just got my own bac!

[SlipperyPete]

just got my own bac!

Is, is this something one would be able to do in an apartment?

This sounds like something I'd want to do if it's not too messy/gross, although it doesn't seem very manly.

...Maybe I'd just keep it at my sister's apartment.

[SlipperyPete]

just got my own bac!

Rudy, here's how you solve the deer problem. Set up a trap to kill the next one, and then put its head on a stick and set it up right by your gate. The other deer will think twice before messing with "Rudy, Warrior Princess & Deer Killer". You're welcome.

[Isolde]

just got my own bac!

SlipperyPete;1197240 wrote: Is, is this something one would be able to do in an apartment?

This sounds like something I'd want to do if it's not too messy/gross, although it doesn't seem very manly.

...Maybe I'd just keep it at my sister's apartment.

I don't see why not. All you really need is a space that's a bit warmer and darker (pantry, wherever your washer/dryer is if you have one), etc. And if you don't have a spot like that, it'll just take your kombucha longer to brew. Supposedly the best thing to use is a wide-mouth glass gallon jar. The starter batch from the store bought kombucha can be done in a quart sized mason jar, which I happen to have plenty of, so while that gets going, I'll be on the hunt for a gallon jar.

[Bruunhilde]

just got my own bac!

Why do you have plenty of quart sized mason jars, Is? What are you eating? That's kind of humorous in itself. Thanks for the link, it doesn't look nearly as gross or scary as other links I've found, maybe I'll do it too. Its $4/16oz here and the kombucha on tap at my local natural grocers doesn't have any stringy things in it, will it work? It does expand so I need to keep the lid loose if I don't drink it right away, so I think it's living. Maybe I need to try other places where the kombucha looks more frightening? Also, did you catch what temperature the stuff needs to be within, a range? I understand learning to make it and keep it acidic is the tricky part, then you go to step two like you posted and make it taste good. The girl at the store said the kombucha lady brought in babies for everyone to use at home and save bucks, but it doesn't taste the same. Thus the phase two.

[Bruunhilde]

just got my own bac!

Okay, my dears, kombucha puts off alcohol as it brews. Roo, your comment that it makes a nice healthy alternative to beer struck me, and then I saw and read through the comments on the Paprika kombucha link below. Apparently you can get "carded" if you buy the original brew made by GT. Alcoholic Tea: Whole Foods Pulls Kombucha Drinks - DailyFinance
It's .5% so that may be insignificant but thought everyone should be aware because of the nature of our fabulous MWO forum.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

just got my own bac!

Hiya, peeps. Good stuff, Ru. Not the kombucha. nope. Not for me. And not Pete's answer to the deer problem. Where the hell is my salmon, btw? I say just plant enough to share with them. Or make friends or something. You could get a dog! G is the right age! I have one you could borrow. She's driving me crazy. ( as if. damn mutt. :h)

:l all

[Isolde]

just got my own bac!

Bruunhilde;1197480 wrote: Why do you have plenty of quart sized mason jars, Is? What are you eating? That's kind of humorous in itself. Thanks for the link, it doesn't look nearly as gross or scary as other links I've found, maybe I'll do it too. Its $4/16oz here and the kombucha on tap at my local natural grocers doesn't have any stringy things in it, will it work? It does expand so I need to keep the lid loose if I don't drink it right away, so I think it's living. Maybe I need to try other places where the kombucha looks more frightening? Also, did you catch what temperature the stuff needs to be within, a range? I understand learning to make it and keep it acidic is the tricky part, then you go to step two like you posted and make it taste good. The girl at the store said the kombucha lady brought in babies for everyone to use at home and save bucks, but it doesn't taste the same. Thus the phase two.

I actually bought those Mason jars back when I was doing the raw food diet. I bought a lot of stuff in bulk at Whole Foods - flax seed, sunflower seeds, oat groats, assorted raw nuts, etc., and I needed a place to store everything. The Mason jars worked out great. I also used them when I was soaking nuts and seeds for different recipes.

If the kombucha doesn't have the stringy things (that's part of the SCOBY mushroom - Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), then it won't work for brewing your own. That's what will make your kombucha mushroom. Just because it's fizzy, doesn't mean it's living. It has to state that it's raw or else it won't work.
I haven't seen anything about temperature ranges, just that it brews faster somewhere warm. If it's cooler, it'll take longer.
I'm really curious to see what the homebrewed stuff will taste like. I grabbed all my stuff at Whole Foods during my lunch break today, including a few bottle of GT Dave's kombucha. Popped one open when I got back to my desk and forgot how absolutely in love I am with kombucha. I doubt mine will taste anywhere near that good, but I've gotta start somewhere. And at 4 bucks a bottle, I'll learn to like to the homebrewed stuff! :H

[SlipperyPete]

just got my own bac!

Ne/Neva Eva;1197630 wrote: Where the hell is my salmon, btw?

I had a pristine piece for you. It was from a buck, so it was extra savory, loaded with vitamins, protein, and Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids. As far as fish are concerned, Alaskan Wild Salmon are the safest out there regarding mercury content.

But then I wrote you off because you're a lousy penpal.

[Bruunhilde]

just got my own bac!

Hey, it says "live cultures" and "organic" and "may have alcohol" so it couldn't be pasteurized if its live but it could just be strained or something. Better go find some GT...

BTW, Is, does it need refrigeration if its from the store and has live cultures? One would think not. But I fridged it out of habit.

A bit of fun - every time I open the bottle, pup thinks its time to play ball. I used to open a beer every evening and go outside and play ball with him so now every time I open something fizzy, he grabs the ball and runs around excitedly... For a while.

[RudyB]

just got my own bac!

Phew! Oh My God, Gals! stop posting so much i go away for a day and i can't catch my breath! i'll never get to bruun's or anyone else's thread! but it's all good. i love this shit!

so, bruun, yes, refrigerate it. if you don't, it'll over-ferment and become vinegary. temperature is flexible, but the warmer, the faster the ferment, the slower the slower, which could be good, cause if it's fermenting slowly, you don't have to consume it so quickly - and the mushroom doesn't grow so fast- so you don't have to bottle it up and figure out what to do with it (though it stores long time in the fridge, and i am sure you could turn on some friends to its magic - just show them that list of benefits that you posted - look, it converted pete!). 'what to do with the mushroom' can be a bittersweet experience. on the one hand, it's nice to be so creatively productive, but on the other, the mother mushroom grows and reproduces impressively, leaving you with offspring you can't bear to throw away, but nor does anyone want to take care of them. you have some mid-way options: store the babies in the fridge, or compost them, thereby regenerating their life and not being totally wasteful. (god it reminds me so much of my gardening experience!)

god i wish i had some right now! i'm guzzling night time tea and it's not hitting the spot. maybe if it were warm. or had honey in it, but my sister is behind on her rent which she pays in liquid amber (her hives are beside my garden). the raw organic sugar just ain't the same.

so, the homebrew can be a crapshoot until you perfect your own way of doing it to your liking, which does come in time. it is a bit of a science, but it's not a very tricky one. longer time on counter can mean too sour; not enough time can mean underperformance in the fizz test. you wanna be sure that when it's just right, it goes directly into the fridge, where it will stay in that lovely state for a good while.

the stuff without the strings is surely raw and organic and DEFINITELY not pasteurized (otherwise it would NOT be kombucha), but it doesn't have strings (mother) for one of to possible reasons that i can think of: it has all settled to the bottom (especially possible if it's served on tap), or it has been filtered (which i seriously doubt). like is said, better to use stuff with lots of mother. i do remember when i made it before i drank half the bottle -without agitating the mother- and used the second half. it worked just fine. definitely no need to order your own mushroom.

is, i was thinking i'd make ginger and bach flower remedy kinds. i'm sure you've seen gt's versions.

your talk of wide mouth jars was cracking me up!!! is, you reported that once upon a time you had a wide mouth jar ready to go (half gallon, right?). well, lemme tell you about wide mouth jars... i used to have them full of sauerkraut made from cabbage grown in my garden. (worth noting: use umeboshi vinegar in fermenting recipies like that; it's very salty and full of enzymes, and it's a pretty pink to boot. be sure to eliminate salt if you do.) and, we used to keep goats, so there was a constant, milky supply of those large jars circulating in and out of the goat house and the fridge. (and there were all kinds of paraphernalia -did i spell that right, mom?- to go with this process.) i used to carry our very own white-gold milk up to my mom in vermont, she who only drinks goat milk, and bring her jars back in return. (i'd often bring the most divine homemade chevre, too, not to brag. god it was painful throwing away all those cultures 'cause the freezer was down in the hurricaine and they were so old anyway. but i digress.)

so, is, the thought of you with your one large wide mouth made chuckles puff in my imagination. so darn cute!

but it keeps going with the jars. later, bruun asked you why you have so many quart mason jars. ha ha ha ha ha ! i was gonna explain, but thanks for doing the most of it. i use them (along with the big ones) for the same reasons, and had in mind to jar tomatoes and such, but you can't jar tomatoes if you don't stake them first.

funny about your dog, bruun. god how i don't miss beer!

[RudyB]

just got my own bac!

ok, so, i am manic as hell! i can't stop writing. these days it's what i do in most of my free time (that and sort clothes), leaving my son on the screen for too long here and there, i admit (but i aquitt myself, for now). i am not sleeping much (for me, who used to function optimally on 8 or 9 hours), but i am almost NEVER tired. (gee, maybe the alcohol was a drain). oh, and i am smoking 10 -12 cigarettes a day, which is a lot for me. and running better than ever. this makes no sense!

maybe my excellent physical condition means that i don't need as much sleep or food. oh yeah, my appetite is in hiding. and it's not because i'm drinking tons of coffe (which kills my appetite); i'm hardly drinking any of that (!). so, the body is hardwired in primal instinct, and in primitive cultures they didn't eat the half of what we do, i bet, but they were always moving around, doing stuff. it stands to reason that -now that i've eliminated the life-source-killer (alcohol, in case you didn't get the reference)- i don't need half of the other stuff like so much food, either (except, apparently, the cigarettes), because my body is functioning optimally again.

(i remembered some cider that my son made at an apple squishing party with his dad, and it's going down with much more satisfaction than that dumb ol' anemic tea. good too: the volume i can consume is stretching my belly a little from its of-late tiny shape and hard tightness.)

i've read that the people who live the longest are the ones who don't eat much (look at the japanese, i think). i'm not worried, it'll balance out again. it had better; i can't afford a whole new wardrobe!

[Cassander]

just got my own bac!

RudyB;1197709 wrote: ...i've read that the people who live the longest are the ones who don't eat much (look at the japanese, i think).

Hi Rude

That's my cue: you are referring to the Okinawans...Here's a wikipedia link:
Okinawa diet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There is a best-selling diet book which promotes/mimics the diet. Here's another link:
The Okinawa Diet - Official Site

Hope all is going well...sure sounds like it!

Cass

[mandz]

just got my own bac!

good luck im waiting for doc right now . imwith u on this one . im on day 2 of soberity its hard pm if u need a chin wag. :goodjob:

[RudyB]

just got my own bac!

winding down here...

(if only. i took a benadryl half an hour ago, and i feel nothing. i think i'll have to take an otc sleep pill. these used to make me groggy the next day, now my step has pep regardless. did someone put meth in my herb?!)

i just took the garbage to the foot of the driveway. kind of a big job, but someone's gotta do it, especially this week; it's paper recycling and i missed it last time. so i rolled the can (second smallest size, green) down to the foot of the driveway, carrying a bag of paper and some flattened boxes in my left arm. then i traipsed back up for three bags of damp, heavy newspapers and glossies (i cleaned out the magazine rack - its oak is empty and oiled, ready for much more worthy charges). up and down the bottom of the driveway twice, with an extra trip through the house once because i forgot to turn on the front light. i rather enjoyed the whole business.

flip to the underbelly for a sec. my ex hub, since he lives on the property for the moment, shares the garbage pail. last week, homeboy put his garbage into the empty pail that was still at the base of the driveway, and left the whole utilitarian composition right there! it did not even occur to this young man to wheel the vessel back up, not once on his many trips up and down the driveway between the time of his dirty deed and the time i finally found a fleeting second to do it myself. well, if i ever need reminding that he is a sick and truncated man, there it is. fortunately, i have gotten very good at quickly coming back to the cathartic fact that -in a manner of thinking about it- his behavior cannot be helped. when i feel upset by the thought of him (which is often inspired by a piece of evidence of his slovenliness strewn on the property), or when we have a distrubing interaction (which is miraculously seldom), i now well-know not to stay stuck in a state of agitation over it.

speaking of sticky, i just mixed together some lanolin and coconut oil, which was no small feat in a 64 degree house. my, how viscous that lanolin is! ...but then it becomes perfectly goey and soft for the lips when combined with its mate, the coco-loco. it does the trick better than any petrolieum byproduct sold in a white plastic tube! (now i just need to find the perfect little quarter ounce jar for it.)

another theory popped into my head just now. this mania (and i really couldn't describe it better, though i could give specifics: ideas flying a mile a second with words to go with them; intellect piercing through every interaction, taking notes; details of what i see and hear and touch showing up in color-saturated tapestries on my mind's eye. is baclofen making me this way? is it safe? (whatever's going on is okay with me, as long as i remain healthy of body and mind. which means, for example, that i continue to get enough nutrition, and that i can sleep enough to be physically rested and mentally stable.) can i count on baclofen not to make me go crazy?

again on the theme of un-sticking: you may remember that said ex hubby behaved very badly the other morning, and so i sent him an email. well, that email took me all of 15 minutes to write, was about four average paragraphs, and must've been brilliant -either that or he has got more receptivity than i ever give him credit for. the next morning, presumably after having read my note, he almost bounded into the house like an eager tigger, all friendly and even related, giddy as if he were in love. my pet theory is that his gf broke up with him the night before his bad behavior (btw, 'bad behavior' is the title of an excellent book of short stories by mary gaitskill, who lives around here), but they patched things up the next day, right before his happy dance. intermingled with those influences was a strong and pointed dose of reality set forth by yours truly, which apparently he deigned to ingest and absorb.

whoop! whoop!

[sjm]

just got my own bac!

From your earlier post: "After our friends left, my son and I headed upstairs, but I had to turn back to get something I had forgotten. ?What mommy, your medicine?? ?Yup.? ?What is that medicine for?? I have been wondering when that question would happen. And there it was. And there, just after it, was the perfect inane distraction to save the day. Fleetingly I was tempted to say something like, ?It helps mommy not drink too much beer.? But that?s way too much for now. (Help me out, though, what do I say to a five year old boy, without lying?)"

rudy, you could say....This medicine helps me be the best mommy I can be. or ...keeps me strong and healthy so we can wrestle and play like this whenever we want to. or...just turn its purpose into whatever you're happy about with him at the moment he asks.

PS: Mom's spellcheck: acquit (not aquitt)