The Steamtug Blog

Boy it sure has been cold here. Yesterday we had a top temperature of only 11 degrees. I can’t remember a day where the top was less than 13 degrees ever! So much for global warming eh? (Don’t be fooled… it’s real despite this cold snap!) After living 4 years in Russia, I can honestly say I am colder here than I ever was in Russia. It’s because we don’t take winter seriously. In Russia proper winter care mean dying, here its just a pain in the fingers and toes. Even Petri when he visited here from Sweden said our houses were make like cardboard boxes with thin walls. He said that in Sweden now, double glazed windows are not used anymore, because everyone has triple glazing as standard. He could not believe we dont even have double glazed windows! I remember when I renovated our old house and requested double glazed windows, more for sound proofing while doing shift work, but it was a real problem finding someone to do them. Well stay rugged up… winter is only beginning…. brrrrr!

Fermented barley juice

While trying to stay warm yesterday, I set to cooking up another batch of barley for my latest beer. Riley came home early from school and complained about the smell in the kitchen. I asked him “Aren’t you at least glad you have an intereting father who doesn’t just go down the bottle shop and buy a slab of Victoria Bitter and sit on the couch and drink it?” No… he wished I was just like a normal father and instead suggested I spend my time playing golf! Can you imagine????

I went to a brewing demonstration at the weekend and picked up some great tips on sparging. (Rinsing the grain to get all the sugars out) I had tried several different methods, but this new “fly sparge” where you dont disturb the grain bed, just keep sprinkling hot water over the top and collect the juice from the bottom. Eventually it started to look watery, but most of the crap that came out into the kettle previously remained trapped in the grain, so the beer looks much clearer. It should help my chill haze problems I have.

Geelong Advertiser News from 100 years ago!

I was just reading the Geelong Advertiser from 1910 (101 years ago) and it sure has some interesting articles! Like…

July 5th 1910 -In the fierce furnaces of the Oriental Timber mill the sub-collector of Customs and the chief clerk at the Geelong office, destroyed 120 tins of opium found on the Eastern Beach two months ago after an unsuccessful attempt at smuggling from a China steamer in Port. The drug represented a value of 600 pounds, and rapidly disappeared in smoke.

July 16th 1910 -An old man whose drinking habits had led to the suspension of his pension appeared before the Police Magistrate in a deeply contrite mood. He stated he had kept off the drink and had sought to live decently and soberly. The Magistrate said that his statements were borne out by the police reports and he could see from his clean and tidy appearance that he had changed his ways. The persion was an equivalent to a certificate of good citizenship; no one would be allowed to hold a pension who disgraced an honorable body of persioners. He would recommend the restoration of the pension.