"Training" Run For When Trish Goes To Melbourne

It is absolutely glorious here right now.  The temp is around 24 degrees and there is oodles of sunshine outside.  We have a blue sky and some very high clouds.  Just delightful.

Trish is 'off' on a Bus Trip day she has organized for around 30 ladies from Stitchers.  I am not sure where they have gone but usually they visit a town which has a couple of crafty type shops, a great spot for lunch and they have a bit of a look around the countryside.  They have quizzes and raffles on the bus and an all round great time.

I have been left to my own devices here at home but I can always find something to do.  It is good practice for the next fortnight when Trish trips down to Melbourne again.  I am to remain here in Caloundra.  I will have a little time on my own which I don't mind from time to time.  I have a heap of episodes of "Spartacus" to catch up on anyway. That is a series which Trish isn't that keen on so I sit back and enjoy them when she is 'down south'.

Today is the first real sunny day we have had the solar on for.  When it was being installed they guy said the 'third' light might flicker sometimes.  This indicates the Inverter is working at 75% of its 2.5KW power range.  It has been a rock solid three lights for several hours today as the photo shows.  Our roof is just perfect for solar so the guy said and that seems the case today!

Some of my home brew has been a bit 'just OK' lately.  I have tried everything.  I have replaced bottles and 90% of the equipment.  I have upgraded my cleaning procedures to do a brush bottle wash every time.  I use 'extra strength' sanitizer to ensure all germs have been eradicated but still I get a slight taste from time to time.

As I was going to be bottling today I checked a couple of the recently cleaned bottles last night.  There was a bit of a strange smell coming from them.  A quick rinse cleared the smell.  I reckon it was the residue of the new super strength sanitizer I have been using.  The instructions did say it was a no rinse sanitizer but maybe because I am user a super strength version I need to give the bottles a quick rinse prior to bottling.

That isn't a problem with the new washing container I purchased recently for $5 from The Reject Shop.  It had lost its lid so I got it for $5. I can rinse 9 bottles at a time using the container and it is plenty large enough for me to give a good clean out to the brew barrel after I have completed the bottling as well.

Another of my 'new' plastic beer bottles has split so that gave me an extra cleanup job to do this morning before I got right into the bottling.  That is 3 new bottles that have split in a couple of months.  I only split two of the older bottles in 10 years previously!

As I had the car I decided a quick trip to the brew shop was in order!  I was delighted to see I had a balance of $55 waiting there for me.  People want to pay me for helping out with their computers or media players and I suggest they go to the brew shop and leave some cash there for me. $55 was a great total to have waiting for me!

I told the Home Brew shop guy about the new bottles splitting and about the taste which was possibly from the sanitizer.  We both agreed a quick rinse prior to bottling was a good measure.  I grabbed a new decent bottle cleaning brush, a can of Canadian Blonde, a can of Toohey's Old and a can of Lager.  I now have a two month supply of home brew mix! He will raise the bottles splitting with the 'rep' when he next comes into the shop.