Posted on 08/27/2022 6:29:31 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrewing
"Beer has been brewed domestically throughout its 7,000-year history, beginning in the Neolithic period in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Egypt and China. It seems to have first developed as thick beers; during this time meads, fruit wines and rice wines were also developed.
Women brewers dominated alcohol production on every occupied continent until commercialization and industrialization of brewing occurred. The tradition of brewing being in the domain of women stemmed from the fact that brewing was a by-product of gathering, and often considered a part of baking. " (more at link!)
Malting barley took place in an Ost house. Harvested barley was lined in rows on stone floors and soaked in water to start germination and promote conversion of starch to sugar. The rows of barley were periodically turned for a day or so and were then turned and roasted on heated trays to stop germination and dry the barley. In some cases malted barley was roasted longer to caramelize the sugar to produce a darker beer.
In colonial times barley was not as common and involved additional steps--such as malting--so was not as commonly brewed. In the United States cider was something that was fermented on many farms as most farms had apple trees. Cider was used as drink or further fermented to make vinegar.
Some resources for brewing beer and cider at home! (Too much to post here! Some of this is pricey! )
https://www.northernbrewer.com/blogs/new-to-brewing-start-here/How-to-Brew-Beer-Homebrewing-101
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/
https://store.bellsbeer.com/pages/homebrewing (They have a store in Kalamazoo!)
Do a search to find more!
Ours is not very big and contains only what happened to be there when we bought the property.
Kefir is great stuff! Amazing that you still have the grains you purchased 20 years ago! thanks for the link!
I have a hard time with kimchee too. (I can buy it without the radish around here.)
How deep? maybe Augie would have some suggestions. (Do you like crayfish? You might be able to raise them even in a small shallow pond.)
Wife made a batch of crockpot applesauce as an experiment this afternoon...mission successful...now to load up on apples from East TN and western NC orchards over the next few weeks.
'Give us this day'...let's eat!
Maybe three feet.
Oh wow, nice crocks!
Our humongous Brown Turkey figs are getting ripe - the bush is loaded this year. I just went out and ate 10? Might have been 12 - picked ‘em off the bush & ate them right there. It was late enough that all the bees were gone except for one that buzzed me a couple of times. I love figs - SO good. Now I don’t have room for dinner. :-)
Applesauce is on my agenda, too. I made some really good Apple Butter, today. Can’t wait for morning coffee and TOAST!
As far as hot sauce, Franks’ Red Hot Sauce is about the best I can handle, LOL!
I like Fig Newtons. Does that count? LOL!

Beau gone hunting?
He and 12 of our dogs are at PRE-Bear Camp right now. (9 are ours, three are being trained for others.) ‘My’ Shasta and Fremont are burning up the trails! Those are the two pups I raised last summer. I only have TWO dogs to care for (Coon dogs that don’t hunt bear) and Ithaca and ‘Jennifer Cooniston’ and ‘George Cooney’ (raccoon) and our Beagle and the two cats.
I’m basically on VACATION, LOL!
It goes:
Pre-Bear Camp - no shooting. Training/tracking/trailing time for younger dogs...who learn from the ‘seasoned’ dogs.
Home - because the Bait-Sitters (versus the Hound Hunters) go first this season; they alternate.
Bear Camp - He’ll have various groups through the cabin each weekend to guide and fill bear tags...but I think they only have a very few this season.
Post-Bear Camp - when he cleans up the mess and winterizes the cabin.
No Elk hunting in CO this season; he and BFF Jeff didn’t get tags this year.
Home for the winter...unless he goes to TX to hunt feral hogs, or to Alaska to hang with his other BFF Adam to hunt for Moose.
For a, ‘Retired Guy’ he has a VERY busy life! Trust me, 14-16 hour days for DECADES on end...he has EARNED his leisure. :)
That counts! I loved Fig Newtons as a child and they were a favorite food to take along when hiking. :-)
Protein that does not require a barn! Maybe crayfish if you like them. Bass perhaps. Not deep enough for Perch unfortunately! Something to research!
(Blue berries like to be planted about 2 feet over a water table! Something to plant along the shore?)
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home
Alcoholic drink made from whey!
https://fermenting.studio/drinks/make-blaand-the-alcoholic-whey-wine-from-the-norse/
I have some winterberry holly planted there.
I am trying for native plants that tend to not be deer candy.

A week ago, last Wednesday, I snagged a whole brisket for "only" $3.98/lb. Last Friday, it went into a corning brine, after I separated the flat (seen here) from the point.
The pastrami is now ready.
Applewood smoked it 4 hours yesterday; then finished it in the oven overnight for about 6-8 hours. It was set about 200F & the door just barely cracked; and a pot of water was under the tray it was on. (had to guesstimate: lowest setting on the dial is 260F.
Rested it in the fridge all day, today. Tonight, it got the Mrs. AR Seal of Approval.
Tomorrow, I'll divide up, package, and freeze the point end of the brisket, that is still in the corning brine, as either 2 or 3 pieces of corned beef.
That’s an impressive schedule. But yours - holding down the fort is just as busy! I was too a decade ago. It catches up with you.
I have split off those grains so many times. I only want to have a half gallon in the fridge at a time. When you don’t travel much its easy.
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