lot of this
Not pictured: the various margaritas and mojitos we enjoyed, nor the food. Mmmmm, great cerviches and Italian. Also not pictured: the scantily clad beautiful people (hence the South Beach Diet), the other tourists, and the locals who lived there before the gentrification set in.We made sure to get tables right on Ocean Drive so we could enjoy all the high end cars cruising up and down. By high end, I mean Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls Royces, and other cars Husband assured me were worth more than our house.
Here's one:
Don't know what it is, but it's expensive.Our last night there, we saw LLCoolJ walking into Lario's, a restaurant partly owned by Gloria Estefan. I didn't see LL, but Husband did. He caused quite a stir (LL, not Husband). There was a black SUV with tinted windows and a security guy out there.
Somewhere in here is LL getting into the SUV:
Somewhere in here is LL getting into the SUV:
As I was trying to take pictures of LL, the waiter for the table next to us (jokingly) thought I was trying to get a picture of him. So he and one of the guys at the table next to us agreed to pose for a picture:
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