It's hard to believe it was April when I brewed this Blueberry Ale, but the three months have treated this beer well. The picture hardly does this beer justice, but this beer is a bright purple with a bright pink head. It almost looks like a champagne-like framboise but with an even more iridescent color. The flavor is right on too! Light, crisp, fruity and very drinkable!
I also found a little friend crawling on the Chocolate Mint. This is a fire fly which emits light from a bioluminescent organ on the tip of its body. The light is used to attract mates in a morse code-like form of communication. And they sure are pretty to look at.
Next comes the carving. With a high quality set of sharp chisels, you can usually carve letters quite quickly. But this wood, being driftwood and all, was either brittle and rotten or spongy. It was very difficult to carve and took a long time. However, because this is a rustic driftwood sign, the imperfectness adds to the charm.
Carving is not as hard as it appears. Even carving stars is relatively easy. All you do is score the wood between the two sides of the cut you plan to make. This will crate a breaking point for the wood and prevent it from chipping outside of the material you wish to remove. Then simply take the chisel and press down at a shallow angle from the outside of the cut toward the score line you just made. Then do the same from the other side. Remove the material and repeat until you have a "V" as deep as you'd like. Then simply clean up the cut. The bottom of the "V" will lie directly beneath the score line you created, in the middle of the letter.
Making some progress! I have the mallet in the photo, but it is almost never necessary when carving. This is a job of finesse, not power.
I typically gold leaf signs I carve, but for this sign I thought a light coat of paint would look more rustic and authentic. Not to mention the monetary and environmental costs of gold. In fact, there is a battle going on in Alaska right now over whether to build the so called Pebble Mine which would destroy one of the most productive salmon fisheries in the world. Gold is bad!
Anyway, I decided to use a pickling stain which is a light white wash stain which lets the grain of the wood show through. If you've ever seen those faux-vintage types of furniture, this is what they use to get that effect. I found a quart of this stain in the trash a few months ago. Bringing the total cost of this project to $0. A few hours with an artist paint brush and this is what the finished product looks like.
The cost of the tap system was another matter. I have almost all of the expensive parts including CO2 tanks, regulators, cold plates, taps, draft towers, etc. but buying hoses and all the little parts at home depot gets expensive fast.
For those not in the know, a tap system essentially works like this: A CO2 tank hold carbon dioxide gas at very high pressures. CO2 is the same gas that provides those pleasant carbonation bubbles in your beer. The rate at which the CO2 is released is control by the regulator, which takes several thousands of pounds of CO2 pressure and releases it at only a few pounds per square inch at a time. Always use less pressure than you think you need, or you’ll end up with foamy beer gushing out of the tap.
Cheers!
Beware of thy bird, for it carries disease and pestilence. In fact I frequently see chickens roaming empty lots in Harlem. In fact, they were clucking away just last weekend.
Pedicabs are bicycles too! Support alternative forms of transportation in New York City!
Tear down those dams! Because seriously, they are environmentally atrocious.
I'm planting my tomatoes about two feet apart. Space is at a premium in my garden but if you crowd the plants they won't do as well.
I'm planing varieties that produce smaller fruit, as I've had more luck with these in the past. I just don't get enough sun to produce huge beefsteak tomatoes. I do have great luck with cherry tomatoes and spicy peppers though!
I'm also growing a few plants in containers, to help maximize space. I find clay pots in the trash regularly. People are always throwing away houseplants in my neighborhood. A beautiful pot for free!
