Recent content by Sybil

Are homemade cheese cultures as effective as those you can order? For instance, I've read that you can make an effective mesophilic culture from the right buttermilk; and a thermophilic culture from a good, plain yogurt. If this is true, are the cheeses made from these as good-tasting as...

I don't like to make soda in the large 2L bottles either, but... even the remote possibility of loosing my vision in a glass explosion is worth using PET bottles. (I remember when I was a kid my father made wine and some glass bottles exploded in the basement. No one was hurt.) I'll mix my...

I've been making non-alton brown gingerale the past few weeks (with yeast to carbonate) and have tried a different way of extracting the flavor from the fresh ginger. It does not involve heat in order to keep all the flavors as fresh-tasting as possible. Scrape the outside of the hunks of...

I've been playing around making sodas with yeast (premier cuvee) the past few days and it's been a lot of fun. There are so many possibilities... I've done small batches (some in 0.5L water bottles) of plain apple juice, ginger-lime, cherry, fresh limeade, and fresh orange juice/lime juice...

I appreciate what you all are trying to do and have greatly enjoyed reading many threads here. When I was a kid, my dad would make wine every year before it was fashionable, so I do understand. As a child I even crushed grapes with my feet. :p As to my pouring the results of my fermentations...

I've thought of using distillers yeast, but think the bacteria that convert the alcohol into acetic acid probably evolved at lower % of acid - more like that found in natural wines. Yes, of course, that and battery acid (sulfuric) are what I have been using the past few years. Wouldnt...

I am looking for the most efficient way to make vinegar. This vinegar will be used in the garden to acidify water, and not consumed by humans. (I am not a teenager looking for a quick :drunk: ) I started with persimmons, sugar and bread yeast, and have now moved onto just plain warm sugar...