Re: Worms revisited

[Janet Baraclough]

The message >
from "Rocks" > contains these words:

> BTW in a long past lurk there was a conversation between you and Janet (Hi
> Janet. I am moving house! you are moving a farm, The mind boggles!)

No I aint...thank goodness. Lawrence calls his few acres a farm, I
call mine a big garden :-)

I've narrowed it down to only 300 plants in pots that are coming with
us,(and the dog and cats). The hens are staying here.

Glad I'm not packing a vinegar mother; that sounds as if it would join
the long list of "potential hazards" that our removal company won't take
on the island ferry :-(.

Janet.

[Janet Baraclough]

The message >
from "Rocks" > contains these words:

> BTW in a long past lurk there was a conversation between you and Janet (Hi
> Janet. I am moving house! you are moving a farm, The mind boggles!)

No I aint...thank goodness. Lawrence calls his few acres a farm, I
call mine a big garden :-)

I've narrowed it down to only 300 plants in pots that are coming with
us,(and the dog and cats). The hens are staying here.

Glad I'm not packing a vinegar mother; that sounds as if it would join
the long list of "potential hazards" that our removal company won't take
on the island ferry :-(.

Janet.

[Rocks]

Hello Janet,

"Janet Baraclough" > wrote in message
...
> The message >
> from "Rocks" > contains these words:
>
> > BTW in a long past lurk there was a conversation between you and Janet
(Hi
> > Janet. I am moving house! you are moving a farm, The mind boggles!)
>
> No I aint...thank goodness. Lawrence calls his few acres a farm, I
> call mine a big garden :-)
>
> I've narrowed it down to only 300 plants in pots that are coming with
> us,(and the dog and cats). The hens are staying here.
What has John narrowed it down to? :). My narrowing does not seem as
effective (or narrow) as Sheena's! What would I do without all my power
toys?
A relatively complete selection of my plants has gone to Len & Bev's for
babysitting during the transition for the move (thanks Len & Bev, I will try
to replace the Chinese Water Chestnuts that your bloody wild ducks have
eaten :)) For the rest I am moving in 40' shipping containers (two so far
and, I hope, not a third) which will be (modified and) retained as a
workshop and (hopefully) a cool room for preserving and storing food. (I
can dream, if I can afford it :)

Congratulations on your move to Arran, (I am (enviously) very impressed)
That is a truly
beautiful place. Sheena (coincidendally) has plans to visit Arran next
year. She is going to visit with an old school friend (in Dumbarton) who
insists that a visit to Arran is mandatory and plans to take her there on
the trip.

> Glad I'm not packing a vinegar mother; that sounds as if it would join
> the long list of "potential hazards" that our removal company won't take
> on the island ferry :-(.
This is certainly an extreme difficulty in moving overseas :) but if you
need anything, please do not hesitate to let me(us) know. We will do what we
can to assist.

Regards, Ted.

[Rocks]

Hello Janet,

"Janet Baraclough" > wrote in message
...
> The message >
> from "Rocks" > contains these words:
>
> > BTW in a long past lurk there was a conversation between you and Janet
(Hi
> > Janet. I am moving house! you are moving a farm, The mind boggles!)
>
> No I aint...thank goodness. Lawrence calls his few acres a farm, I
> call mine a big garden :-)
>
> I've narrowed it down to only 300 plants in pots that are coming with
> us,(and the dog and cats). The hens are staying here.
What has John narrowed it down to? :). My narrowing does not seem as
effective (or narrow) as Sheena's! What would I do without all my power
toys?
A relatively complete selection of my plants has gone to Len & Bev's for
babysitting during the transition for the move (thanks Len & Bev, I will try
to replace the Chinese Water Chestnuts that your bloody wild ducks have
eaten :)) For the rest I am moving in 40' shipping containers (two so far
and, I hope, not a third) which will be (modified and) retained as a
workshop and (hopefully) a cool room for preserving and storing food. (I
can dream, if I can afford it :)

Congratulations on your move to Arran, (I am (enviously) very impressed)
That is a truly
beautiful place. Sheena (coincidendally) has plans to visit Arran next
year. She is going to visit with an old school friend (in Dumbarton) who
insists that a visit to Arran is mandatory and plans to take her there on
the trip.

> Glad I'm not packing a vinegar mother; that sounds as if it would join
> the long list of "potential hazards" that our removal company won't take
> on the island ferry :-(.
This is certainly an extreme difficulty in moving overseas :) but if you
need anything, please do not hesitate to let me(us) know. We will do what we
can to assist.

Regards, Ted.

[Rocks]

Hello Fran,

"Fran Higham" > wrote in message
...
> "Rocks" > wrote in message >
> > I am seriously into packing mode for the forthcoming move
>
> Good luck with it Ted - such a stinker of a job, but it does declutter a
> place marvellously!
Declutter??? Girl's are certainly different from boys! There are boxes
everywhere. It is virtually impossible to move in the house. I have started
to buy those plastic storage boxes so that they can be stacked outside
without risk of rain damage. (some rain would be nice).

> Thanks for the offer Ted. I may hold you to it. I have fed my foul brew
> too much of Himself's good red to want to continue with that particular
> experiment - I threw it out yesterday! (For months I've been filching a
> glass to feed my brew from his good red wine from every newly opened
bottle
> whilst his back is turned - he has been complaining that he can't be
> drinking it THAT quickly and I just look vague and make reassuring "Can't
> you Dear?" noises. If I drank I'd end up a suspect. It would be far
cheaper
> to just buy the stuff than to make it at in the manner in which I've been
> attempting it.)
I won't dob!! Is there a possibility that you have been too generous with
(Hubby's) alcohol. Alcohol is a boicide (and an excellent preservative). If
you are using a standard (14%) wine, then it would be convenient to dilute
it by half, (ie an equal quantity of tank water). Any percentage of alcohol
equal to or less than 8% should get a 'mother' growing. Higher than 10% will
certainly kill it.

> My next attempt will be to 'produce' vinegar on a
> continuous
> > basis from raw materials, That is, anaerobic fermentation and aerobic
> > acetification (similar to the system I use for the compost tumbler). I
> have
> > some reservations but think it could work with tall, deep fermenters and
> > maybe a non-sporing (splitting) yeast.
>
> What do you mean by a non-sporing (splitting) yeast? The 'mother ' on my
> cider vinegar was a solid pad of leather like consistency. Is this what
you
> are describing? Remember you are talking to someone who is useless at
> science (or Maths) so words of one syllable of less would be appreciated
(or
> descriptions are sometimes good as my brain works well on images).
The 'mother' is as you describe (although a fresh, active one is more like a
souffle omelette than leather). My apologies for the wandering. The yeast is
required to convert the fruit/vegetables to alcohol before the 'mother' is
added to convert the alcohol to vinegar. Most yeasts produce spores which
would settle to the bottom of the fermenter and form a sediment, which would
need periodic removal and interrupt the 'continuity' of the system. If I can
find a yeast with a low or zero sporing potential, I could (in theory) set
up a fermenter that would continuously produce vinegar from the addition of
scrap fruit/vegetables. In the meantime I will probably just put another tap
in the top (aerobic) part and draw the vinegar from there.

> But what are the poor chooks going to eat then? I like pickles but I must
> admit there is a limit.
Ah there's the rub! I had better get this system trialled before I get
chooks :)

> BTW, if you are reading Len, I have been eating the pickled eggs and quite
> enjoying them - not raving about them but enjoying them.
I'm the same. I may give Len's cider vinegar recipe a try, but otherwise I
dont think I will bother again.

> I think on
> balance I'd rather turn the eggs into rich fruit cakes and store tehm that
> way. Himself likes fruit cake but won't even go near the pickled eggs.
Fruit cake pickled in brandy! Sheer Heaven.

> I don't venture into those hot climes unless there is a swimming pool and
> air conditioning in the immediate locale. If that is on offer then I'll
> take you up on it - otherwise you'll need to move to a more civilised
> climate before you'll see me :-)
A regrettable impasse, since I am attempting to become less civilised :) I
have therefore decided to dispense with the bull and have bought two cows
with calves (one male, one female) and one heifer.

> What exactly did we say about jam pots? I remember talking about jam
> cooking pans with Tara (specifically copper, wide flat ones, but
> maslins???? - nada!)
That's the one. The jam pot/cooking pan you described is called a maslin. I
used the name to save typing the description.

Regards, Ted.

[Rocks]

Hello Fran,

"Fran Higham" > wrote in message
...
> "Rocks" > wrote in message >
> > I am seriously into packing mode for the forthcoming move
>
> Good luck with it Ted - such a stinker of a job, but it does declutter a
> place marvellously!
Declutter??? Girl's are certainly different from boys! There are boxes
everywhere. It is virtually impossible to move in the house. I have started
to buy those plastic storage boxes so that they can be stacked outside
without risk of rain damage. (some rain would be nice).

> Thanks for the offer Ted. I may hold you to it. I have fed my foul brew
> too much of Himself's good red to want to continue with that particular
> experiment - I threw it out yesterday! (For months I've been filching a
> glass to feed my brew from his good red wine from every newly opened
bottle
> whilst his back is turned - he has been complaining that he can't be
> drinking it THAT quickly and I just look vague and make reassuring "Can't
> you Dear?" noises. If I drank I'd end up a suspect. It would be far
cheaper
> to just buy the stuff than to make it at in the manner in which I've been
> attempting it.)
I won't dob!! Is there a possibility that you have been too generous with
(Hubby's) alcohol. Alcohol is a boicide (and an excellent preservative). If
you are using a standard (14%) wine, then it would be convenient to dilute
it by half, (ie an equal quantity of tank water). Any percentage of alcohol
equal to or less than 8% should get a 'mother' growing. Higher than 10% will
certainly kill it.

> My next attempt will be to 'produce' vinegar on a
> continuous
> > basis from raw materials, That is, anaerobic fermentation and aerobic
> > acetification (similar to the system I use for the compost tumbler). I
> have
> > some reservations but think it could work with tall, deep fermenters and
> > maybe a non-sporing (splitting) yeast.
>
> What do you mean by a non-sporing (splitting) yeast? The 'mother ' on my
> cider vinegar was a solid pad of leather like consistency. Is this what
you
> are describing? Remember you are talking to someone who is useless at
> science (or Maths) so words of one syllable of less would be appreciated
(or
> descriptions are sometimes good as my brain works well on images).
The 'mother' is as you describe (although a fresh, active one is more like a
souffle omelette than leather). My apologies for the wandering. The yeast is
required to convert the fruit/vegetables to alcohol before the 'mother' is
added to convert the alcohol to vinegar. Most yeasts produce spores which
would settle to the bottom of the fermenter and form a sediment, which would
need periodic removal and interrupt the 'continuity' of the system. If I can
find a yeast with a low or zero sporing potential, I could (in theory) set
up a fermenter that would continuously produce vinegar from the addition of
scrap fruit/vegetables. In the meantime I will probably just put another tap
in the top (aerobic) part and draw the vinegar from there.

> But what are the poor chooks going to eat then? I like pickles but I must
> admit there is a limit.
Ah there's the rub! I had better get this system trialled before I get
chooks :)

> BTW, if you are reading Len, I have been eating the pickled eggs and quite
> enjoying them - not raving about them but enjoying them.
I'm the same. I may give Len's cider vinegar recipe a try, but otherwise I
dont think I will bother again.

> I think on
> balance I'd rather turn the eggs into rich fruit cakes and store tehm that
> way. Himself likes fruit cake but won't even go near the pickled eggs.
Fruit cake pickled in brandy! Sheer Heaven.

> I don't venture into those hot climes unless there is a swimming pool and
> air conditioning in the immediate locale. If that is on offer then I'll
> take you up on it - otherwise you'll need to move to a more civilised
> climate before you'll see me :-)
A regrettable impasse, since I am attempting to become less civilised :) I
have therefore decided to dispense with the bull and have bought two cows
with calves (one male, one female) and one heifer.

> What exactly did we say about jam pots? I remember talking about jam
> cooking pans with Tara (specifically copper, wide flat ones, but
> maslins???? - nada!)
That's the one. The jam pot/cooking pan you described is called a maslin. I
used the name to save typing the description.

Regards, Ted.

[Fran Higham]

"Rocks" > wrote in message

> What has John narrowed it down to? :). My narrowing does not seem as
> effective (or narrow) as Sheena's! What would I do without all my power
> toys?

Hint: Threaten to narrow down some of her embroidery threads and fabric
stash and see if that makes her more co-operative (very evil grin!)

[Fran Higham]

"Rocks" > wrote in message

> What has John narrowed it down to? :). My narrowing does not seem as
> effective (or narrow) as Sheena's! What would I do without all my power
> toys?

Hint: Threaten to narrow down some of her embroidery threads and fabric
stash and see if that makes her more co-operative (very evil grin!)

[Fran Higham]

"Rocks" > wrote in message

> 'D' day approaches and this computer will be dismantled and packed in the
> next two days.

Ted

All the best for the move and the new place. I haven't yet had a chance to
reply to the wonderful last post you did on the vinegar mother and my
feeding of my batch. My apologies for that but you see I too have been
extremely busy (with work and also with trying to sell this place - more on
that at some other time). I have taken the advice on board and printed it
off as it is obviously more useful info that the pack of poo tickets advice
I found somewhere on the net.

All the best to you and Sheena. We will make sure Cap'n Blood keeps us
updated on your progress.