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Sylvia Rose
Jan 253 min read
Noble Rot: Secret of Sumptuous Sweet Wines
Noble rot has tremendous impact in winemaking, especially of dessert wines. This dowdy fungus, Botrytis cinerea , is a phenomenon in...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 225 min read
Esters & Phenols in Brewing, Perfumes, Food Making
Esters and phenols are compounds creating flavors, colors and aromas for sensory experience. Artisans in brewing, perfumery or food must...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 184 min read
Ethyl Acetate: Scent of Flowers, Wine & Fruits
Ethyl acetate is an aromatic compound produced by yeast in beverage brewing, bestowing sweet fruity scents and complex flavor profiles....
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 175 min read
Terroir in Wine & Food: Expression of Place
Terroir is created by unique environmental aspects. Often linked to wine, terroir also influences agricultural products such as cheese...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 88 min read
Create Artisan Apple Cider Vinegar
Making apple cider vinegar at home allows control over the ingredients. This is essential for making artisan vinegars, which can range...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 75 min read
Cultivate Acetic Acid Bacteria for Artisan Vinegar
Vinegar is a dynamic culinary ingredient with a rich history and unique flavors. Created through fermentation of ethanol, including...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 68 min read
Flavors of Coffee: From Harvest to Homestead
Coffee lovers welcome the smooth, rich aroma of the morning brew. The journey from coffee tree to flavorful cuppa Joe is a captivating...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 57 min read
Brettanomyces: Favorite Artisan Wild Yeast
Brettanomyces is a wild yeast with domestic traits. "Brett" is found throughout the natural world. Microscopy helps define and...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 44 min read
Isolate Lactic Acid Bacteria for Artisan Flavors
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) create delicious flavors and tangy textures in dairy products like cheese, yogurt and fermented milk. These...
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Sylvia Rose
Jan 47 min read
Five Sugars: Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Sucrose, Lactose
Sugars are primary consumables and influence how bodies function, often in surprising ways. Sugars are essential for overall health. The...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 29, 20247 min read
German Romanticism: Nature & Emotion
German Romanticism (Deutsche Romantik) is an influential movement emphasizing profound emotions, the beauty of nature, and the power of...
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Sylvia Rose
Dec 13, 20245 min read
Chalk (CaCO3): Bounty of the Primal Seas
Chalk is fundamentally calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and takes hundreds of millions of years to form. This seemingly mundane mineral has a...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 27, 20246 min read
Zaffre: Vintage Cobalt Blue Glass & Artists' Pigment
Zaffre (zaffer) is a vibrant deep blue pigment developed by alchemists, major pigment creators, by c. 1550 AD. Characterized by brilliant...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 22, 20245 min read
German Peasants' War: Rebellion of Despair
The German Peasants' War (1524-5) is short, bloody and violent, and changes the course of history in Europe. Up to 400,000 peasants rise...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 18, 20247 min read
Mercury II Oxide: Red & White of Alchemy
In practical alchemy, mercury II oxide (HgO) is often called the "Red Precipitate," with its compound Mercuric Amidochloride (Hg(NH2)Cl),...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 15, 20245 min read
Liver of Sulfur: Alchemy, Metal & Medicine
Liver of Sulfur is a unique compound of alchemy, metallurgy and medicine. Also known as hepar sulfuris or sulfurated potash, Liver of...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 9, 20245 min read
Scheele's Green: History's Most Toxic Pigment
Scheele's Green is a rich, vibrant green. Its color appeal surpasses that of the copper carbonate paints of the late 18th century and...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 7, 20245 min read
Copper(II) Sulfate: Blue Vitriol, Chalcanthite
Copper (II) sulfate CuSO4 yields a vivid color and widespread applications. Also known as blue vitriol in alchemy and chalcanthite in...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 1, 20245 min read
Silverpoint Drawing: Art of the Renaissance
Silverpoint is a drawing medium with distinct artistic potential. This delicate and precise medium has a rich history, unique properties,...
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Sylvia Rose
Nov 1, 20248 min read
11 Favorite Drawing Mediums of Artists
Drawing is a creative expression for humans since cave paintings of prehistory. In art, anything making a mark is a drawing tool....
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