Search results

About a decade ago, I built a keezer based on a 5 cuft chest freezer. I built the collar so it was easily removable, knowing that the freezer would die in time. It served me well until last winter. So, I started looking for a new freezer with the same dimensions, can't find one! All available...

I left a batch of blackberry cider in the fermentor too long. Soured so bad I burned my throat tasting it! After draining the bucket, I popped the lid and there was a huge vinegar mother. I had just dumped 4 gallons of organic, blackberry vinegar! Could have made a small fortune selling it in...

About a week ago I noticed the house was getting a bit chilly. Checking the furnace, I discovered that it wasn't working. It's 26 years old and had failed about 3 years ago. This time it sounded like the gas valve/control. I decided to replace it, as the people who cleaned the ducting/furnace...

My keggerator died, which isn't all that big a deal, I got ten years out of it. The nnoying part is I can't find a replacement freezer that is square (23 3/4" by 23 3/4"). Seems like all of the new freezers are 22" deep. Since I have a tightly fitting collar, it looks like I'll have to rebuild...

We planted six grape vines over the last four years; five table grapes and a Golden Muscat. Our Vanessa and the Muscat produced enough grapes this year to make small batches of wine. To keep it simple, we just pressed the grapes, rather than doing the primary on the skins. Although we pressed a...

But I am leaving. Lacking a super-wide monitor, the new page format ruins the experience.

Ordinarily I don't leave things in my pockets, but last night I was exhausted. The prior night, my wife's toy poodles were whining, barking, bumping the bed, and being royal pains. Bad enough to keep my wife awake and that isn't easy. Plus, I had to drive to the country place and back with a...

25 lb blackberries 5 lb granulated sugar 2 tsp pectic enzyme K1-V116 wine yeast 2 Tbs yeast nutrient Campden tablets Freeze blackberries and thaw. Line your bucket with a VLWB (Very Large Wine Bag) and put the the berries in and add water to 5 gallons. Crush and add 5 Campden tablets...

That time of year again and my wife insists her old man get a shot, so I did. Although I'm quite aware that the shot doesn't give you the flu, my immune system has another "opinion" and went to battle stations. And, of course, my arm is sore. Flu shots remind me of my Navy days, they always gave...

Well, the blackberries came in late. I wasn't expecting to get many this year, but the berries are ripening and it still hasn't rained, so no mold yet. We have 15 1-gallon bags in various freezers and I suspect Kellie will want to pick even more this weekend. The cider will be re-formulated to 4...

We are landscaping and planting like crazy. One of our goals is to block the water coming off the street from running down into the house. That means building a tier along the road with a drain line. Yesterday, the water meter guy couldn't find the meter, so we went exploring. It was about 8"...

There are two yellow cherry trees on my property. One has small, tart cherries. The other large, sweet ones. Both are pure yellow, not yellow with a red blush like Rainier. The sweet one is probably a Gold variety, but I can't find anything about tart yellow cherries. Opinions?

Yesterday I discovered the right rear door window was shattered. Since the van had been in the driveway all day and it was a point impact, I'm suspecting vandalism. There's a downside to living close to a High School, I've had graffiti on the van before and my GPS was stolen last year...

Much to my astonishment, it hasn't rained in the last two days. Here's why I was expecting it: Seven and a half yards of compost, all of which has to be wheel-barreled down to the back yard through a narrow gate and around our many decks and plantings. Not shown: the 7.5 yards of top...

Last Saturday, my wife made the great sacrifice of getting up at her work time so we could pick up and install some garden block before it got hot. It hit 101F that day. This morning it was 46F and it might break 70! Weird to go from AC to heating in a week. Heading down to the country place...

The kitchen sink obligingly clogs up to give me something to do inside! Very clever to wait until I started the dishwasher, but I caught it before the sinks filled. At least it isn't downstairs under the other bathroom, like it was the last time. That shower would backup whenever the dishwasher...

Here it is August 1st, and the blackberries around here are still blooming! There have been a handful from some of the bushes along the roads, but it's looking grim for a cider this year or a freezer full for future torts and crumbles. Tomatoes are sparse and forget any hops! The...

While visiting the country place (aka retirement home) last week, I discovered a swarm of bees had taken up residence in my old Weber. On the plus side, I haven't used it much since I got Bertha and it's down in the pole barn 200 yards from the house. Called a bee keeper, but he only does...

So, other than Great Basin, what's worth checking out in Reno? I'm headed there next week. I prefer hitting breweries & brewpubs, rather than beer bars. PS A great fruit wheat would be a plus.

My wife and I are doing Atkins Induction, so no beer. I'm drinking rum, in small amounts. We only have 15-20 lbs each to drop, although my real goal is to get the 34" pants to the loose (at least not tight) stage. I have learned to make a very tasty bread that's very low carbs. A little heavy...