Sunday 20 December 2015

Mother Sunlight


In the last week, measured Saturday to Saturday and as per the solar panels, we experienced the least sunlight since moving into the house in April 2013. Click to enlarge the image below and inspect the yellow area. We generated only 4.88 KWh for the week.


Given we haven't yet reached the solstice, the coming week could again break the record. Might see the resurgence of rickets in school kids from the lower socio-economic stratum. I remember when in the 60s we used to sit in front of sunlamps once a week for 20 minutes in our underwear in primary school.

Hay took some white wine vinegar out of the cupboard yesterday to make some poached eggs for breakfast (a bit of vinegar in the poaching water helps the egg bind to itself) and was horrified at what she saw. It was like some amoebic jellyfish:


I had to explain that this was the holy grail of vinegar makers, a clump of acetobacter - or a vinegar mother - and is highly sought after. Just get some really cheap red or white wine (or even cider) - the dregs from the night before perhaps, add some to the mother with a bit of water and keep 'feeding it' on a weekly basis. It's a bit like making a sourdough starter, but takes around 10 weeks. Here are some instructions.


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