THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

THIRZAH

We are threatened with a hose pipe ban next week so have started hunting out containers to save waste water for the garden. I was quite horrified how much I collected from the hot tap in the kitchen before it started running hot.


With water restrictions and shortages of supplies due to the CO2 shortage we could be in for an interesting summer.

fuddle

I know that Wilton have already restarted producing Co2.I'm sure I read they were planning on restarting on July 2nd anyway, as per normal. As far as I'm aware the Teesside plant generally runs production low in the run up to the summer as it prepares to concentrate on fertiliser production over the winter. There's a second plant in Teesside and a 3rd in Ipswich which also wound down production but because of the demand for fizzy beverages for the world cup and hot sunny days etc it has put pressure on the whole shebang from the slaughter of animals to the manufacturing of crumpets.

There's nothing to say it's a dire situation but it just goes to show how intertwined everything is.

[Deleted User]

Way back when there was no such thing as pre packaged meat, bread etc. that needed CO2 to keep it fresher, the meat from the butchers was wrapped in greaseproof paper and then white paper, it was kept on a cold block in the counter and in a chiller room at the back of the shop. Bread was baked daily by the bakery as were cakes and that came just in a white paper bag and greengrocery was sold loose and put in brown paper bags. Other groceries like tea and sugar were weighed out and put into blue thick paper bags and cheese/ham/luncheon meat and also bacon was just wrapped in greaseproof paper and taken home. I'm still alive so it can't have been so dangerous to my health can it? Haven't we overcomplicated things in the food industry, all the additives to make it keep longer, all the flavourings to make it taste stronger, all the colourants to make it look nicer, all the added salt and sugar to make it more attractive to our palates...Oh give me an apple every time, after I've washed off all the fertilizers, insect repellents, fungicides and the wax coating of course!

When hand pumps were used in pubs beer came from the cask too without needing CO2 to get it up to the glasses, just saying!

Karmacat

fuddle wrote: »

I know that Wilton have already restarted producing Co2.I'm sure I read they were planning on restarting on July 2nd anyway, as per normal. As far as I'm aware the Teesside plant generally runs production low in the run up to the summer as it prepares to concentrate on fertiliser production over the winter. There's a second plant in Teesside and a 3rd in Ipswich which also wound down production but because of the demand for fizzy beverages for the world cup and hot sunny days etc it has put pressure on the whole shebang from the slaughter of animals to the manufacturing of crumpets.

There's nothing to say it's a dire situation but it just goes to show how intertwined everything is.

I'm still catching up on the news a bit, and I was wondering **why** CO2 was in short supply - thanks for this, fuddle! So it was basically a miscalculation on the part of the usual manufacturers/processors? Blimey.

jk0

I bet you guys have all heard of the Mandela effect? (Apparently a large group of people remember him dying in the nineties instead of in 2012.)

I was recently watching some clips about alternative universes, and it occurs to me that we must be slipping between them quite regularly.

How many times have you needed something you know is in a particular box, tipped everything out and can't find it? Then weeks/ months later the thing is back in its place. I bet most of us put this down to naughty children/ careless partners. I can't do that as I live alone.

The answer is obviously that when we need the item, we slip into the universe where we never bought it, and slip back when we've bought another one!

fuddle

Karmacat wrote: »

I'm still catching up on the news a bit, and I was wondering **why** CO2 was in short supply - thanks for this, fuddle! So it was basically a miscalculation on the part of the usual manufacturers/processors? Blimey.

Yeah too many factories have shut at the same time across Europe. It happens every year in preparation for the fertiliser production. I read they do work on the machines at this time.

It’s also because natural gas is high in price this year and that production has been limited. I suppose its good business sense to produce what they know they can sell.

It's also because there has been a fall in ammonia prices which means it has been cheaper for the Wilton plant, and I guess others, to buy in ammonia from abroad instead of producing it in the UK.

The crux of it is British food and drink suppliers rely on the British based plants for the CO2 because it is expensive to import and all the factors above, with rising demand, have lead to the shortage.

Excuse the supposed anorak but I lived in Teesside for a year and have that industry to thank for DH progressing up the career ladder. I take an interest is all.

[Deleted User]

Do hosepipe bans apply only to mains water, or can you not attach a hosepipe to rainwater butts either?

[Deleted User]

I think we may have a water problem here in the village though it's currently still on. I went for an evening walk and coming back into the village the main road out is closed (though they did let the bus through) and Clancy Dockwra and Southern Water lorries were there digging up the road just in the middle of the village street. I've taken the precaution of filling up every large receptacle I posess which will be more than enough to see us through a couple of days but in this heat? what a time to have a potential problem!

mardatha

I believe in a version of that, jk0. I think some things fall through holes into the spirit world and then later on fall back into our world again. But I know a lot of people can't accept that and I don't mind at all.

[Deleted User]

I just ask the house to find whatever it is I've misplaced and oddly enough it always does and sometimes in places I know I've searched pretty thoroughly too. However it works it makes me feel very warm and loved when house gets involved!(I think we have a hearth spirit who makes sure we're all OK).