Thursday, February 13, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Beer, home brewed beer
It carbonated just fine. Flavor is a bit muted. Alcohol content is definitely there. Practically no sediment. A bit of an astringent note as well. Probably over extracted from the grain bag. Figured out during the wort cooling phase that my thermometer was no longer working properly.
Maybe more time will cause it to develop further.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Zombie Tools
They make fine toys... tools, they make tools but damn are they fun to fool around with.
The two longer blades are really more for fooling around with. The axe and the shorter stabby have a purpose. Likely to not be used often, but they will see use.
The tomahawk-looking tool will get used something like a hatchet and the tanto-looking blade is going to see general fixed-blade use.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Since this is turning into a beer blog
This is what is riding in my pocket these days in a Nemesis. 638-3 loaded with Gold Dots (in whatever configuration of +p I can find) with a speed strip in the other pocket.
Amazing that when I first began this adventure (a little over 20 years ago and roaming around South Dakota) it was a Blackhawk on the belt or a P-94 in a shoulder holster.
I then worked through (among a ton of others, these are the ones I spent any real amount of time with) a P228 IWB, a pair of Glocks (22/27) IWB/Ankle and a Defender (Colt) OWB before trying pocket carry first with a Colt Pocketlite, then a PM 45, then an XDs, then a 938 and have landed on a tiny wheel gun. I still tote the 938 from time to time simply because I like a little variety.
Blackhawk stopped being carried due to not wanting to open carry it any longer except when walking the fence lines.
P-94 stopped being carried when I turned too fat to wear a should rig and it was too heavy to stuff in my pants at that point.
P228 ... no good reason other than started to get too fat to stuff a gun in my pants comfortably.
Glocks... lost enough weight to try stuffing a gun in my pants again. This actually worked pretty well until a change in footwear eliminated the usefulness of the ankle holster and the fat coming back began making the gun in the pants routine a bit cumbersome.
Defender... worked out great in a Yaqui Slide until another work-induced clothing change began to make concealment a bit difficult.
Pocketlite... had this one laying around and a Galco pocket holster for it already here when the Defender moved out of the rotation. The more I thought about .380 ACP, the less I wanted to think about it.
PM45... this one was relatively short-lived, I could never warm up to that little brick. Shot fine, wasn't really any heavier than other options... just never warmed to it.
XDs... this one could still hop in a pocket every once in a while. It is just enough bigger than the last two where the 938 and the 638-3 fit better.
938... I like this little gun, it shoots well (sub-minute of tea plate at around 10 yards), weighs about a pound and a quarter loaded and looks a lot like a cell phone in the pocket.
638-3... I like this little gun a little more. I shoot it pretty well (minute of tea plate at 10 yards or so) and it looks like a blob of something not gun in the pocket. Also, it weighs about a pound and a tenth loaded. It trades out with the 938 pretty well.
Amazing that when I first began this adventure (a little over 20 years ago and roaming around South Dakota) it was a Blackhawk on the belt or a P-94 in a shoulder holster.
I then worked through (among a ton of others, these are the ones I spent any real amount of time with) a P228 IWB, a pair of Glocks (22/27) IWB/Ankle and a Defender (Colt) OWB before trying pocket carry first with a Colt Pocketlite, then a PM 45, then an XDs, then a 938 and have landed on a tiny wheel gun. I still tote the 938 from time to time simply because I like a little variety.
Blackhawk stopped being carried due to not wanting to open carry it any longer except when walking the fence lines.
P-94 stopped being carried when I turned too fat to wear a should rig and it was too heavy to stuff in my pants at that point.
P228 ... no good reason other than started to get too fat to stuff a gun in my pants comfortably.
Glocks... lost enough weight to try stuffing a gun in my pants again. This actually worked pretty well until a change in footwear eliminated the usefulness of the ankle holster and the fat coming back began making the gun in the pants routine a bit cumbersome.
Defender... worked out great in a Yaqui Slide until another work-induced clothing change began to make concealment a bit difficult.
Pocketlite... had this one laying around and a Galco pocket holster for it already here when the Defender moved out of the rotation. The more I thought about .380 ACP, the less I wanted to think about it.
PM45... this one was relatively short-lived, I could never warm up to that little brick. Shot fine, wasn't really any heavier than other options... just never warmed to it.
XDs... this one could still hop in a pocket every once in a while. It is just enough bigger than the last two where the 938 and the 638-3 fit better.
938... I like this little gun, it shoots well (sub-minute of tea plate at around 10 yards), weighs about a pound and a quarter loaded and looks a lot like a cell phone in the pocket.
638-3... I like this little gun a little more. I shoot it pretty well (minute of tea plate at 10 yards or so) and it looks like a blob of something not gun in the pocket. Also, it weighs about a pound and a tenth loaded. It trades out with the 938 pretty well.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Green Beer
And not the St. Patrick's Day variety either.
Checked the gravity with the hydrometer again and practically no difference. We'll see how this goes.
Should have the refractometer before the next batch. It's in Montgomery now.
A Valentine's beer... she is not going to be impressed. Perhaps I had best make with the jewels.
Oh yeah, the Grolsch bottles are an experiment.
Alabama
Has a snow day... or days. Temperature is not supposed to achieve 0 C until later tomorrow.
Just glad we made it to the house. Many did not and are stuck somewhere. The new Ford performed it's duties to the letter.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Refractometer
After watching very little (also known as no) activity in the air lock, it has occurred to me that I may have had a slightly contaminated sample that caused an errant (too high) measurement with the hydrometer.
I used a wine thief which causes you to bottom out on something to get the trap to open and begin thieving. The something, in my case, was the bottom of the primary fermenter with its inch or so of muck. I am certain I got some muck in the sample, I just didn't think it would influence the measurement much, if any.
Short of the story... refractometer will be here Wednesday.
oh bother...
I used a wine thief which causes you to bottom out on something to get the trap to open and begin thieving. The something, in my case, was the bottom of the primary fermenter with its inch or so of muck. I am certain I got some muck in the sample, I just didn't think it would influence the measurement much, if any.
Short of the story... refractometer will be here Wednesday.
oh bother...
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Gravity
Not just a good idea, it's the law. Yeah, yeah...
The hydrometer tells me that we are still a bit higher than the recipe calls for. So, off to the secondary fermenter with a new pitch. We'll see how this works out.
At least it smells right.
The hydrometer tells me that we are still a bit higher than the recipe calls for. So, off to the secondary fermenter with a new pitch. We'll see how this works out.
At least it smells right.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Fermentation 1.3
Home late. Still have positive pressure on the primary fermenter and practically no bubbles.
No classes on Friday. Maybe I will just come home and bottle if the gravity says it is ready.
No classes on Friday. Maybe I will just come home and bottle if the gravity says it is ready.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Fermentation 1.2
Think my yeasty friends are about done. Down to one weak bubble in about one minute.
Guess I will come home after class tomorrow evening and check its gravity. If we are good, I will transfer it to the carboy awaiting bottling either Friday night or Saturday. If we are not good, I will trek to the store and procure another inoculation.
On an unrelated note, I am a bit sad to see that a Street Pharmacist has given up the blog. Haven't been reading all that long but was generally interesting. Hate that the crazy has been overwhelming.
Guess I will come home after class tomorrow evening and check its gravity. If we are good, I will transfer it to the carboy awaiting bottling either Friday night or Saturday. If we are not good, I will trek to the store and procure another inoculation.
On an unrelated note, I am a bit sad to see that a Street Pharmacist has given up the blog. Haven't been reading all that long but was generally interesting. Hate that the crazy has been overwhelming.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Fermentation 1.1
The yeasties are still trucking even though they be a bit slow. Reckon we'll leave it another day and check again.
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