The Front Porch Swing

[Tomtommom]

I make mine in several containers, so that I just grab a single container and take it out, slop it into their dog dish, and I'm done. No ladleing, no straining, no mess, no fuss. Then I take it back inside, add more dry feed, fill with water, stir and set it aside. It will be ready to use again 24 hours later. I've started it with ACV with the mother, and I've started it without any thing other than feed and water. I find that it ferments really well if I add a cup or so of scratch to the regular feed. The only important advice I have to give is: if you don't use it, you loose it. In other words, if you're not using it daily, and let it get too ripe, it will go rancid, then you might want to start over. Depending on the size of your flock, thus your container size, if it gets ahead of you, you can stick it in the fridge to slow it down. If I have some yogurt whey, i throw it in, but only b/c i'd be dumping it down the sink otherwise. If you're concerned about it going bad, or perhaps not being happy with it, try making just a quart. Not much waste there! Then, if you're pleased with the results, you can hold back a cup full to start a bigger batch. I also bypass the dog bowl altogether, and sometimes dump it directly on the ground, I'm finding that the pH of it is killing a patch of moss on one part of my lawn. So, I make it a point to dump it there often!

Don't toss whey. That stuff is fantastic in pancakes and smoothies

But I suppose.. the chickens can have it. I've got a whey jug in the fridge, for pancakes.. next to the bacon drippings for corn bread. Waste not, want not

I have never had a bad batch and don't know how I would do it, honestly. I have done everything "wrong" and can't wreck it. Get bucket, and feed, add water, let sit, feed. Add more when getting low. Mix periodically. I have left it for a week, and gotten some mould growing on the side of the bucket. I just mixed it in really well and it's all good. Too wet, too dry, not stirred, too hot, too cold... It seems bulletproof to me, but maybe that's because I only ferment good quality feed...

My kitchen gets too hot in the summer. 80F atleast. And we have mold in parts of the house.. so it likely gets a lovely ferment going with black mold spores or something

The past two batches smelled like sewer.

The first batch was perfect, smelled lovely ferment-ey, but I made that one in the winter.

 

[LindaB220]

I have never had a bad batch and don't know how I would do it, honestly. I have done everything "wrong" and can't wreck it. Get bucket, and feed, add water, let sit, feed. Add more when getting low. Mix periodically. I have left it for a week, and gotten some mould growing on the side of the bucket. I just mixed it in really well and it's all good. Too wet, too dry, not stirred, too hot, too cold... It seems bulletproof to me, but maybe that's because I only ferment good quality feed...

Great post Sarah, it is bulletproof. Even if it gets too strong, just keep adding more feed and water and replenish it. I've never thrown any out. Bee used to say just stir it in and feed. If I have a little black mold on the side, I wipe it off with a paper towel and stir down. Mine is so fermented that it gets the white scoby daily.
Tomtommom, give it another try. The benefits outweigh the hassle.

It was over 95 in the storeroom today when I made the new batch. It's still good.

 

[vehve]

I think I'll stick to the mash for now, it's easier. Might try FF at some point, but I don't have a good spot to store it come winter.

 

[vehve]

I was wondering why the dogs and chickens are panting so much, and it felt a bit hot, but then I looked at the thermometer. +29 deg C (84F) outside, and I'm sweating like crazy doing a bit of garden work. How on earth do you people survive with your 100 F weather?

 

[dpenning]

I was wondering why the dogs and chickens are panting so much, and it felt a bit hot, but then I looked at the thermometer. +29 deg C (84F) outside, and I'm sweating like crazy doing a bit of garden work. How on earth do you people survive with your 100 F weather?

Same way folks in cold areas survive there, go from one climate controlled area to another and hydrate! And.... we don't have to shovel heat.

Dawn in Dallas where it is forecast to be a cool 96*F

 

[vehve]

Same way folks in cold areas survive there, go from one climate controlled area to another and hydrate! And.... we don't have to shovel heat.

Dawn in Dallas where it is forecast to be a cool 96*F

Luckily I can live in the illusion of heat coming from those magic things on the wall, no shoveling needed. And it keeps trapped with 2 feet of insulation in the roof and over a foot in the walls. Plus the ac has a heat collector, which luckily works the other way in summer, keeping this place tolerable in this heat. But out there in the yard, phew it's hot.

 

[LadyCluck77]

Great post Sarah,   it is bulletproof.  Even if it gets too strong, just keep adding more feed and water and replenish it.  I've never thrown any out.  Bee used to say just stir it in and feed.   If I have a little black mold on the side, I wipe it off with a paper towel and stir down.  Mine is so fermented that it gets  the white scoby daily.
Tomtommom, give it another try.  The benefits outweigh the hassle.     
It was over 95 in the storeroom today when I made the new batch.  It's still good.

So it is best if I make it in the basement, in a ceramic crock, and wipe off any mold that forms, just like saltwater dill pickles?

I think I'll try making a small batch today. Thanks for the wisdom ladies!

 

[amybamber]

hi! I don't see MT on your list, so, Greetings from Montana!

here is our backyard


and here are the ladies heading into their 'meadow' in the morning

 

[amybamber]

hi FF folks...this is interesting, and I know nothing about it. Can you tell me why you do the FF? Just to give them a little something different, keep their tummies in good shape? Thanks!

 

[Tomtommom]

I was wondering why the dogs and chickens are panting so much, and it felt a bit hot, but then I looked at the thermometer. +29 deg C (84F) outside, and I'm sweating like crazy doing a bit of garden work. How on earth do you people survive with your 100 F weather?

The heat is different in Europe, and you don't have a/c... the occasional chance to cool off indoors makes it so much more bearable.

I've lived in Holland for 22 years, 10 years in Alabama... A good ol' Dutch heat wave isn't comparable to Alabama heat.

I very vividly remember landing in Atlanta for the very first time. The airport was airconditioned.. I walk out the door and BAM I hit this wall of humid heat. It about knocked me back

hi! I don't see MT on your list, so, Greetings from Montana!

here is our backyard


and here are the ladies heading into their 'meadow' in the morning

Love that meadow!

hi FF folks...this is interesting, and I know nothing about it. Can you tell me why you do the FF? Just to give them a little something different, keep their tummies in good shape? Thanks!

It helps gut health and they eat less... it saves money.