-Peter McMindes- It’s not the size of the crush; it’s how you use it. The crush of the grist results in different size particles that give the brewer the range between the speed of sugar extraction and the ability to extract overall. A small or fine crush will allow sugars to be converted faster by enzymes but can create a stuck mash or unwanted husk tannin extraction. A coarse crush will allow for a better flow of wort and lauter but will not be converted as quickly. While the degree of … [Read more...] about Grain Crush
Pumpkin Spice Kombucha
-Gabrial House- With fall in full effect, this week on the blog I wanted to share one of my favorite kombucha recipes. This time of year I am a sucker for crisp cool days, cozy sweaters, and everything pumpkin spice. It only makes sense for us to enjoy all the wonderful benefits of kombucha with the delicious taste of pumpkin spice. To make this recipe, we’ll start off by fermenting a batch of kombucha from green tea. Then we will be adding the Pumpkin Spice flavor during our second … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Spice Kombucha
It’s Soil, Not Dirt… And It’s Alive!
-Patrick Metz- This past weekend we had the folks from Mountain Gate Organics over at the Charlottesville store talking worms, soil, and biology. In anticipation of the day, we had made a couple hundred gallons of compost tea and were giving it away to any interested gardeners. Even more exciting was a little display we had set up with a microscope connected to a computer screen. Underneath the microscope two drops of the tea (made from worm castings and molasses introduced into water and … [Read more...] about It’s Soil, Not Dirt… And It’s Alive!
Forcing Bulbs For Winter Blooms
-Pam Scott- As the days become shorter, we start to see signs that the outdoor growing season is coming to an end. Summer annuals and perennials set seeds for the birds and other wildlife to eat. The trees shed their leaves. As gardeners, many of us still have the urge to nurture color, scent, and life into the slowly greying pallet of the shortening winter days. In this week’s blog, I’m going to talk about how you can do just that by forcing spring-blooming bulbs for a succession of fabulous … [Read more...] about Forcing Bulbs For Winter Blooms
Propper Starter Review
-Ryan Blankenship- Have you ever had that perfect bottle-conditioned beer and thought to yourself, “I sure would love to be able to harvest this yeast for my next brew”? Well now there is a much easier way to do that without having to brew a batch of beer for the wort, or make a yeast starter using DME (dried malt extract). Omega Yeast went ahead and brewed a condensed wort for you and put it in a convenient 16oz can. Introducing Omega’s Propper Starter Canned Wort! We went ahead and put this … [Read more...] about Propper Starter Review
How to Keep Your Grow Room Clean (and Productive)
-Luis Guerra- Keeping your grow room clean is extremely important in order to maintain a disease- and bug-free environment. Not any old cleaner lingering underneath your kitchen sink will do the job properly, however. Some cleaners are ineffective, while others can leave a residue which can later leak into your grow. In this blog, I’ll go over some of my favorite ‘go to’ products and how to use them safely and effectively to keep your grow area pristine. Hydrogen peroxide: The stuff you buy … [Read more...] about How to Keep Your Grow Room Clean (and Productive)
How to Read a Seed Packet
-by Luis Guerra- During spring and fall planting seasons, we get a lot of questions about when and how to plant particular seeds. The first place we turn for helpful and accurate information is the packets the seeds come in. Not all seeds are created equal, and to know what you are getting, and how to properly germinate your seeds, seed packets provide a wealth of information, if you know what to look for. In this post, I’ll break down a lot of the information you’ll find on seed packages, so … [Read more...] about How to Read a Seed Packet
A Simple Guide to Orchid Care
- Gabrial House - I wanted to talk about growing orchids for a couple of reasons. First, they are absolutely beautiful plants that can thrive in your house when cared for properly. Second, sometimes people buy orchids or get them as gifts and are intimidated or confused about how to care for these plants. So I thought I’d put together this simple guide for orchids that will keep your orchids happy and healthy! Orchids, like all plants, require adequate light, air, & water. Orchids in … [Read more...] about A Simple Guide to Orchid Care
Cryo Hops® – A Practical Hop for Homebrewing
- Peter McMindes - Brewers today are pushing the past standards on IBUs and hop additions in their beers. With this new wave of hoppy IPAs and other hopped up traditional styles brings increased trub loss via higher vegetative matter, more astringency, and of course higher costs per batch of beer. The sheer amount of hops alone going into a New England IPA can double the cost of the beer! A newer style of hops, called Cryo Hops®, lends a solution to these setbacks. Originally Cryo Hops® … [Read more...] about Cryo Hops® – A Practical Hop for Homebrewing
Hydroponics and the Environment
-Ryan Blankenship- Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without the use of soil, delivering plant nutrients directly through watering. Nutrients are mixed into a water reservoir and then fed to your plants at regular intervals. Your plants will directly take these nutrients up, as they don’t have to first be broken down in the soil in order to be readily available to plants. Hydroponic gardening is, thus, an efficient way to grow plants, and has a few environmental benefits over … [Read more...] about Hydroponics and the Environment
