Random Photo of the Day - 2019 - post yours!

[LifeofRubie]

Yesterday was brew day for a Mosaic IPA!



The Mash is our least favorite step (maintaining the grains at a temp of 146-152F for an hour when the lowest setting on the stove will keep it at 170F or so - SO MUCH BABYSITTING) so we tried using the Anova Sous Vide a while back and it worked like a charm. Maintains a temp of 150 easy peasy and keeps the water moving. The recipe adjustments we had to make were keeping the grains in a nut milk bag and away from the components in the Sous Vide and adding more water up front.

For these kits, typically you use 2.5 quarts of water to do the mash and then Sparge with 4 more quarts (Sparge is pouring hot water over the grains to extract all that sugary goodness). Because the 2.5 quarts to start with wasn't enough to get the water level high enough for the Sous Vide, we start with 4 quarts for the Mash and do the Sparge with 2.5 quarts. I also like the nut milk bag because you can twist it to squeeze any remaining liquid out more effectively than mashing it in the strainer with a spoon.

I've actually noticed that our initial fermentation is more vigorous since we started using this method so it appears keeping that temp consistent is very effective as releasing those sugars!

 

[Brioddy]

Won’t lie, I was lost in the translation LOL but I do like beer I’m still waiting on my neighbor to take me to pick muscadines for some fine wine!

 

[LifeofRubie]

haha the "Jargon!" Basically you make oatmeal with the grains and then strain them out to extract the residual sugars which is what the yeasties feed on. During the boil (which lasts an hour after straining the grains) is when you add all the flavorful stuff. Orange peels, rose hips, Hibiscus flowers, etc. are more toward the end and hops are generally up front or somewhere in the middle.

Since this one is an IPA, hops were added in 5 stages! We only do a gallon at a time but it's about 3-4 hours from start to finish so still a bit of a commitment! When all is said and done and waiting for the yeast to activate (they were bubbling away this morning!). The tube stays on there for a couple of days because that's when fermentation is it's heaviest and you get something called a Krausen; it will foam and bubble over. A simple airlock would overflow and gunk up!

 

[Ddski5]

@Brioddy

I know this has been discussed before but I can’t find...what kind of GS is Rio specifically?

Rio is not the common black/brown GS that I am accustomed to seeing down here. As a matter of fact, I don’t thing I have every seen a GS with Rio’s coloring of gray/silverish.

Your pictures amaze me every time I see him, he sure is handsome.

Wife and kids want another dog “Ragnar needs a buddy” they say- I disagree.... adding another big dog to our house is going to bring more chaos that I will have to figure out. They want to all the play but I have to do all the work and training.

They came real close of rescuing a GS last week but I stopped them. Now they are onto a red female Doberman at Gulf Coast Rescue.

I feel it, it is coming...

 

[crypticintent]

That's a nice yeast bed in the carboy.

I'll have to document our setup next Brew day. We just kegged a kolsh about a week ago, using agave nectar to kick off the natural carbonation.

Its about to go into the keezer and I'll be getting tap handle number 4 this weekend for it

 

[Kaiser2016]

[They want to all the play but I have to do all the work and training.

They came real close of rescuing a GS last week but I stopped them. Now they are onto a red female Doberman at Gulf Coast Rescue.

I feel it, it is coming...

When women go from just talking about it to looking for it, it’s definitely going to happen! A pair of Dobermans would be quite the imposing duo, so I’m going to cross my fingers that the female Dobe works out but for your sanity I can understand wanting a less psycho dog. Hopefully the right pup ends up coming home!

 

[LifeofRubie]

That's a nice yeast bed in the carboy.

I'll have to document our setup next Brew day. We just kegged a kolsh about a week ago, using agave nectar to kick off the natural carbonation.

Its about to go into the keezer and I'll be getting tap handle number 4 this weekend for it

Please do! I will start a new thread so we can compare notes

 

[Brioddy]

@Ddski5 Technically all GSDs are GSDs, but specific lines are almost breeds unto themselves both physically and mentally. Rios color is sable, it’s a dominant gene and is the wild dog color. It is extremely variable, and people will use descriptive terms like “black”, “red”, “silver” etc but genetically speaking sable is sable. It is characterized by multicolored bands in each strand of hair, I will enclose a couple photos of sable dogs to show how much the color varies.



Rio is a “patterned” sable in that he still exhibits the classic saddle back and mane of a typical Black and Tan, yet retaining the sable coloring. They go through the most dramatic color changes over time, but there are many colors anywhere from black as night to white as snow. Sans UKC, white is a disqualification from AKC and also liver and tan or blues are also out of the standard.

The major branches of lines are WGSL (West German Show Line) which are your beefy, richly red pigmented show dogs. Shown below is Rios grandsire, as his paternal side consists purely of fancy German show dogs.



There’s also ASL, or American show line. As a stereotype they typically have issues with unstable temperament, and have not had to prove themselves in any fashion other than looking the part. German/euro dogs whether show or working line MUST have at least an IPO 1 title before earning the right to breed, male or female.

ASL is what you will generally see in the AKC ring and tend to lack the red pigment of the German show dogs.



Then there are working lines. The major ones are West German, East German (or DDR, an abbreviation for a long complicated German word that specifies an area bordering Czechoslovakia) DDRs are often mixed with Czech lines. Working lines are predominantly sables, blacks and bicolors. These dogs range from being great active pets to very serious dogs that are best suited for strictly sport. Below is Rios grandsire from his maternal side consisting of Czech/DDR dogs.



Most reputable breeders do not stray from their types and breed only show to show and working to working, but Rio is an even mix of both. I think he turned out great and genetic diversity is key to the health of any breed or species.

I hope that summary helped a bit! For the record Rio has been MUCH easier to deal with than Brinks, I’ve found GSDs want to please you more so than the Dobe frame of mind of “ok I understand what you’re asking but what’s in it for me?” Also, my two boys are best friends. They rough and tumble together and just love it.

 

[JanS]

Wife and kids want another dog “Ragnar needs a buddy” they say- I disagree.... adding another big dog to our house is going to bring more chaos that I will have to figure out.

Now they are onto a red female Doberman at Gulf Coast Rescue.

I feel it, it is coming...

You'd honestly be amazed at how much easier it can be when you have a second one since they do love to interact with each other. Yes, you do need one on one time with each one but you'd be amazed at how much more satisfied they both are at the end of the day when they can live the dog life together.

 

[Ddski5]

Find the owl....

 

[ksirr]

This is one of my Border Collies. I have a photographer friend who is obsessed with with taking pictures of her playing with ball. This is my favorite so far.

 

[GennyB]

Yes dobies have their person but they do love the whole family. Hubby is in the hospital and I just got home from visiting. I walked in and both dogs were very happy to see me but just me was not enough. They sat at the door waiting for hubby but he never came. Rumor heads to the bedroom where she grabbed one of his shirts from the hamper and brought it to the family room where she laid on it and stared at the front door. Drake is still sitting at the door waiting.
Somebody misses Dad.

 

[Lizbeli]

@GennyB I hope it is nothing too serious and my thoughts are with you both! I bet they know something is up. Always sad when you can tell the puppers are missing their humans.

 

[GennyB]

@GennyB I hope it is nothing too serious and my thoughts are with you both! I bet they know something is up. Always sad when you can tell the puppers are missing their humans.

Thank you. That pic made hubby's day. Both dogs are my dogs and most of the time they barely even acknowledge he's in the room. They do get excited when he comes home from work and greet him for some love but then back to my side. He's always saying things to them like "What am I, chopped liver?" But the pic is evidence they love him and that made him happy.

 

[MyBuddy]

View attachment 98855

Find the owl....

I wanna find the owl!!!

 

[Ddski5]

 

[MyBuddy]

I told Kali that our daughter has a new kitty.

Kitty?!?!

 

[MyBuddy]

View attachment 98870

Wow, talk about camouflage! Is that for real? I'm dying to see an owl in real life on my property! I hear them a lot but I have not seen one.

 

[GennyB]

I'm dying to see an owl in real life on my property! I hear them a lot but I have not seen one.

Come for a visit. We have one that has made the top of one of our oak trees his home. He's loud and what is the closest window? My bedroom of course. The other side of the tree is the pond where Mr. Owl feasts on frogs all night. Oddly enough we see him perched on top of a telephone pole during the day. At night we see him and his huge yellow eyes scanning for critters.

 

[MyBuddy]

. He's loud and what is the closest window? My bedroom of course

Haha! Our daughter would hate that! Whenever she's here, the birds wake her up if the windows are open. I think I would love an owl right by my window. I think.