This is not their war (day 139)

Bacterial update:  the batch of Kefir I was so giddy about yesterday was indeed the best so far but after 'ripening' the milk kefir at room temperature for another 24 hours, it turned sour.  I threw it out.  In hindsight, given the amount of separation of curd and whey after being strained, it had fermented slightly too long.  The batch I just strained this evening is again the best so far (better than yesterday's).  This time I'm ripening it in the refrigerator for a day.  So far the separation is minimal.  Ripening is said to increase Vitamins B (folic acid in particular).   It also changes the flavour.  We'll see.  The Kombucha scoby seems to be starting the creation of a daughter on its back.  For some reason I thought it would be on the belly.  When I get back from San Jose on Friday next week I'll have the pH testing strips to see how things are going.  By that time the brewing should be almost done.

Steve and I have been watching the Lord of the Ring trilogy.  We're almost done the third one now.  It's quite an epic.  Just like the first time, I can't help but feel sadness for the suffering of the animals in a battle that is not their own.  While I know that these particular animals were not harmed, it does remind me that animals were and are harmed in battles.  Horses seem to me such gentle animals.  To use them in battle must have been tremendously traumatic.   In the film they kill elephant-like animals as well as horses, dog-like creatures, and so on, merely for their supposed allegiance with evil.  Indeed the animals are depicted as having a will to kill beyond their human riders.

I recently had a conversation with someone about the next big injustice to be noticed and righted.  At the time we bandied lots of things about including, in partial jest, the injustice of a world made for early-risers.  Since that time, because of various sources and acquaintances, I've come to realize that it may be animal rights that become a focus.  Our inability to consider non-humans as having consciousness, worthy of freedom and respect no doubt stands in the way of us feeling compassion on much deeper level for the earth in general.  Julie Andreyev, Carol Gigliotti, and Karolle Wall are all faculty members at Emily Carr working with animals and ethics as subject matter.  Julie is currently building an interactive art piece (called *glisten) HIVE) for the Cultural Olympiad (Code Live exhibition) where text emphasizing evidence of animal consciousness will be rendered in real-time, responding to human actions in the space.  She is actively seeking textual input for the piece using Twitter (@glisten_HIVE).  You can tweet examples of how your animal companion shows their conscious relationship with the world.  Example questions she asks are: "how do you  know when your animal companion is sad/happy?", and "Is your animal companion ever conflicted?"

A song for this post.

May the light shine on Haiti (day 138)

Bacterial update:  I think this Kefir batch is the one.  The one that looks like the picture.  I decreased the amount of milk and left the lid ajar.  I also covered the jar for the last 5 hours of fermentation.   I haven't strained it yet but I'm giddy with anticipation.  My kombucha tea mother is not dead.  This is a small victory that accumulates momentum every day.  I bought some pH testing strip from a shop in Ontario.  The shipping was more than the strips.  I'll try to find a supply in Vancouver when I have some time.  Is this a giant distraction?  Yes, perhaps but sometimes following something thoroughly fascinating is a gateway for inspiration in other areas.

I took some time today to look at  pictures of the damage in Haiti.  It is much worse than I thought.  I am so stunned by the symbolic destruction of the palace.  It seemed so solid, so regal.  My friend Jer posted a visualization of why this disaster is especially sad -- hiting a country already weakened.  I donated to Architecture for Humanity.  I like what they stand for and I find their rebuilding message hopeful.  It may be too early to think in those terms but building better for the future is a worthy thing to be prepared for.

A song for this post.

Drink in culture (day 136)

I strained by first quart of Kefir today and it is quite delicious.  I didn't find quite thick enough but that may be because I didn't stir it while it was culturing, or perhaps I didn't culture it long enough.  I am making another quart which will be ready in a day and half.  Apparently every batch is different.  Different milk and fat content should help with that.  Also slightly more grains than last time.

The kombucha scoby is not dead or moldy.  I'm happy with that.  I'll be getting some PH testing strips tomorrow to keep track of the progress.  I'm curious.

So that's it for today - just a bacterial update.   Actually here's a gem I came across today as well.  It talks of serendipity and I find it quite charming.

A song for this post.

Scoby do (day 135)

I've stumbled onto culture, the bacterial kind.  I now know what a scoby is and I am worried about mine.  I hope I didn't kill it.  A scoby is a symbiotic combination of yeast and bacteria.  I have two types now:  one for making Kefir and one for making Kombucha tea.  Both were gifted by a kind soul in East Vancouver.  

After being sick I started drinking probiotics to replenish my gut with good bacteria.  But probiotic drinks are super expensive and knowing that all they are is fermented milk was bothering me.  What could be easier than multiplying bacteria?  I looked into making yogurt but the effort seemed to outweigh the returns.  Then I came across Kefir, a drink originally from Russia which kind of tastes like yogurt but with some yeast tones and effervescence.   An acquired taste to some maybe but I took to it right away.  It's quite good with chocolate.  Anyway, it too is expensive but unlike yogurt it is quite easy to make.  It requires room temperature and a typical kefir will take 24-36 hours to make.  The catch is that you need to know someone with the Kefir grains to start the process.  Thankfully the gift culture of craigslist yielded a kind person who not only gave me some grains but also showed me his method of making Kefir.  

As a bonus he also gave me a Kombucha tea mushroom (it's called a mushroom but it's not really a mushroom).   I'd never had Kombucha tea but I was thrilled to get the scoby after tasting his tea.  It's fresh tasting, a little bit like a cross between cider and beer.  It only has 1% alcohol. 

A big learning curve of an afternoon later, I have two things brewing:  Kefir and Kombucha tea.  The Kefir should be ready tomorrow night.  The tea, perhaps in two weeks if I didn't kill the scoby with the wrong PH or an invasion of another bacteria or mold. 

Who knew sickness could yield such treasures.

A song for this post.