Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

[Aaron]

Like maple syrup?

Good god man, recipe!

[The Spartan]

http://hbd.org/brewery/cm3/recs/10_25.html

I scaled it down to a gallon sized batch because Grade B real maple syrup can get expensive. I've got another batch that'll be ready next week.

I may have to shell out and do a full scale batch...

[Infinity Biscuit]

This thread makes me regret having to donate all my old canning supplies to save space.

You said you tried a different salsa verde that turned out well; did you put up the recipe somewhere and I missed it?

[The Spartan]

I didn't post it in full; it's from my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

You can find it here: http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipe.aspx?r=256

Edit: Oh, and I couldn't find dried chipotles so I substituted canned chipotles in adobo sauce in a one-chili-to-one-chili ratio.

[The Spartan]

And the 5 gallon batch of cinnamon orange mead turned out:

[The Spartan]

OH! And I almost forgot that I bottled some limoncello I made.

[The Spartan]

So... I went ahead and ordered some maple syrup from Vermont. 2 full gallons, which is enough to make a 5 gallon batch. I haven't had a chance to make it yet, but this is going to be great.

Just as good, my parents stopped at a honey farm on the way back from vacation and picked me up 30 pounds of honey! I'm going to use half of it to make just a plain mead that I may or may not try to make sparkling. The other half... I'm not sure yet. I've thought about different ways to flavor or spice it, but I can't make up my mind. Though I'm currently leaning towards possibly a cyser if I can get some unpasteurized apple juice.

[The Spartan]

Just bottled the second gallon sized batch of maple wine:


I also started the fourth batch of sauerkraut in a Pickl-It jar. Hopefully this will let me get a batch to actually work out. Fourth time's a charm!

[The Spartan]

Current fermentations running (from left to right): In the little Gallon sized jugs are the fall spice metheglin (spiced mead) and "Royal Metheglin". In 'I' is a porter that will eventually be a vanilla bourbon porter, in 'II' is a 5 gal batch of maple wine and on the very end is a plain mead that I may try to make sparkling when I bottle.

Behind me in that picture is my fermentation cooler which still holds the Marzen I started a few weeks ago. I'll bottle that tomorrow.

Up next, if I have time tomorrow, is cyser, a mead made with apples that I'll also spice. Then next weekend I'll start this year's first two batches of Holiday Cheer.

Also, jalapeno cornbread for tailgating tonight:

[Phantasee]

please make a thread about your experiences in munich with photos thanks

[The Spartan]

So I've kind of fallen behind in posting what I've been making. Between making stuff, working, football season, etc. I've not had much time to post about it.

With that in mind, here's an update: I've not made any new preserves lately, there just hasn't been time. I have been brewing, however.
-The Marzen sorta turned out. I think I drank it too soon because all the bottles tasted more or less okay, but the first ones had basically no carbonation and the last six or so (3 or 4? weeks after the first) were fine. I think it takes longer for the carbonation to form when lagering. So I need to keep in mind that it may take four months to make a batch of lagered beer.
-Since then I've really only been brewing beer for football games and my holiday ale. The latter of which has been delicious as always and I've kegged two of the batches, though I've not tested the kegs yet. Which I really need to do...
-I tested the Vanilla Bourbon Porter last night and the new batch turned out, so that's good.
-The meads (12 gallons in all) and 5 gallon batch Maple wine are still fermenting and not quite ready to be bottled.
-I've not done it yet, but I need to replenish my strawberry jam (and may need to do a double batch), make more of both salsas and a new batch of BBQ sauce.
-I also found a recipe for chipotle ketchup that I'd like to try, maybe tomorrow. I might also make a batch of regular ketchup using the same recipe minus the chipotles. (It does take 5 pounds of tomatoes each time though so I may spread that one out too)
-Finally, I've bought a miter saw, so I'll be posting more wooden contraptions once I actually, you know, make them...

[The Spartan]

Oh, and I forgot to mention I did make another batch of trailbread Thursday night. Nothing special, same as last time.

[The Spartan]

I've only been replenishing lately.

That said, I tried the sauerkraut and it turned out. It's actually quite a bit milder than I expected, but it was good. We simmered brats in beer and butter with onions and then served them on buns with the kraut.

So fourth time was the charm.

[The Spartan]

Some stuff I built-

Cutoff guides that I've cut, but not yet assembled:


A bench hook (a kind of handsaw guide):


A washer toss game (and how it fits together to carry):



Giant Jenga (which I've since painted Texans colors):


Blocks for setting a weight set on:

[The Spartan]

The cutoff guides from my previous post, assembled and cut to fit my circular saw:


Some bread I made for Sunday, a cinnamon raisin bread from Jim Lahey's book on no-knead bread. I felt like it could have used more cinnamon or maybe, instead, some cinnamon butter.

[The Spartan]

Raspberry Imperial Stout:


It's tasty and actually quite handy for introducing people who are squeamish about really dark beer to how good it can be even if you're not a beer geek.

[The Spartan]

Japanese style toolbox:

Wide Angle Shot:


Close up of closed lid:


Close up of open lid:


Shot of lid taken not quite all the way off:


Some of the cuts could have been more consistent and some of the angles truer, but overall I'm happy with it for a first, "big" project. I'll probably make another since it took me most of this one to develop my skills and method enough to even do this well and I'd like to have one that's better, but I may wait until I get a table saw some time next month.

[Infinity Biscuit]

I think you may have doubled up your Open Lid and Closed Lid pictures; they look identical over on this end.

What's the significance of the lid design? Is that decorative or structural?

[The Spartan]

Whoops... you're right. Fixed.

Here's where I got the design from: http://books.google.ca/books?id=vPYDAAA ... &q&f=false

I think the lid is both structural to support itself on top of the box and to serve as a handle to slide the lid open. Mine, at any rate, is pretty tight and takes the extra diagonal to open it. Which is actually something I'm pleased with.

[The Spartan]

Lime Chipotle Sauce:


It's DELICIOUS! It'll work as a dip, as a marinade, as a cooking sauce. I'm really, really happy with this one. It's sweet and smoky and herby with just a hint of heat.

[The Spartan]

Marinara:


It's nothing to write home about, but it's nice to be able to put up some sauce and know exactly what's gone into it. And it does make a decent plate of spaghetti with some ground beef.

[Infinity Biscuit]

What's your recipe for the marinara?

[The Spartan]

I used this one: http://www.theyummylife.com/marinara_sa ... dRecipe_17 (The picture is of a double batch.)

The only difference I made was to triple the amount of crushed red pepper.

[The Spartan]

Got a table saw now. I have to finish adjusting it and make a couple of jigs for it so I can ensure accurate cuts, but then I'll be ready to make more wood projects:


Also, I think I forgot to post the five gallon batch of maple wine:

[The Spartan]

I'm a little late with this update and I'm not going to post any pics unless anyone wants to see something in particular, but over the past weekend I was pretty damn busy.

First, I brewed up a batch of beer. This one is something new I'm trying, it's a pre-reinheitsgebot Doppelbock flavored with cherry.

Then I went nuts: I made a batch of Orange Jelly (that didn't gel right and is really orange syrup), a batch of Spiced Orange Jelly, a batch of Ginger Cherry Butter, I canned the kraut that was in my fridge, I made a batch of ginger kraut and, finally, a batch of mixed veggie kraut.