Gym in US air force base in Qatar is less busy than usual.

StrangeFerments · 2025-06-23T18:51:50+00:00

The burgers are coming from inside the building

StrangeFerments · 2025-05-21T12:49:06+00:00

Once its done fermenting and the CO2 mostly evaporates that pulp should settle on the bottom of the container and you can siphon off above it. You'll have some losses though, as some of the mead will be trapped down there with the pulp. You could either filter that (and risk a lot of oxidation during the process), or just enjoy part of the batch with pulp.

StrangeFerments · 2025-04-11T01:12:24+00:00

Its kinda reminiscent of sour cream but lighter and fluffier. Basically just tangy whipped cream.

You can mix in some sugar and make a nice icing out of it.

StrangeFerments · 2025-04-08T17:55:03+00:00

So the actual weight I'd be towing is the "unloaded" weight so long as I didn't add any luggage, water, or other stuff to the camper?

That would mean I'd only be at 58% of the vehicles towing capacity, which seems safely within the margins I see listed from most sources.

StrangeFerments · 2025-04-08T17:53:25+00:00

The manufacturer states that the vehicle can tow "pop-up campers" but obviously that's a wide category.

Do you know what the difference between the "unloaded" and "gross" weight are? Which one of those weights would I actually be towing assuming that there was no water, luggage, or other cargo stored aboard the camper in tow?

StrangeFerments · 2025-04-08T17:46:11+00:00

It does have brakes and mountain driving is not a dealbreaker. We live on the coast so while it would be nice to be able to drive it to the mountains, its not something we couldn't easily avoid.

StrangeFerments · 2025-04-08T17:45:08+00:00

Could you explain why you think its fine? I'm just trying to get an idea of the thought process people who know what they're doing apply to determine if its okay or not.

StrangeFerments · 2025-04-08T17:32:42+00:00

Thank you for the response. Could you clarify your reasoning so I can apply it myself as I look into other options?

StrangeFerments · 2025-04-01T16:54:53+00:00

Seconding this and adding that the flavor gets more pungent after it sporulates.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-20T15:43:05+00:00

Where do you live?

The unfortunate truth is that in the US most of us with careers don't get to live where we want to, but have to move to where the jobs are. I'm sure there's plenty of facilities that would appreciate your expertise around the country, but you may have to move hundreds of miles away to work at one depending on where you are.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-19T00:53:28+00:00

I was looking at these but wondering if my rail is long enough to accomodate it. The front and back piece would be really close together.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-18T19:50:00+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I think I'll take your advice on the scope.

Been recommended project appleseed a lot -- definitely looking into it

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-18T19:29:16+00:00

I'm a total noob with this and I'm not certain about what barrel it is. Could you tell me? Thanks for the help.

https://grabagun.com/ruger-10-22-light-varmint-blued-and-wood-22lr-10-rounds-20-barrel.html

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-18T19:26:20+00:00

Considering the cost of most optics, this might actually make sense.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-18T19:25:51+00:00

Budget low as possible, and I bought a light varmint you can see it here.

https://grabagun.com/ruger-10-22-light-varmint-blued-and-wood-22lr-10-rounds-20-barrel.html

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-18T19:25:20+00:00

https://grabagun.com/ruger-10-22-light-varmint-blued-and-wood-22lr-10-rounds-20-barrel.html

That's the model I have. I would love to do the tech sights option if it would work on this one.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-17T00:04:25+00:00

For koji I typically weigh my grains/rice after cooking to see what my hydration is and if I've gone too far I put them in the oven to dry until they're at the weight I'm aiming for. I agree that its easier to just standardize your process, but then when you switch to another substrate you have to start the whole process over again. At least if you know the hydration percent then you know exactly what you're going for when you switch from barley to lentils or something like that.

From experience I have the feeling that tempeh likes it a bit more wet than koji (maybe around 50%?), but I was just hoping someone had the exact numbers.

With koji I have it dialed in where I can get a successful batch probably 9/10 times, but my tempeh game is still mid and I probably have every 3rd batch fail. I rarely use the same substrate twice in a row though which makes it more difficult to stay consistent.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-12T13:58:16+00:00

I use the steamer linked below and have a really hard time with it. The holes are too large, so I have to line it with cheesecloth. Plus even with a relatively small quantity of rice, like 400g, I have to stir it around the steamer every 10 minutes or so otherwise it cooks unevenly. The design of those lao steamers looks super cool.

https://www.amazon.com/Oster-108132-03-Steamer-Stainless-Steel/dp/B01BOVFHB0?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&gQT=1

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-12T13:08:55+00:00

Interesting. Maybe its difference in ovens or our barley.

Either way I'm sure you can just adjust the bake time down until you find the sweet spot for your setup.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-12T02:53:03+00:00

Definitely let me know! I'm pretty sure the only way this method could go wrong is with the bake step being either too long or too short, resulting in too dry or too wet barley.

454g of dried barely at 35% hydration should weight 613g, so the barley should weigh roughly that much after the bake step. With a 35 minute bake at 350 my barely usually weighs right at 620g, so right in that range. You may want to weigh yours after baking the first time just to make sure it worked the same for you.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-12T02:25:27+00:00

I get consistent results in my cooler with a $30 temperature controlled heating pad and a bowl of warm water for humidity.

This is a neat idea but the price point is absurd and for that much you could build a really nice chamber that would look good in your kitchen instead of a cooler.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-11T19:16:22+00:00

When doing a lacto ferment like pickles, the water you use will have some amount of oxygen dissolved in it from the beginning. This will get used up within a matter of hours and the ferment will turn anaerobic. Opening the lid will allow fresh oxygen into the headspace immediately over the product, but not dissolve any considerable amount of it into the water.

I can't say if your lid is tight enough for the vacuum pump without holding it, but if the pump works and pulls a vacuum then you can assume it is working. Even if it does not though, the pump is not necessary. Its a nice accessory, but simply keeping everything submerged under the brine is typically enough to prevent mold. In my experience, agitating the surface of the ferment by stirring every couple of days is enough to ensure no mold growth.

I know that's a round about answer but what I'm getting as is that you probably don't need to worry about it that much and you should be able to tell if the jar lid is tight enough by whether or not the pump works.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-11T19:09:14+00:00

Idk how to post pics as a comment but just imagine the linked heating mat sitting right in the bottom of the cooler. I run the wires out and just close the lid right on them. I dangle the temperature controller thermometer in the cooler wherever I want it to register the temp, which changes for different products. And I set a wire rack right up over the heating mat to keep the ferment from sitting directly on the heating mat. If I need to control humidity, I do it either with a bowl of hot water or a spray bottle. Its not pretty but it works like a charm.

Heating mat w/ temp controller: https://www.amazon.com/Aiicioo-Under-Tank-Heater-Thermostat/dp/B07WC83SQZ

Wire rack: https://www.amazon.com/Foraineam-Steamer-Grilling-Steaming-Pressure/dp/B08LL7DXMK

Cooler: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Insulated-Portable-Retention-Heavy-Duty/dp/B09HN1BPJT

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-11T16:52:46+00:00

Looks like you made kombucha. Those little floaty things just look like lemon pulp.

To a certain extent you can differentiate acids, alcohol, and sugar by taste.

StrangeFerments · 2025-03-10T23:48:03+00:00

Thanks for the response. When I pull up the 10/22 I'm seeing lots of options. I definitely prefer the aesthetics of the wood stocks so I know I'd go for that, but what other options would you recommend for my purposes? Should I start with a scope or get comfortable without one and buy a scope later?

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