areyouevenreal

I have been doing torrents + VPN for years now and thinking about switching.

Is usenet and debrid safe to use without a VPN in the UK? What about other piracy streaming sites?

From what I understand it's cheaper to use a VPN than have debrid + usenet + private indexers but I am not sure.

I have heard some questionable justifications as to why it's safer such as it being encrypted (torrents can also be encrypted). Are the index sites also safe? I have heard it both ways about this. Including people saying index sites are not encrypted which they normally are.

Opened my first bottle of hibiscus mead. I think it needs longer to carbonate, or I might have not added enough carbonation sugar. Probably both.

It is pretty drinkable. This is reassuring given it was made using the cheapest available honey and is well under a month old. Voss Kveik yeast and good nutrients do wonders!

Definitely needs some refinement when it comes to sweeteners and acids. This was my first time using acids to balance a mead and I think I should have chosen citric acid or malic acid instead of tartaric acid.

Front Left - Orange & Mango cordial Front Right - Ginger beer from cordial Left Rear - Stawberry Jam Wine Right Rear - Cyser Bochet

Using the Bray Denard methodology for the bochet minus GoFerm (didn't have any at the time). Using Voss Kveik yeast from LalBrew for the bochet and the jam wine.

The two from cordial are using EC-1118 primarily because I had it lying around not being used. They also have added sugar - brown for ginger beer, white for orange & mango.

I will be interested to see how the orange and mango goes for two reasons: It had preservatives that normally prevent fermentation, and you don't normally use orange juice to ferment.

What liquid do people use for their airlocks?

I have been using water for a while but have recently seen people who think this isn't best practice and is likely to get infected.

I have also found out that the sanitizer I use breaks down over time so likely wouldn't be suitable. I have taken to using dish soap for now but don't know if there is a problem with this practice.

I am currently avoiding vodka because of the alcohol duty in my country.

I normally don't drink beer or ale because I find it too bitter. I have no problems with malt though (I actually think it's pretty interesting). Would I be correct in thinking that unhopped beer is less bitter?

Also does anyone have any advice for brewing my first ale? I have made fruit wine, mead, and cider before but never beer. I have some kveik yeast and spray malt from other brews that I can use so I am thinking of using that. The closest I have gotten to brewing ale or beer is making bochet braggot so any help is appreciated.

I thought I would ask some questions.

Who uses nutrients? What do you use them in and which ones do you use?

There seems to be lots of ways to use nutrients in things like mead, wine, and even cider. Many people even debate whether and when they are actually needed especially in the mead space.

I've even been blocked before for suggesting SNA (Staggered Nutrient Addition) is unnecessary or elitist even though it's a recent invention.

Made in a 5L demijohn.

Ingredients:

• 3x Seedless Raspberry Jam 420g
• Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
• Pectinase enzyme
• Fermaid-O 10g

I believe now that this is more nutrients than necessary.

I have made other beverages before but never a fruit wine!