View allAll Photos Tagged fermentation
yesterday I decided to remove the cotton bag the indigo was in. overnight it turned nice blue! i'm tentatively dyeing today and it seems to be working.
First sunny day in ages! So I stood the vat in the sun. Unfortunately today I also had the first 'what is the funny smell' complaint from members of the household who are not as devoted to indigo... may have to move it outside which would possibly slow it down again.
It's getting ever more un-photogenic... but I like the iridescence it developed.
In the past two days I tried to dye a small piece of silk. First two or three dips went well but then the blue stopped getting darker. Resting the vat overnight didn't help. I don't think the indigo is exhausted. I noticed a lot of the bran got taken out with the fabric. So this evening I fed it a bit more bran and madder and topped it up with water.
A display at the brewing museum at The National Brewery Centre in Burton-on-Trent, England, showing how beer was fermented at Bass.
In the three Bass breweries, this process [fermentation] began in the great "square rooms" with the wort being run into square wooden vessels. In the "lofty light chamber" in the Old Brewery there were 117 of these "squares" each holding 45 barrels (or 1,620 gallons) of beer. Once each vessel had been filled, it was measured for volume and gravity and the contents declared for Excise duty. After two days in these vessels the contents were then run into union casks for the second stage of the process.
There is also some information on the British beer tax:
Up until 1880 duty was paid on malt rather than beer, calculated at the point between steeping and germination. However, the maltsters had devised ways to cheat the system so in 1880 Gladstone transferred the tax to beer which produced a total revenue in that year of £8,500,000. By 1902 Bass alone yielded £607,669 to the exchequer.
Yeast is added to the wort in these wooden vats to create the low-alcohol wash for distillation.
In the Talisker distillery these are made from Douglas Fir imported from Canada
I noticed that the smaller jar and one of the larger jars had ceased bubbling. I sampled both jars and they each tasted kraut flavored yet crunchy. That is how I like my sauerkraut. So, despite my plan on fermenting them a bit longer, I decided to place these two in the refrigerator for long term storage and use.
The other large Ball mason jar is still bubbly and so I will monitor it and burp it regularly as it continues to ferment.
It is interesting that on my last update, four days ago, the ferment had really gone into high gear. Then four days later and that was that.
I ferment my beer in a closed bucket so I don't usually get to see this. I've been making smaller batches of cider in glass jugs though, so I was finally able to record it.
At this point you want to "charge" the fridge by pouring water into the sand layer. In hindsight I wish I hadn't filled the sand up to the top like this, because you have to pour the water more slowly. I was surprised by how much water it held. I wasn't taking note, but I filled my 1 qt measuring cup at least 4 times.
Plant sap which is (apparently) fermenting and releasing carbon dioxide. I should have checked for the smell of alcohol...
Here's what the kefir looks like when it's ready. The milk sets up in a characteristic way, much like yogurt. If you let the kefir ferment another 6-12 hours you'll end up with whey separated on the bottom and solids floating on top. The finished kefir will actually end up thinner (once whisked) if you let it go too long; it will also be much more sour.
Here I've added 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and 1Tablespoon of maple syrup. I whisk again until thoroughly mixed. I've also flavored kefir with a Tablespoon of fresh raspberry or black raspberry jam -- very good. The vanilla/maple variety is my current favorite. Next I pour it into another clean mason jar.
Fermentation
Fermentation is the conversion of sugar to alcohol using yeast or bacteria in anaerobic conditions. This wine was made through fermentation.
From a 1-Gal beer-making kit Amy gave me for my birthday. It actually didn't spoil and tasted like IPA! The whole process took about a month.
Fermentation is done in tiny buckets. On days with a lot of coffee, many of these are used. Even though this is very rudimentary, these small plastic buckets can be effective, especially when the coffee is turned regularly to ensure even fermentation.
I usually make kefir at night. Because the fresh milk is cold from the refrigerator, I'll set the jar in front of a heat vent to warm a little. At night our thermostat is set to 62 degrees F. In the morning, the bottle will have warmed to 75-80 degrees. I then move it to a counter top, out of direct light. By the next evening, it's ready to process. If I don't have time or if it's not ready, I'll put it in the refrigerator to slow fermentation down. Then I can process it when I have time. I have found that if the kefir stays warm for several hours, it will be ready in as little as 10-12 hours.
The fermentation is regulated by temperature, which is warm. Here, fermentation progresses beneath severed banana leaves. Note the thermometer.