May 11, 2008
Bunnysitting
SamGoing on vacation but can't take your rabbits with you? We can help! Since 2004, we have been bunny-sitting in our home to raise money for The Rabbit Haven, a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization dedicated to house rabbit rescue, shelter, care, and public education. As Haven volunteers, we have years of experience in caring for house rabbits and the support of a network of rabbit experts! When your bunnies stay with us, they get great care and your donation helps other rabbits find homes and receive medical care.
Got questions? Read more about the service or contact Heather and Paul.
February 01, 2009
Cider batch 2
Cider has started producing CO2 again, probably from the 1/2 gallon of fresh juice I added yesterday.
January 31, 2009
Cider batch 2
Batch #2 has fermented to about 0.999, so I racked it into a clean carboy and topped it off with about 1/2 gallon of Gizdich Ranch apple juice -- it was smart to buy four gallons instead of three while I was there! I finally got some batteries for my TDS tester, and the reading from the sample was 770 ppm. I'm not sure if TDS is going to be helpful or not, but it's easy to measure. What would really be great is a pH meter...
The cider tastes dry and much better than the first batch at the same point. It's hard to describe, but it seems like there is more apple character to it. Heather says that this batch, unaged and with no carbonation, already tastes better than the first batch, which is done, so that's a plus!
January 26, 2009
Tortoises out of hibernation!
We took René and Pascale out of the fridge on Saturday after eight weeks of hibernation at 40 degrees F. After about an hour and a half at room temperature, they were warm enough to start moving around, so we put them under their heat lamp for a while to get them going. We've also been giving them warm soaks a few times a day so they rehydrate. Both of them appear to have lost some weight in their legs, and Pascale's eyes are a bit sunken, but they are eating and drinking now and appear none the worse for wear. Heather and I didn't realize how much we missed their grumpy little faces while they were in the fridge!
Check them out on the TortCam!
January 22, 2009
Cider batch 2
Cider has gotten lighter and more yellowish over the past couple of days. Fermentation is going like gangbusters. Measured SG of 1.032; not sure if the original measurement or this one is incorrect. Maybe there is some breakdown of complex carbs into simpler sugars. Who knows? Tastes very sweet with a little bit of alcohol.
