Beer brewing and plants

Tags

Ale, Ancient Egypt, barley, Beer, compost, Eden Project, garden, home grown, hops, Humulus, Lager, Mesopotamia, Microbrewery, plants, St Austell Brewery

Ale is one of the oldest beverages humans have produced, dating back to at least the 5th millennium BC and recorded in the written history of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

When next taking a sip of a pint, spare a thought for the plants that made it possible, Barley and Hops

Hops ready for harvesting

Hops fields

Hops (Humulus luplus)

• Hops can be grown in different ways: on hop hills (on 10-foot tall posts in a mound of compost) up sisal strings suspended from wires attached to chestnut posts trained by ‘butchers’ and ‘umbrella’ and ‘Worcester’ methods. Hop workers used to wear stilts to sort the wires out.
• Hops are susceptible to several pests and diseases and often require spraying.

Did you know that Louis Pasteur worked out that yeast was the magic ingredient in beer. Before this fermentation was regarded as Witchcraft or an act of God

Yeast fermenting in a vat at St Austell‘s brewery

St Austell Brewery

St Austell Brewery has a relationship with the Eden Project. The solid residue from the mash is given to Eden for composting, thus recycling the end product.

The Old Copper Kettle for brewing

Brewing was started by Walter Hicks in 1851 at At Austell Brewery.

Beer brewing journals

Varieties of beer produced

St Austel Brewery

Beer kegs waiting to be delivered

Delivery Van

The Hicks Bar

CHEERS!

Related articles

• Hops planted at London landmarks for new new city ale (dailymail.co.uk)
• J Wakefield Brewing is Offering Crowdfunders an All Expense Paid Trip… (prweb.com)

 

Bee boles and skeps

Tags

Bee, Bee boles, Bee skep, Beehive, garden, history, home, honeybee, insect, Lost gardens of Heligan, Middle Ages, organic

A Peep into the world of Bee boles

These Bee-boles are part of a large wall with 15 vaulted chambers to house bees – the forerunner of modern beehives – bees were very important to gardens as they pollinated the plants and supplied honey and wax.

For centuries, beekeepers have used “skeps,” carefully designed domed baskets, to house their hives. Bees need a clean, dry place to make a home

Skeps, which are baskets placed open-end-down, have been used for about 2000 years. Initially they were made from wicker plastered with mud and dung but from the Middle Ages they were made of straw. In northern and western Europe, skeps were made of coils of grass or straw. In its simplest form, there is a single entrance at the bottom of the skep. Again, there is no internal structure provided for the bees and the colony must produce its own honeycomb, which is attached to the inside of the skep.

Lost Gardens of Heligan

How to make a Bee skep

 

Related articles

• The Giant’s Head (aristonorganic.com)
• Insect Hotel (aristonorganic.com)
• Flowers Garden (aristonorganic.com)

 

DIY Essential Oils

DIY Essential Oils.

Rendering raw Beeswax

Tags

aluminum containers, batiking, Bee, beeswax, candle, craft, double boiler, honey, honey comb, honeybee, organic, raw honey, rendering beeswax, Wax

Beeswax is another major hive product, though neither its uses nor its value are as widely known as those of honey.

From the raw honey comb above, the residue of wax that is left over looks very dirty and full of debris.

Place the wax in a double boiler, add  double the amount of water, and heat slowly until all the wax has melted. Turn off the heat and allow the wax to set. The wax will always set above the water.

When the wax is set, use a sharp knife to prize the wax out of the pot. Discard the water down an outside drain. The water will be very full of the impurities, but some will still remain in the  set wax. Scrape off as much as you can.

Place the wax again in the double boiler and melt on a low heat. Using an old stocking, place it over your mold stretched tightly. Tip: Use a lot of newspaper in this work, as the wax tends to get everywhere. NB. Never wash any pots or utensils you may have used in the the dishwasher.

When the wax is melted pour into your mold and the residues will remain behind.

Discard your old stocking.

Result rendered beeswax ready to use in crafts.

Beeswax is used industrially in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, polishes, and candles. Uses for beeswax on a small scale include:

	candle-making
	lost-wax casting of metals
	wax printing and batiking of cloth
	polishes for wood and leather
	strengthening and waterproofing thread for sewing
	treatment of cracked hooves of domestic animals
	making of comb foundation or wax starter for beehives.

Most methods of rendering wax use hot water to melt it. They are based on the fact that beeswax floats in water. A few words of caution are in order, however: Never use iron, zinc, brass, or copper containers for beeswax, as they discolor the wax. Use enameled aluminum containers. Be careful with melted beeswax, since it is highly flammable. Do not allow the beeswax-water mixture to boil vigorously. Boiling beeswax lowers its quality by making it more brittle. Blocks of rendered beeswax can be stored in cool, dry places for long periods without harm. They should be wrapped in paper or plastic. Never store beeswax near pesticides. Beeswax absorbs many such chemicals, and they can kill bees if this wax is used to make comb foundation.

Homemade Lavender Hand cream

Tags

almond, Aromatherapy, beeswax, Coconut oil, Essential oil, hand cream, health, lavender essential oil, light scent, natural ingredients, olive oil, sweet almond oil, Tablespoon

My hands always seem to suffer gardening, with so much scrubbing removing the dirt, becoming chapped and dry. I have been looking around for some time now for home made hand cream using all natural ingredients, as well as Beeswax.

Yes I have found the perfect recipe. Foolproof, a wonderful light scent, and a cream rich enough to not only keep your hands and cuticles looking, but also works wonders on your elbows and heels as well.

Lavender hand cream also makes a wonderful gift and can be adapted to use different scents or even be thinned to use in a hand pump.

Ingredients :

• 1/3 cup sweet Almond Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 2 Tables spoons Olive oil
• 3 Tablespoon grated Beeswax
• 30 to 35 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Instructions :

Combine the oils in a small saucepan over e medium head until just warm, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in grated beeswax, stirring until completely melted.

Place in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes to cool the oil, then stir in Lavender essential oil. Pour the cream into a container, and allow to cool.

Variations :

1. For a thinner consistency to use with a pump, use only 2 tablespoons beeswax.
2. For a thicker salve like consistency, use 4 tablespoons beeswax
3. Try other Essential Oils like Lemon, orange, clove, peppermint, or some other floral scent.

PURCHASE 

This post was shared to Wildcrafting Wednesday

 

Power Orange Cleaner-make your own

Tags

green tips, health, oranges, organic

Simply Content Country Living

How would you like it if I told you it is entirely possible for you to clean your whole house without using a chemical?
It’s true!
I haven’t bought a chemical product off the grocery store shelf in many years now.
Here’s the natural cleaners I use the most in my home and what they do:

Baking Soda-
Toilets, bath tub, showers, stainless steel appliances, stove tops. You can sprinkle it on or mix it with a little liquid soap.

Vinegar-
There’s really nothing in my home I don’t use vinegar on! Counters, windows, mirrors, sinks, floors, walls, mixed with essentials oils it makes a great spot carpet cleaner or you can use it in a carpet cleaning machine to replace the chemical cleaner.
(here’s a hint-if you make kombucha tea, you can heavily ferment it, until it smells like vinegar, and use it in place of store bought vinegar…

View original post 302 more words