Hey hey hey, it's a Tuesday... also it is a work day. I don't much feel like going to work, because my mind actually has some motivation to spare. I can feel the energy pulsing through me, and I've only had one sip of my hazelnut cream coffee. Yesterday I had less than no motivation. As far as work goes for the herbarium, I have done two sculptures this week, but it's still not enough to be caught up. What it means is that I should do two sculptures tonight after work so I can show that I've made progress. I did put more effort into the cute little mushroom sculpture last night. I even gave them a leafy substrate.

The Beer Blog:
Ok, I have successfully (for the most part) made a completed batch of beer with dandelion leaves and chamomile flowers as a hops replacement and it is now in the fermentation process. I malted the wheat enough to make a honey colored concoction, but my pot wasn't big enough to hold an entire gallon of water so I had some issues trying to make the concoction strong enough... so I added some molasses and honey while I was hopping it. It tasted good before I put it into fermentation, good enough that I had to taste it twice. It wasn't because of how sweet it was-- I think the flavor balance was satisfying. Last night I made some darker fresher malt, and I have a better idea for a soaking tank. I tried using a big jar (it was only a one gallon batch anyway) sitting on top of but not sitting down in a crock pot. It was still too hot and too small of a vessel. I have a bigger pan that I know will fit the liquid, and I am going to try a more gentle source of heat. If I could just use the sun, I would prefer it, but it isn't constant through the night and who knows if that would even work. I suppose it might be worth a try, but first I will try candle warmers sitting underneath the pot. I need to keep the mixture at about 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit for a nice long period of time, so I might have to alternate the candle warmers and turn them on and off. I will figure it out. This is the perfect challenge for a bored 21-year-old adventurous cook/brewer.
It's not just beer that I have been working on. I have also been trying to make different herbal wines (wort) and a couple of batches of sake. I hope they work out... mostly I think it's a patience issue. The sake seems to be making the quickest progress. I didn't make it the traditional way because I didn't have the rice fungus that transforms the starches into fermentable sugars from the steamed rice, so I just used steamed rice and cheated with white sugar... so no, it's not traditional. Sometime I will try to get some of the rice fungus-- ordering it online or whatnot. For now, I am just learning about the basic process of brewing. I did start some dandelion wine, and I sneaked a sniff (it smells delicious!) the other day. I think it will be successful. Anyway, it's a whole lot of waiting and not much else happens.

Ok, ok, yeah it's been a while... I suck at blogging. I will do a post about ceramic work a little later... but right now I am really excited about a new project I am working on. Oh, and I turned 21 recently, and in the U S of A, that means that I can legally imbibe (drink :) ). So... that also means that I can legally try home brewing-- making my own beer. I'm definitely a newbie, but I have a feeling that I could be good at it (considering how bored I am after coming home from work due to the fact that I don't have a ceramic studio here). It will be something to keep me busy, and the best way to learn about things is to try them yourself. I feel like I can gain a greater appreciation and taste for good beer after brewing my own. I tend to be a "snob" about just about everything, or rather, an elitist, mostly about food. That's another reason why I think I could be good at it. Plus, my botanical and cooking background makes me suited for finding good fresh hops and sprouting the wheat in the perfect conditions. All in all, I am super excited to complete my first batch. Oddly enough, last night when I decided to start on it, I was lucky enough to already have 2 pounds of sprouted wheat in the pantry-- the perfect amount to make malt for 1 gallon of beer. I made my malt last night, powdered it this morning, and added some more toasted split wheat to the mixture for more flavor (and more starch). It is now "steeping" and in a couple of days I should be able to hop it... but since I don't have fresh hops yet I will have to resort to dried or use a different herb. I don't have the dried, but I have easy access if I want to get some :) I work at an herb store.