By John, on February 6th, 2011 |
 Today was a brewing day and today’s recipe was a honey brown ale, two of the ingredients for which were a half pound each of crystal grain and chocolate grain barley malts. The malts are typically steeped like tea in water that has been brought to a boil. Once the steeping is complete, the grains are discarded. In my case, the leftover grains get deposited into my nifty counter top composting bin for later deposition onto my composting heap (now buried under several feet of snow!).
Now Phyllis is always looking for special treats to feed to our chickens. This mothering tendency becomes even more pronounced in the winter when the “poor dears” are literally cooped up because their run is buried in snow reaching over their tiny little heads. So she is usually sprouting mung beans or some other relatively costly ingredient (compared to chicken feed and kitchen scraps) with the oddball idea that the chickens somehow actually appreciate her efforts. …continue reading
By John, on November 12th, 2010 |
 I don’t remember the precise moment we decided that brewing our own sake would be an interesting experiment. At mediaOrganic we are all about interesting experiments, especially those that result in delicious food stuffs or, better yet, libations of an alcoholic nature. So it is no great surprise, being brewers of beer, that we would expand our interests to something a bit more esoteric.
The beauty of brewing sake, aside from the delicious end product, is that the ingredients are readily available and very inexpensive – rice, water, citric acid, yeast and a special mold called Koji-Kin that can be purchased from Vision Brewing. Here you will also find several sake recipes for the beginner, intermediate and advanced brewer.
…continue reading
By John, on October 27th, 2010 |
 What is it about the cooling fall weather that turns men’s minds to thoughts of brewing and baking? Whereas the hot breath of summer tempts us outside to swelter over a sizzling grill, the cold winds of fall woo us inside, reminding us of the comforts of winter hibernation, of family, home and hearth. Of late, I’ve found myself drawn to pursuits both new and renewed. The baking of bread is a new pursuit, my previous baking experience being limited mostly to the fast food variety – brownies, pizza, and mac and cheese. But a brilliant post by Thomas at A Growing Tradition launched me into the world of bread where I am diligently working to perfect my Pain a l’Ancienne. Four simple ingredients, yeast, flour, salt, water and yet so many possibilities. Instant yeast versus active yeast, high gluten versus all purpose flour, a little more water, a little less, a longer rise, a shorter rise, in the refrigerator, at room temperature, each variation yields it’s own distinct characteristics. …continue reading
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Today was a brewing day and today’s recipe was a honey brown ale, two of the ingredients for which were a half pound each of crystal grain and chocolate grain barley malts. The malts are typically steeped like tea in water that has been brought to a boil. Once the steeping is complete, the grains are discarded. In my case, the leftover grains get deposited into my nifty counter top composting bin for later deposition onto my composting heap (now buried under several feet of snow!). 
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