What do you get if you cross a vampire and a snowman?
Frost Bite.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year
from The Tempest Twins Fan site.

Some of you may know that I recently moved. Well we have been looking at schools for my young pirates. We have now picked on and signed the older one up.
He looked on you tube to discover more about them and found this for Talk Like A Pirate Day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qtX2qy4wug

This is the fouth part of this Ma Kettle's version of brewing beer.

After the brew has fermented for about a week the level of carbon dioxide given off would have reduced considerably. As carbon dioxide is a heavy gas it also creates a kind of seal above the brew so reducing contamination provided it has not been disturbed. If a bubbler has been used it is safe to leave the brew a couple of days to confirm fermentation has finished but it is not recommended if a bubbler has not been used or the brew has been disturbed.

If a keg is being used this needs to be sterilized or forty pint bottles and crowns along with a tube to decant the beer with. The keg or bottles then need to be primed, this is usually a tea spoon of spray malt (or half a tea spoon of sugar) per pint bottle. Now the fermentation vessel is placed up high, in our case a stool on the dining room table, this allows gravity to help fill the bottles. When placing the tube in the liquid next, do not push it all the way to the bottom, as the layer of sediment tastes terrible.

Fill the keg or bottles and seal them by either the air tight top or crown before leaving them for a minimum of six weeks, although I find two months form initial brewing is easier to work out. This time allows the beer to become conditioned and a majority of the sediment to fall to the bottom. Some darker beers can take up to six months before the full rich flavour comes through so please do not rush into drinking it.

This is the third part of this Ma Kettle's version of brewing beer.

After the grains have sat for an hour and a half, drain off a minimum of a couple of pints and pour it over the grains. (If the fermenting bin does not have a tap at the bottom, I recommend using a second bin, a very large sieve and a muslin.) Now drain off all the liquid and place it in a saucepan.

Now pour boiling water through the grains, twice and then drain off this liquid too and place in the saucepan. Repeat this until the specific gravity (SGs) are below 1010SGs at 20ºC or there is no more space in several saucepans (remember this liquid will be expected to boil so not all the way up to the top).

Bring all this liquid to the boil and add the first or main batch of hops. Boil for three quarters of an hour, before adding the next batch of hops. Boil for a quarter of an hour, before adding any sugar required. Boil for another quarter of an hour, before adding a tea spoon of irish moss. This is used to reduce the amount of loose sediment in the brew and so taint the flavor of the beer. Boil for another quarter of an hour, before straining into a fermentation vessel.

Add water to make up the difference between the boiled liquid and the required amount to brew, usually five gallons or forty pints. If the fermentation vessel is designed to take a bubbler, it is highly recommended to use one as it again reduces the chances of contaminateion. Add any hops required for a dry hop and when the temperature has dropped below 25ºC add the yeast. The yeast usually takes about a day to show any real evidence of working.

This is the second part of this Ma Kettle's version of brewing beer. Please note this is the general recipe, it does not include quantities of grains, malt or hops.

Three days before beer is going to be brewed a yeast starter needs to be made unless a packet of dried brewers yeast is being used. Sterilize all equipment that is going to be used either by boiling or using sterilizing solution. This is to stop contamination of the beer, as unclean or unsterilized items will allow beer to go moldy rather than ferment.

Heat two to three gallons of water to 75ºC. There are eight pints in one gallon, so between sixteen and twenty-four milk bottles of water. Pour this water into a fermentation vessel and check the waters temperature has fallen to 72º. The basic fermentation vessel looks like a large open bin.

Mix into the water the ingredients, starting with the darkest grains, stirring constantly to prevent dry lumps appearing. If malt extract syrup is being used, a pound (or two parts) is equivalent to one and a half pounds (or three parts) crushed pale malt. Once the pale malt touches the hot water it releases a smell like Horlicks Malt drink. When all the ingredients have been added check the temperature is 66º. Add more hot or cold water till 66ºC is reached and all the grains are covered. Now place a lid on and wrap the fermentation bin up in a bin liner and then a thick duvet (to keep it warm) for an hour and a half.

(Please note they recommend that when cleaning cloths, to remove germs, high temperatures are used at least 60°C. Cooking food thoroughly also reduces the number of germs. Therefore the grains are soaked in water over his temperature.)

This is the first part of this Ma Kettle's version of brewing beer.
Three days before beer is made, a yeast starter is started. This is created from live, bottle conditioned beer or the last batch of beer brewed and spray malt.

First bring a milk bottle to the boil in a large saucepan. All the glass needs to be under the surface of the boiling water as this reduces the germs. In another saucepan bring half a pint of water to the boil and add three tables spoons of spray malt (sugar can be used instead). Allow to boil for a couple of minutes after it has all dissolved. Pour the mixture into the milk bottle and add a cork and bubbler (this reduces the chances of unwanted bacteria growing). When the temperature has dropped below 25º add the yeast part of the bottle of live or bottle conditioned beer. Then store in a warm spot till ready to brew the beer. (This used to be the airing cupboard till we got a combi boiler and the airing cupboard became a shower!)

As Cheng Li is based on a Chinese pirate in the early 19th century called Cheng I Sao, I thought you might be interested in knowing more about China's traditions. So I chatted to my Hubbie's Dad and Nai Nai (Nanny in mandarin) and they explained about Fū Lu Shou.

Fu Lu Shou (Three Stars of Blessings, Auspicious Trinity or the Three Gods) are much respected and revered in China. Almost every shop or household has at least one collection and they are usually displayed in the doorways. They represent wealth, wisdom and long life or blessings, prosperity and longevity. They enhance all the good things in life. Xing means star, which explains stars of blessings.

Fu Xing represents fortune and wealth. Nai Nai described him as the classic western version of the Mandarin, a very wealthy character. This character is associated with luck, good fortune and opportunity, 'may a lifetime of fortune stars watch over you'.

Lu Xing represents wisdom. Nai Nai described him as the scholar, as he is almost always carrying books which denote his wisdom. "This word originates from feudal China to symbolize 'success in government', where the highest post in life was considered an appointment as a government official. Learned men would study for ten years just to qualify for the post - the honour and sense of ffulfilment' that followed was considered the ultimate success. Although the literal translation of this character is 'government official', over the years it has come to represent satisfaction and happiness through achievement. Lu Xing will bring 'ultimate success and fulfilment'
'."

Shou Xing represents longevity or a long life. Nai Nai described him as the old gentleman which shows his long life. "According to Chinese folklore, Longevity is described as wise, knowledgeable and capable of ruling the world. During festivals, a Chinese family normally worships the symbols or pictures of Longevity to express gratitude for granting the elders in the family a long life. Shou Xing will bring you a 'long and fruitful life'." "Shou Xing is perhaps the most popular of the three stars, and is often portrayed alone. Legend says that Shou Xing spent nine years in the womb, and born with an extraordinarily large forehead. His mother saw the star of the South Pole the night he was conceived; this star is said to determine the time of a person's death, so Shou Xing is often called 'The Old Deity of the South Pole.' Shou Xing is usually seen holding the Peach of Immortality, and carrying a peach wood staff. Legend says that the celestial peach was the Queen of Heaven’s favourite fruit, which blossomed once ever 3,000 years with it taking another 3,000 year for the peach tree to bear fruit. Thus a bite of the celestial peach could gain longevity. In typical illustrations of Shou Xing, a crane, a bat, a deer, or some combination of these may be near him, though they are sometimes associated with the other two stars ("deer" is a homophone of the character for Lu's name)."

The little dish is another way of attracting the blessings. It is read top to bottom then left to right. Chāng (long), mìng (life), gui (wealth) and fù (happiness).

Below is a picture of my Mothers nine (three times three) Shou Xing. She was diagnosed with kidney failure before I was born, and was expected to die when I was five but received a transplant just in time, which lasted an incredible sixteen years. I remember these nine characters being important to her and her explaining about them before my sister was born. Nai Nai showed me that several had peaches (long life) either on their clothes or in their hands. One is holding a crane (fertility), another holding a bat and two have wooden staffs.

For more information see www.phillychinatown.com/chinese_topic/fuloshou/fu_lu_shou.htm and www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_chinaway/2005-08/19/content_72038.htm

I am assuming here, that Ma Kettle's Tavern being part of the pirating world, the spirits would get smuggled in and the beers brewed on the premises. Foaming beer can be achieved from both kegs of beer and bottles of beer. But if large amounts are being consumed beer will probably be stored in kegs. We put some beer on about two months ago and tried it last night. I had forgotten how hop-y Caroline beer tasted. Although the fermentation process takes just over a week till it is ready to bottle, home brewed beer/live beer tastes better after all the sediment has fallen out, which takes a minimum of three weeks, but two months after brewing started is better.

I don't know how many of you have looked at the other vampirate websites. I was on www.wampiraci.pl and at the bottom of the multimedia page there is a game of vampirate pelmanism (pairs).