Author Archives: james

Quad Erat Demonstrandum

Posted on January 21, 2017 by james

They’re all the rage at the moment, obviously, but I’ve always fancied having a remote controlled aircraft since I used to make model aeroplanes as a child. I recall a rubber-powered balsa wood biplane that I made with my dad … Continue reading →

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Barn roofing project

Posted on January 21, 2017 by james

We have a barn that I believe was at some point in its life used for threshing grain, though it shows signs of having been extended a number of times and may not originally have had that purpose: Over the … Continue reading →

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Life in the old boiler yet…

Posted on January 21, 2017 by james

I’d given up on the old boiler I used to use for brewing when the thermostat died. When I initially checked, to replace it was going to cost almost as much as a new boiler. Some time after it failed … Continue reading →

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Fermentation cabinet and brewing vessel stand

Posted on January 21, 2017 by james

With the paint dry it was time to build a stand for the brewing vessels and an insulated (and heated) fermentation cabinet. The fermentation cabinet is really nothing more than a double-skin cupboard insulated with 50mm of cellulose board insulation. … Continue reading →

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Beer shack progress

Posted on January 21, 2017 by james

Once the walls were insulated and lined they needed painting. I used an exterior grade white paint including a fungicide for the walls and ceiling as there will certainly be some condensation once I start using it. The floor has … Continue reading →

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New brewing pots arrive

Posted on January 21, 2017 by james

As part of my move to a dedicated brewing space I decided to build a new brewing setup with dedicated vessels for different stages of the process. Rather than use the plastic “buckets” that I’ve made do with so far … Continue reading →

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Swimming, 20th January 2017

Posted on January 21, 2017 by james

Unlike yesterday, a quiet session in the pool again for my third Swimfit session. In the end I did: 5 x one length front crawl, one length backstroke, easy pace One minute rest 6 x one length breaststroke, medium pace, … Continue reading →

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Mark 1 Potato Cannon

Posted on January 20, 2017 by james

Search youtube for potato cannon and you’ll find loads of examples. My son was keen to try building one so we came up with a plan to build this one from bits of pipe we had lying about. It didn’t … Continue reading →

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The Beer Shack is born

Posted on January 20, 2017 by james

I’ve been brewing my own beer for years, but doing a ninety-minute rolling boil of five gallons of wort in the kitchen has never made me the most popular person in the house so when the thermostat on the boiler … Continue reading →

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Swimming, 19th January 2017

Posted on January 20, 2017 by james

Very busy in the pool today making it very difficult to swim lengths, but I managed 4 x 500m front crawl and then another 10 x 50m practising turns at the deep end. Control of breathing is starting to get … Continue reading →

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